Paying Attention to Intention to Transfer in Faculty Development Using the Theory of Planned Behavior

Context: Only a small proportion of knowledge and skills acquired during faculty development is actually applied on the job, leading to poor transfer of training. This results in wastage of training efforts. The present study was designed to predict the intention to transfer after participation in a faculty development workshop using theory of planned behavior (TPB). Methods: A questionnaire was designed covering direct measures of the TPB constructs viz. ‘attitudes towards behavior’, ‘perceived control over behavior’ and ‘subjective norms’, which was used to predict intention to transfer. Three hundred twenty four mid-level medical educators took the survey. Results: Respondents had a mean of 10.59 ± 7.39 and 5.25 ± 5.24 years of experience of teaching undergraduate and postgraduate classes respectively. The model accounted for 41% change in intention to transfer, with standard regression co-efficient equal to 0.51 for ‘attitudes towards behavior’, 0.21 for ‘perceived control over behavior’ and 0.07 for ‘subjective norm’. Discussion: Attitudes towards behavior and perceived control over behavior had greater influence over intention to transfer compared to subjective norms. The faculty development programs should focus on developing positive attitudes and perceived control over behavior of the participants.