ABSTRACT
It can be seen that transfer of learning is a complex process that cannot be explained
or ‘proved’ easily. It cannot be regarded as a unitary theory or model of learning but,
rather, underpins all learning. Using a basic definition of ‘prior learning affecting
new learning or performance’, it is helpful to ‘unpack’ the concept by examining
ways in which the previous knowledge and experience of learners affect their ability
to deal with new situations, and by looking at the processes by which transfer may
occur, that is examining the conceptualisation of knowledge and how it may be
stored within the mind and accessed, retrieved, used, processed and transformed. I
will conclude with a brief summary of how transfer of learning may be facilitated
in social work education in relation to the elements involved in transfer as outlined
earlier – learner, task and context.
