The Transfer Dilemma

Abstract

In this article we provide an overview of research on transfer, highlighting its main tenets. Then we look at interviews of two 5th-grade students learning about mathematical concepts regarding operations on positive and negative quantities. We attempt to focus on how their learning is influenced by their prior knowledge and experience. We take the position that transfer is a theory of learning and we attempt to show that it cannot provide a solid foundation for explaining such examples of learning.