Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to determine what professional development content and delivery strategies perceived by beginning, California, urban, elementary principals and expert staff developers were most beneficial in the transfer of learning from professional development occurrences into on-the-job application. Based on the findings of this study, recommendations for staff developers were presented to serve as a framework for best designing and delivering professional development to beginning elementary principals. Methodology. This study utilized a mixed quantitative and qualitative descriptive research design, employing the questionnaire as its primary data-gathering instrument. The sample consisted of forty-five beginning principals working in sixteen randomly selected California urban school districts. Additionally, fifteen staff development experts were identified. The data from the principals' and experts' questionnaires were examined using descriptive statistical procedures of frequency, mean, percentages, standard deviation, and the Mann-Whitney U test. Selected findings. (1) Principals received professional development relating to the CPSELs and indicated they were relevant and transferred to their role. (2) Staff developers' delivery strategies were less effective than the content's relevancy in enabling transfer. (3) Principals and experts indicated Modeling was the delivery strategy perceived as being most effective in enabling transfer of learning, while both agreed Peer Coaching and Job Shadowing were less effective. (4) There was a statistical difference between the perceptions of the principals and the experts in what professional development content was most beneficial, while there was no statistical difference in what professional development delivery strategies were most beneficial. Selected conclusions and recommendations. (1) Instructional strategies used to deliver content were found not to effect transfer of learning. (2) Staff developers must continue to employ the study's nine instructional delivery strategies, especially Modeling, Mentoring, and Group Discussion in order to best enable transfer of learning. (3) Experts must re-examine what instructional content is being taught to best enable transfer. (4) Staff developers must acknowledge the importance of the CPSELs and develop, plan, and evaluate staff development to ensure modules are aligned with the CPSELs. (5) Staff developers must be cognizant of principals' learning needs and delivery strategies most beneficial in the transfer of learning.