The Development of Transfer and Instructional Approaches

The capability for transfer of knowledge seems to develop in the right environment, being a biologically primary trait. Explicit instruction may not be the best method to develop transfer; instead, providing rich areas for exploration allows students to understand new ideas in different contexts. For biologically primary skills like speaking and problem-solving, play is essential for learning. However, for complex skills like solving quadratic equations, formal step-by-step methods are more effective. While reading is considered biologically secondary and believed to require step-by-step teaching, around 25% of students can learn to read well regardless of the instruction they receive. Hence, understanding what skill teachers want their students to improve on is crucial in deciding the most effective instructional approach.