Academic buoyancy: Overcoming test anxiety and setbacks

High levels of test anxiety can be damaging for academic achievement, wellbeing, and mental health. It is important, therefore, to consider those psychological attributes that may offer protection against the development of test anxiety and its negative consequences, thereby contributing to a potential positive future life trajectory. Academic buoyancy, the ability to respond effectively to academic pressures and setbacks, is one such attribute that offers protection from high test anxiety. We begin by defining test anxiety and a brief review of the literature to consider the harmful nature of test anxiety. This is followed by a definition of academic buoyancy and brief review of the literature to consider the beneficial character of academic buoyancy. Next, we describe the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of test anxiety and consider the mechanisms and processes by which academic buoyancy exerts beneficial effects on test anxiety. The paper concludes with a consideration of critical issues for the conceptualisation and measurement of academic buoyancy, arising from the synergies, connections, and relations, theorised with test anxiety, and how these may inform future studies

Does training content matter? Differences between soft- and hard-skill trainings in transfer motivation

PurposeTransfer motivation has been identified as a pivotal factor influencing transfer of training. However, the role of training content has often been overlooked as explanatory variable for the rate of transfer motivation. This study aims to examine to what extent experiences in transfer motivation and its personal and contextual antecedents depend on whether the training content is soft or hard skill. To this end, this study used the perspective of the unified model of task-specific motivation.Design/methodology/approachA total of 1,122 trainees (462 soft skill and 660 hard skill) filled out a questionnaire representing the components of transfer motivation and its personal- and contextual antecedents. Data were analyzed by means of multi group structural equation modeling.FindingsThe results showed mean differences between soft- and hard-skill trainings in personal- and contextual antecedents of transfer motivation and for different types of transfer motivation. However, no differences in transfer intention were found.Practical implicationsThe outcomes provide insight as to what practitioners and trainers could do in training design and work environments to raise personal and contextual antecedents and to what extent a differentiation should be made between soft- and hard-skill trainings. This can eventually help them in raising transfer motivation among trainees.Originality/valueTo the best of the authors’ knowledge, this study is the first that examines whether experiences in personal and contextual antecedents of transfer motivation, transfer motivation and transfer intention differ for trainings consisting of different characteristics

Investigating transfer motivation profiles, Their antecedents and transfer of training

Despite investments of companies in employee trainings, transfer of training remains low. One component influencing transfer is transfer motivation. Recent insights have shown that different components of transfer motivation possibly independently influence transfer of training. It is therefore possible that transfer motivation profiles can be distinguished. However, it is unclear whether such motivational profiles exist. In this study, we investigated motivational profiles, how these profiles differ in antecedents influencing transfer motivation and how these profiles differ in transfer intention and transfer of training. This study does so by using the unified model of task-specific motivation (UMTM). Data were collected among 1317 participants who filled in a questionnaire representing the UMTM components directly after the training and indicated transfer after six weeks. Outcomes showed that four transfer motivation profiles could be distinguished, labeled: ‘very optimistic’, ‘moderately optimistic’, ‘personal value’ and ‘conscious’. Moreover, profiles scoring higher on motivational components scored higher on antecedents of transfer motivation, transfer intention and transfer of training. These outcomes suggest that trainings and work circumstances need to be tailored differently toward different trainees to raise their transfer motivation and transfer of training

Academic Buoyancy: Overcoming Test Anxiety and Setbacks

High levels of test anxiety can be damaging for academic achievement, wellbeing, and mental health. It is important, therefore, to consider those psychological attributes that may offer protection against the development of test anxiety and its negative consequences, thereby contributing to a potential of a positive future life trajectory. Academic buoyancy, the ability to respond effectively to academic pressures and setbacks, is one such attribute that offers protection from high test anxiety. We begin by defining test anxiety and a brief review of the literature to con-sider the harmful nature of test anxiety. This is followed by a definition of academic buoyancy and brief review of the literature to consider the beneficial character of academic buoyancy. Next, we describe the Self-Regulatory Executive Function model of test anxiety and consider the mechanisms and processes by which academic buoyancy exerts beneficial effects on test anxiety. The paper concludes with a consideration of critical issues for the conceptualisation and measurement of academic buoyancy, arising from the synergies, connections, and relations, theorised with test anxiety, and how these may inform future studies

Predicting transfer of training through the unified model of task-specific motivation

PurposeThis study aims to investigate the merits of the unified model of task-specific motivation (UMTM) in predicting transfer of training and to investigate (relationships between) changes in UMTM components over time. In doing so, this study takes the multidimensionality of transfer motivation into account.Design/methodology/approachThe authors collected data among 514 employees of the judiciary who filled in the UMTM questionnaire directly after the training and after three weeks. The data were analyzed by means of structural equation modelling.FindingsThe outcomes show that transfer motivation predicts transfer intention and transfer of training over time. Moreover, the study shows that (change in) transfer motivation is predicted by (change in) personal and contextual factors identified by the UMTM as antecedents of motivation.Originality/valueThis study describes the first longitudinal evaluation of the UMTM in the literature and shows its applicability for predicting transfer of training. It is also one of the few studies that investigate transfer motivation multidimensionally and the role it plays for transfer of training. As such, this study informs other transfer of training models about the nature of transfer motivation and how transfer of training could be predicted

Evaluating the impact of training on judicial practice in the Netherlands

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the UMTM works in the judicial training context and if so, whether the components of the UMTM can predict transfer of training. Outcomes underline that the UMTM can be used to examine the transfer of training in the judicial context; factors underlying the UMTM predicted motivation to transfer, which is in line with previous studies51 and even predicted actual transfer of training over time