Step Back, Translate, and Extend: An Instructional Framework for Enhancing Knowledge Transfer and Self-Efficacy Across Chemistry Courses

Knowledge transfer refers to the (1) recognition of overlap in past learning and new academic goals, (2) recollection of previously learned information, and (3) application of past learning in a new context or discipline. Promoting effective transfer remains a notorious challenge for chemistry educators. To address this need, the step back, translate, and extend (SBTE) instructional framework was designed based on principles derived from cognitive psychology and social cognitive theory. A comprehensive description of the SBTE framework is presented here, alongside a qualitative analysis of student interviews, revealing the long-term impact of a transfer intervention (OrgoPrep) designed using the SBTE framework. This six week summer preparatory program facilitating the transition from general chemistry was previously found to improve course grades in organic chemistry. The present study further elucidates the mechanisms through which the SBTE framework undergirding OrgoPrep strengthened transfer. Specifically, improvements in students’ application skills were the most prominent, regardless of prior success in general chemistry. Of note, the SBTE framework also altered student learning approaches to prioritize more problem-solving, presumably inducing the long-lasting benefits of the intervention. Another key feature of the SBTE framework is its emphasis on incorporating instructional techniques for raising self-efficacy. Student feedback confirmed the impacts of the SBTE framework on several contributors to self-efficacy: mastery experiences (i.e., offering opportunities for successful problem-solving), vicarious experiences (i.e., offering opportunities for observing peers and instructors engage in successful problem-solving), and physiological and emotional states (i.e., creating a low-stress learning environment). Although the program assessed in this study focused on the transition from general chemistry to organic chemistry, the SBTE framework is well-poised to serve as a blueprint for designing knowledge transfer interventions across many disciplines.