Learning transfer has been studied for over a century, though studies are primarily through the lens of the researcher or an expert. The purpose of this project was to better understand the student perspective in transfer by examining how they approached transfer tasks and how these approaches related to classroom instruction. The Actor-Oriented Transfer Perspective and the Learning Transfer Mental Model form the theoretical framework for this study which had a qualitative multi-case study design. Data were generated through classroom observations, student-created concept maps, and think-aloud interviews with retrospective prompting at the unit's beginning, middle, and end. Within-case analysis illustrated how students' approaches increased in sophistication over time, and cross-case thematic analysis revealed that participants moved through four stages of transfer -- familiarization, activation, representation, and validation. As they progressed, they looked for the path of least resistance, which was influenced by classroom instruction. Furthermore, prior experiences and incomplete foundational knowledge were barriers to student approaches. Other themes indicated clear evidence of the instructional design in student approaches to transfer and illustrated how the depth of task or questioning could influence student approaches. I discuss these findings as they relate to school improvement and provide suggestions for classroom practice and future research. [The dissertation citations contained here are published with the permission of ProQuest LLC. Further reproduction is prohibited without permission. Copies of dissertations may be obtained by Telephone (800) 1-800-521-0600. Web page: http://bibliotheek.ehb.be:2222/en-US/products/dissertations/individuals.shtml.]