PROFESSIONAL DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS IN HIGHER EDUCATION: SATISFYING THE BASIC PSYCHOLOGICAL NEEDS OF TEACHERS TO FOSTER TRANSFER OF LEARNING

Abstract

The main goal of professional development programs in higher education is to transfer what has been learned to the workplace. "Transfer" is a key obstacle to the success of PDP. To reduce the transfer gap, it seems necessary to study the PDP design process. Little is known about this process carried out by centralized units in institutions of higher education. Therefore, we analyzed the PDP design process in 12 Ecuadorian universities (5 private and 7 public) and focused on the extent to which these designs took into account the Basic Psychological Needs of autonomy, competence, and relatedness of teachers that determine their motivation and motivation to transfer. Our findings suggest a strong emphasis on teachers' need of competence, neglecting other essential areas that influence transfer, particularly the need of relatedness. The results help repositioning the PDP design approach based on Self-determination theory (SDT) in view of promoting transfer of learning.