“Some suggested strategies for engaging in critical reflection and possibly leading to transformative learning are modelling and peer learning, storytelling and dialogue, coaching, and action learning conversations.”
What is Transformative Learning ?
A few days ago, I had a rather interesting conversation with a colleague who has been an adult educator for a long time and, she shared one of her very first experiences of teaching a course on life skills to a group of high school students between the ages of 16 – 18 years old. Although she was 23 years old at that time, there were students in her class who were already single parents, there were students who were already living on their own, and whose life situation was so much different than hers and they were just 17 or 18 years old! She said, “They could have taught the course better than I did!” So, she let the students share their experiences with the others by adopting some strategies of transformative learning. This made the learning experience for the teacher and, the students a much more enriching one.
Learning is about transformation, it’s about change, it’s about seeing yourself in relation to the world differently. This has been widely quoted in a number of articles and papers on transformative learning and why wouldn’t it be? It captures the essence of learning in a nut shell. In 1978, Jack Mezirow a leading thinker in adult education published a research on the processes and changes 83 women went through when they returned to school as adults. He concluded that they had undergone a change in perspective as a result of their experiences. The findings of his study led to the development of a theory widely known as the Transformative Learning Theory. Transformative learning is the process of perspective transformation with three main dimensions – changes in understanding of self, revision of belief system and, changes in lifestyle (Bass, 1990).
Adults have acquired a coherent body of experiences which includes associations, concepts, values, feelings and conditioned responses known as frames of references that define their life. These are structures of assumptions through which we understand our experiences (Bass, 1990). According to Mezirow, transformation in adults comes about in one of the four ways – elaborating existing frames of references, learning new frames of references, transforming points of view and, transforming habits of the mind. Adults do not make transformative changes in the way they learn as long as the new material fits comfortably in their existing frames of reference. The aim of transformative learning is to help adults challenge the status quo. It is a mental shift as well as a behavioral one. The hope of transformative learning is that better individuals will build a better world (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainger, 2015).
Theory to Practice
Mezirow’s theory argues that every individual has a particular view of the world. This view is based on upbringing, culture, ethnicity, experience or education. When individuals are given an opportunity to explain their world view it is usually based on a set of casual assumptions that are deep-seated and well-rehearsed. If an individual is committed to his/her world view it is highly unlikely that an opposing or different view point will creep in. They maintain their stance which is based on inflexible assumptions. In such cases, individuals have difficulty changing because their views become unconscious frames of references constructed by habits of the mind. A particular view can be so ingrained that it takes a dis orienting dilemma for them to change (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainger, 2015).
Mezirow’s theory highlights the importance of communicative skills in transformative learning. An individual is faced with internal and external conflicts, which is a result of changes in perspective. This should be resolved via rational discourse rather than force (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainger, 2015). This calls for strategies that engage individuals in critical reflection that could help in the process of transformative learning. Some strategies such as peer learning, storytelling, dialogue and debates, etc. provide individuals with accurate information, freedom from intimidation, ability to weigh evidence and asses arguments objectively, develop an openness to other points of view and, an equal opportunity to participate.
Facilitating mammography screening in rural areas in India through transformative learning is a great example of how strategies like peer learning, storytelling and dialogue can help in critical reflection and developing changing perspectives (Purtzer & Overstreet, 2014). The study was conducted to understand how woman in rural areas of India view mammography screening and, how healthcare professionals can move beyond standard education and, offer opportunities for dialogue and critical reflection during awareness campaigns. During the study they conducted various focus groups comprised with woman who were getting screened regularly and women who were not. The facilitator ask questions and, the women spoke about their experiences, the women who regularly got screen spoke about why they thought it was important, the women who didn’t get screened spoke about their fears, etc.
The focus groups were a real eye opener for the health care professionals. It allowed them to gain a better understanding of how the population of rural woman actually felt and how they viewed mammography. It also helped identify a percentage of woman who were well aware of the benefits of getting screened and, how it helped them or, a family member fight or detect cancer. These woman were identified as catalysts, their stories would be used to trigger the process of transformative learning (Purtzer & Overstreet, 2014).
Transformative Learning is the result of engaged learning
Most of us chose a career a path or a field of study because somewhere along the line we developed a passion for it. That is why I chose Training and Development and, here I am now taking an instructional diploma to help me build my career as a professional trainer. What excites me the most is being able to share my enthusiasm with others. However, keeping others engaged is not always easy. As a most recent graduate, I know that instructors have a tough time engaging students who are disinterested and, who bolt of the door the moment the class ends like freed prisoners. There are also students who are obsessively focused on achieving high grades but, seem to care less of how much they are actually learning. And, then there are those who even cheat to get through the course. So the question is how do we get students to think, care and engage?
On the other hand, the landscape of higher education has changed over the last few years. Learners are more non-conventional, they might or might not be taught face to face but, partly or wholly online. Therefore, bigger issues have surfaced over the last couple of years other than issues such as class size, students not showing up to class, etc. that seem to dominant the discussion on student engagement. So, how can we engage students?
Transformative learning theory as proposed by Mezriow is a change in an adult’s perspective on some part of their life and world that can be regarded as learning. This is in contrast with the most common understanding of learning known to most individuals which is, acquisition of new knowledge or skills. The focus of transformative learning is not on the process by which learner’s add knowledge and skills to their existing abilities or, measuring how extensive or effective the process has actually been but, it looks at the nature of learner’s way of viewing interrelated, valuing and anticipating experience and the dynamics of the process by which these “meaning perspectives” can come under challenge, destabilize and transform (Hodge, 2011).
Transformative learning occurs when learners are challenged intensely. Therefore, through strategies of student engagement learners will be able to acquire greater levels of knowledge and general cognitive development which will trigger the process of transformative learning (Berkley, 2010). For example: Most freshmen enter college as dualists believing that there can be only two outcomes to a situation or clear wrong or right answers to a question. One of the goals of education is to help students move beyond this sort of thinking to more complex stages as they learn to deal with uncertainty and relativism (Berkley, 2010). Using strategies for student engagement, the learners will be able to see that the truth is contextual and relative. There is no definite wrong or right answer and everyone has a right to his or her own opinion.
Eventually students recognize that there may be multiple answers to questions but, not all answers are equal. Experiential evidence and logical consistency can help them evaluate the usefulness and validity of knowledge claims. Learners realize that they must make individual choices that require both objective analysis and personal values (Berkley, 2010). Therefore, the thinking process of the learner has matured. It is interesting to note that, students may sometimes resist transformative learning because it threatens their current belief system and world view. Learners at times will not participate in activities or discussion if they don’t feel well prepared to defend their already firmly held views on a particular subject. Therefore, it is important for educators to set the climate of the classroom setting to ensure that the learner feels safe, valued and respected.
Two important elements of engaged learning are motivation and active learning. These work synergistically to contribute incrementally to increased engagement. Thus, engagement occurs on a continuum. It begins when motivation and active learning intersect but, the two work together to build intensity and, the far end of that continuum is transformative, peak experiences that form the milestones of education. Some educators think that transformative learning is an element of engaged learning but, it is actually the result engaged learning that has led to high level of personal intensity (Berkley, 2010).
How can educators foster transformative learning within the classroom?
What can educators do to trigger the process of transformative learning in the classroom? In order to engage students in critical reflection. It is important for educators to develop learning communities within the classroom where learners can work together to share interests, goals and responsibilities with one another, and the group as a whole. Although the goal is learning, learning communities promote a sense of belonging, and learners feel safe and comfortable to raise and respond to questions, participate and seek help from each other or the instructor (Berkley, 2010).
Participating in collaborative activities that are a fundamental component of a learning community also promotes active learning. Active learning allows students to build their own minds through an active and involved process in which they make an idea, concept or problem solution their own by assimilating it into their own understanding. Some active learning techniques include think-pair- share, journal writing, circle the sage, role playing etc. Active learning strategies allows the instructor to assess the level of knowledge learners have about a particular topic as well as, allows them to asses learning after a particular topic is covered. Although educators are not able to evaluate transformative learning, they can certainly incorporate strategies with in their classroom that can trigger the process.
Active learning strategies help students recognize that they contribute to collective knowledge in group discussions, debates, storytelling and dialogue. It helps them develop greater cultural understanding and broaden their perspectives. For e.g. I work in the Human Resources department at a Canadian higher education institute in the Middle East. We organize orientation every year for new employees, many of whom have never worked in the Middle East. One of the highlights during New Employee Orientation is the cultural awareness session. We let the new employees engage in a panel discussion with existing students and staff where, they can ask questions and discuss any concerns about the culture and religion of the country freely and, within a safe environment. They have many pre conceived notions about the culture and religion in this part of the world which is evident from the questions they pose however, at the end of the session they seem to feel much more relaxed and informed about the culture and religion of the country.
Active learning strategies can also help students develop critical thinking skills through solving case studies, simulations, modelling, etc. For e.g. In one of my courses in college on managing a business, the instructor divided the class in groups. Each group had to run a business on campus once a week for a month. The groups had to think critically to market their business, determine what to sell and how to increase sales or which were their high selling products, where they would locate their business on campus, etc.
Transformative learning theory first surfaced in the field of academics some 35 years ago. Since, then it has been one of the most researched topics in higher education. In fact, a recent search of the term on ProQuest Databased (a leading educational database in North America) for publications that include transformative learning have doubled every five years for the last fifteen years. Also, about 119 articles have used transformative learning in their titles and over 1300 referred to the theory in the text of the article over the last 5 years (Taylor & Cranton, 2013). What does this tell us? Transformative learning is still a “theory in progress.” Many questions concerning transformative learning are still under investigation.
References
Bass, J. (1990). How Critical Refelection Triggers Transformative Learning. Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood , 1 - 20.
Berkley, E. F. (2010). Student Enagagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco, United States of America: Jossey Bass.
Christie, M., Carey, M., Robertson, A., & Grainger, P. (2015, April). Putting Transformative Learning Theory into Practice. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 55(1), 10 - 30.
Hodge, S. (2011, November). Learning to manage: Transformative outcomes of competency-based training. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 51(3), 499 - 517.
Purtzer, M. A., & Overstreet, L. (2014, March). Transformative Learning Theory: Facilitating Mammography Screening in Rural Women. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(2), p. 176.
Taylor, E., & Cranton, P. (2013). A theory in Progress? European Journal for Reserach on the Education and Learning of Adults, 4(1), 33 - 47.
What is Transformative Learning ?
A few days ago, I had a rather interesting conversation with a colleague who has been an adult educator for a long time and, she shared one of her very first experiences of teaching a course on life skills to a group of high school students between the ages of 16 – 18 years old. Although she was 23 years old at that time, there were students in her class who were already single parents, there were students who were already living on their own, and whose life situation was so much different than hers and they were just 17 or 18 years old! She said, “They could have taught the course better than I did!” So, she let the students share their experiences with the others by adopting some strategies of transformative learning. This made the learning experience for the teacher and, the students a much more enriching one.
Learning is about transformation, it’s about change, it’s about seeing yourself in relation to the world differently. This has been widely quoted in a number of articles and papers on transformative learning and why wouldn’t it be? It captures the essence of learning in a nut shell. In 1978, Jack Mezirow a leading thinker in adult education published a research on the processes and changes 83 women went through when they returned to school as adults. He concluded that they had undergone a change in perspective as a result of their experiences. The findings of his study led to the development of a theory widely known as the Transformative Learning Theory. Transformative learning is the process of perspective transformation with three main dimensions – changes in understanding of self, revision of belief system and, changes in lifestyle (Bass, 1990).
Adults have acquired a coherent body of experiences which includes associations, concepts, values, feelings and conditioned responses known as frames of references that define their life. These are structures of assumptions through which we understand our experiences (Bass, 1990). According to Mezirow, transformation in adults comes about in one of the four ways – elaborating existing frames of references, learning new frames of references, transforming points of view and, transforming habits of the mind. Adults do not make transformative changes in the way they learn as long as the new material fits comfortably in their existing frames of reference. The aim of transformative learning is to help adults challenge the status quo. It is a mental shift as well as a behavioral one. The hope of transformative learning is that better individuals will build a better world (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainger, 2015).
Theory to Practice
Mezirow’s theory argues that every individual has a particular view of the world. This view is based on upbringing, culture, ethnicity, experience or education. When individuals are given an opportunity to explain their world view it is usually based on a set of casual assumptions that are deep-seated and well-rehearsed. If an individual is committed to his/her world view it is highly unlikely that an opposing or different view point will creep in. They maintain their stance which is based on inflexible assumptions. In such cases, individuals have difficulty changing because their views become unconscious frames of references constructed by habits of the mind. A particular view can be so ingrained that it takes a dis orienting dilemma for them to change (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainger, 2015).
Mezirow’s theory highlights the importance of communicative skills in transformative learning. An individual is faced with internal and external conflicts, which is a result of changes in perspective. This should be resolved via rational discourse rather than force (Christie, Carey, Robertson, & Grainger, 2015). This calls for strategies that engage individuals in critical reflection that could help in the process of transformative learning. Some strategies such as peer learning, storytelling, dialogue and debates, etc. provide individuals with accurate information, freedom from intimidation, ability to weigh evidence and asses arguments objectively, develop an openness to other points of view and, an equal opportunity to participate.
Facilitating mammography screening in rural areas in India through transformative learning is a great example of how strategies like peer learning, storytelling and dialogue can help in critical reflection and developing changing perspectives (Purtzer & Overstreet, 2014). The study was conducted to understand how woman in rural areas of India view mammography screening and, how healthcare professionals can move beyond standard education and, offer opportunities for dialogue and critical reflection during awareness campaigns. During the study they conducted various focus groups comprised with woman who were getting screened regularly and women who were not. The facilitator ask questions and, the women spoke about their experiences, the women who regularly got screen spoke about why they thought it was important, the women who didn’t get screened spoke about their fears, etc.
The focus groups were a real eye opener for the health care professionals. It allowed them to gain a better understanding of how the population of rural woman actually felt and how they viewed mammography. It also helped identify a percentage of woman who were well aware of the benefits of getting screened and, how it helped them or, a family member fight or detect cancer. These woman were identified as catalysts, their stories would be used to trigger the process of transformative learning (Purtzer & Overstreet, 2014).
Transformative Learning is the result of engaged learning
Most of us chose a career a path or a field of study because somewhere along the line we developed a passion for it. That is why I chose Training and Development and, here I am now taking an instructional diploma to help me build my career as a professional trainer. What excites me the most is being able to share my enthusiasm with others. However, keeping others engaged is not always easy. As a most recent graduate, I know that instructors have a tough time engaging students who are disinterested and, who bolt of the door the moment the class ends like freed prisoners. There are also students who are obsessively focused on achieving high grades but, seem to care less of how much they are actually learning. And, then there are those who even cheat to get through the course. So the question is how do we get students to think, care and engage?
On the other hand, the landscape of higher education has changed over the last few years. Learners are more non-conventional, they might or might not be taught face to face but, partly or wholly online. Therefore, bigger issues have surfaced over the last couple of years other than issues such as class size, students not showing up to class, etc. that seem to dominant the discussion on student engagement. So, how can we engage students?
Transformative learning theory as proposed by Mezriow is a change in an adult’s perspective on some part of their life and world that can be regarded as learning. This is in contrast with the most common understanding of learning known to most individuals which is, acquisition of new knowledge or skills. The focus of transformative learning is not on the process by which learner’s add knowledge and skills to their existing abilities or, measuring how extensive or effective the process has actually been but, it looks at the nature of learner’s way of viewing interrelated, valuing and anticipating experience and the dynamics of the process by which these “meaning perspectives” can come under challenge, destabilize and transform (Hodge, 2011).
Transformative learning occurs when learners are challenged intensely. Therefore, through strategies of student engagement learners will be able to acquire greater levels of knowledge and general cognitive development which will trigger the process of transformative learning (Berkley, 2010). For example: Most freshmen enter college as dualists believing that there can be only two outcomes to a situation or clear wrong or right answers to a question. One of the goals of education is to help students move beyond this sort of thinking to more complex stages as they learn to deal with uncertainty and relativism (Berkley, 2010). Using strategies for student engagement, the learners will be able to see that the truth is contextual and relative. There is no definite wrong or right answer and everyone has a right to his or her own opinion.
Eventually students recognize that there may be multiple answers to questions but, not all answers are equal. Experiential evidence and logical consistency can help them evaluate the usefulness and validity of knowledge claims. Learners realize that they must make individual choices that require both objective analysis and personal values (Berkley, 2010). Therefore, the thinking process of the learner has matured. It is interesting to note that, students may sometimes resist transformative learning because it threatens their current belief system and world view. Learners at times will not participate in activities or discussion if they don’t feel well prepared to defend their already firmly held views on a particular subject. Therefore, it is important for educators to set the climate of the classroom setting to ensure that the learner feels safe, valued and respected.
Two important elements of engaged learning are motivation and active learning. These work synergistically to contribute incrementally to increased engagement. Thus, engagement occurs on a continuum. It begins when motivation and active learning intersect but, the two work together to build intensity and, the far end of that continuum is transformative, peak experiences that form the milestones of education. Some educators think that transformative learning is an element of engaged learning but, it is actually the result engaged learning that has led to high level of personal intensity (Berkley, 2010).
How can educators foster transformative learning within the classroom?
What can educators do to trigger the process of transformative learning in the classroom? In order to engage students in critical reflection. It is important for educators to develop learning communities within the classroom where learners can work together to share interests, goals and responsibilities with one another, and the group as a whole. Although the goal is learning, learning communities promote a sense of belonging, and learners feel safe and comfortable to raise and respond to questions, participate and seek help from each other or the instructor (Berkley, 2010).
Participating in collaborative activities that are a fundamental component of a learning community also promotes active learning. Active learning allows students to build their own minds through an active and involved process in which they make an idea, concept or problem solution their own by assimilating it into their own understanding. Some active learning techniques include think-pair- share, journal writing, circle the sage, role playing etc. Active learning strategies allows the instructor to assess the level of knowledge learners have about a particular topic as well as, allows them to asses learning after a particular topic is covered. Although educators are not able to evaluate transformative learning, they can certainly incorporate strategies with in their classroom that can trigger the process.
Active learning strategies help students recognize that they contribute to collective knowledge in group discussions, debates, storytelling and dialogue. It helps them develop greater cultural understanding and broaden their perspectives. For e.g. I work in the Human Resources department at a Canadian higher education institute in the Middle East. We organize orientation every year for new employees, many of whom have never worked in the Middle East. One of the highlights during New Employee Orientation is the cultural awareness session. We let the new employees engage in a panel discussion with existing students and staff where, they can ask questions and discuss any concerns about the culture and religion of the country freely and, within a safe environment. They have many pre conceived notions about the culture and religion in this part of the world which is evident from the questions they pose however, at the end of the session they seem to feel much more relaxed and informed about the culture and religion of the country.
Active learning strategies can also help students develop critical thinking skills through solving case studies, simulations, modelling, etc. For e.g. In one of my courses in college on managing a business, the instructor divided the class in groups. Each group had to run a business on campus once a week for a month. The groups had to think critically to market their business, determine what to sell and how to increase sales or which were their high selling products, where they would locate their business on campus, etc.
Transformative learning theory first surfaced in the field of academics some 35 years ago. Since, then it has been one of the most researched topics in higher education. In fact, a recent search of the term on ProQuest Databased (a leading educational database in North America) for publications that include transformative learning have doubled every five years for the last fifteen years. Also, about 119 articles have used transformative learning in their titles and over 1300 referred to the theory in the text of the article over the last 5 years (Taylor & Cranton, 2013). What does this tell us? Transformative learning is still a “theory in progress.” Many questions concerning transformative learning are still under investigation.
References
Bass, J. (1990). How Critical Refelection Triggers Transformative Learning. Fostering Critical Reflection in Adulthood , 1 - 20.
Berkley, E. F. (2010). Student Enagagement Techniques: A Handbook for College Faculty. San Francisco, United States of America: Jossey Bass.
Christie, M., Carey, M., Robertson, A., & Grainger, P. (2015, April). Putting Transformative Learning Theory into Practice. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 55(1), 10 - 30.
Hodge, S. (2011, November). Learning to manage: Transformative outcomes of competency-based training. Australian Journal of Adult Learning, 51(3), 499 - 517.
Purtzer, M. A., & Overstreet, L. (2014, March). Transformative Learning Theory: Facilitating Mammography Screening in Rural Women. Oncology Nursing Forum, 41(2), p. 176.
Taylor, E., & Cranton, P. (2013). A theory in Progress? European Journal for Reserach on the Education and Learning of Adults, 4(1), 33 - 47.