Transformative Learning in Adulthood
A defining condition of being human is that we have to understand the meaning of our experience. For some, any uncritically assimilated explanation by an authority figure will suffice. But in contemporary societies we must learn to make our own interpretations rather than act on the purposes, beliefs, judgments, and feelings of others. Facilitating such understandings is the cardinal goal of adult education. Transformative learning develops autonomous thinking. (Mezirow 1997, p. 5)
Since first introduced by Jack Mezirow in 1978, the concept of transformative learning has been a topic of research and theory building in the field of adult education (Taylor 1998). Although Mezirow is considered to be the major developer of transformative learning theory, other perspectives about transformative learning--influenced by the work of Robert Boyd--are emerging. Following a discussion of transformative learning as conceptualized by Mezirow, this Digest describes research and theory building by Robert Boyd and its influence on current perspectives of transformative learning. Some suggestions for fostering transformative learning conclude the Digest.
Mezirow and Transformative Learning
The theory of transformative learning that has been developed by Mezirow during the past 2 decades has evolved "into a comprehensive and complex description of how learners construe, validate, and reformulate the meaning of their experience" (Cranton 1994, p. 22). Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirows theory (Taylor 1998), which is based on psychoanalytic theory (Boyd and Myers 1988) and critical social theory (Scott 1997).
For learners to change their "meaning schemes (specific beliefs, attitudes, and emotional reactions)," they must engage in critical reflection on their experiences, which in turn leads to a perspective transformation (Mezirow 1991, p. 167). "Perspective transformation is the process of becoming critically aware of how and why our assumptions have come to constrain the way we perceive, understand, and feel about our world; changing these structures of habitual expectation to make possible a more inclusive, discriminating, and integrating perspective; and, finally, making choices or otherwise acting upon these new understandings" (ibid.).
Perspective transformation explains how the meaning structures that adults have acquired over a lifetime become transformed. These meaning structures are frames of reference that are based on the totality of individuals cultural and contextual experiences and that influence how they behave and interpret events (Taylor 1998). An individuals meaning structure will influence how she chooses to vote or how she reacts to women who suffer physical abuse, for example.
To conclude our perspective can be changed or altered by other peoples’ perspectives. This change in perspective can lessen experiences that people go through. Peoples education can also be changed by classroom limitations that change our view of a subject have student relate our education to the class rather than to what is actually learned.
Politics shape the world we live in, and to change the world we live in requires a special people, for example Napoleon Bonaparte and Fidel Castro. These two men are some of few who took the world they were born into and changed it dramatically, but how exactly did they go about doing that?
Horton was interested in education for social change, he advocated that education be grounded in the learner’s experiences and included the use of questions to stimulate self-examination as well as examination of social systems. Horton’s approach to adult education has several key features. The key features in Horton’s approach are leadership development, social analysis, experience, learning and social meaning. (Pyles, 2013) Myles Horton’s organizing framework is a transformative approach anchored in the belief that societal change necessarily entrails a change in consciousness. (Pyles, 2013) Horton and his cohorts believed that people themselves are the authorities on their experiences and thus on their own learning needs and educational agendas. (Pyles, 2013)
Then, as usual, they share they knowledge with others in an accurate way by analyzing carefully and with maturity what they have learned (socialize). Finally, having a new perspective of the situations creates changes in some aspects and then is when the transformation occurs. Marmon endorses the ideas of Mezirow’s article, Learning as transformation, to explain the three levels of transformation: “Meanings; premises, assumption, or habits of mind, and meaning perspectives”. She also agrees with him that when an adult embraces a new way of recognizing the world he or she has experienced a Transformative
The Underground Railroad was not an actual railroad, nor was it an established route. It was, however, a way of getting slaves from the South to the North, or in this case, from the Deep South, to Mexico. In the 1800s, slavery was a major issue. As the United States began to mature, slavery began to divide. Slavery in the considered “Northern States” was emancipated, and slaves, still under bondage in the South, were looking for ways to get to the North. The Underground Railroad was one way to find freedom. A common myth about the Underground Railroad is that it was only in a pathway full of people, all trying to make it to the North for freedom. The truth is there was hardly any help in the South. The major help came along when the slaves reached the North. A former slave by the name of James Boyd was once interviewed in Itasca, Texas on this very subject. He recalls that many slaves running across the established border between Mexico and Texas to reach freedom in Mexico. ...
In our own country, out of the more than 12,000 Senators and Congressman that have served in Congress, only 276 of these representatives have been women (Women in Congress: An Introduction). This in and of itself is an extremely small ratio. In modern times, women only make up about 15% of American Congress, also a very minute proportion in comparison to the approximate 85% of Congr...
Thomas, S. (1997). Why Gender Matters: The Perceptions of Women Officeholders. Women & Politics, 17, 27-54.
According to the TLT, when transformation learning occurs, adults become aware of learning beyond content, equations formation, and memorizing historical data. A perspective shift arises in transformative learning and a person’s worldview is affected. A new way of viewing life experience and situations occurs.
Transformational learning is a procedure that leads students to scrutinize the roots of their assumptions and preconceptions and, as a result, it has deepened their awareness to change their attitude and perception towards life, others and the affairs of the world. Philosopher Maxine Greene emphasizes that meaningful learning involves a process of disclosure, reconstruction and generation. She practically points out that when learners encounter dislocations, and have realized that their old inherited recipe for solving problems are no longer effective, their immediate central concern is to “mentally ordering his own life-world” by looking at the meaning of their experience in light of a new perspective. There are three main mental components of transformative learning, namely: First, the experience; Second, the inner meaning and; Third is the reflection. Mezirow point out that rational thinking and reflection takes place as a response to disorienting dilemma. This mental examination of an experience, serves an opportunity to process imaginative ways of accessing new values, new meaning perspectives that dynamically resolve the problem. Because of this, significant life learning transformation perspective is
Education is defined as, “The act or process of educating or being educated, the knowledge or skill obtained or developed by a learning process, a program of instruction of a specified kind or level, the field of study that is concerned with the pedagogy of teaching and learning, as well as an instructive or enlightening experience” (No author). People begin their education from day one till the day they die. Every day we learn new things in different ways. Whether someone is just telling us some random fact or you are sitting in a classroom being lectured by a professor. The main focus of this classical argument involves the learning that is done in the classroom or lecture hall in the schools of America today. The question arose as to which style of teaching is most effective in sparking the minds of the receivers to make them become transformers of their education? Would the “banking concept” of teaching be more effective, where “the scope of the action allowed to the students extends only as far as receiving, filing, and storing the deposits” (pg. 260). Or would the “problem posing” style of teaching be the most effective, where by “responding to the essence of consciousness—intentionally—rejects communiqués and embodies communications. It epitomizes the special characteristic of consciousness” (pg. 265). In this essay I intend persuade you the audience to take in my experiences and the experience of two other authors, whom I will be showing you later, and take a look from my point of view.
Hazel, M. "Change is crucial in a person’s life." N.p., n.d. Web. 15 Dec. 2008. .
Not unlike most debates, there are two major schools of thought when it comes to sex education in schools in the United States of America. One side believes that teaching abstinence to students helps them wait till marriage in a society that constantly pushes sexual imagery and language at them. Such people are supporters of what is known as abstinence based and abstinence-only education. The other side believes that students should receive comprehensive sexual education, where they are provided detailed information about intercourse, contraception, including abstinence, and STI transmission/treatment (Masland 2004). Sex education in the United States has consistently been a debate since the 1960 's. The controversy lies mainly in what schools should and should not be allowed to teach. The most common contention points are: birth control and contraception, Homosexuality (LGBTQ), abstinence-only, HIV awareness and education, and abortion. Objectively this
Personal transformation can not be accomplished without opportunities at the societal level, and social transformation can not be accomplished without individuals first planting the seeds of change, although the two are often not easy to conceptually tease apart from each other. This concept parallels that of Combs’ vertical and horizontal lines of development, wherein each of the four quadrants has a unique internal and external perspective from which to orient one’s experiences (2009). Let us review each of the four quadrants, each which now has its own internal and external orientation. Upper-Left (UL) is the Interior-Individual and the “I” reflects “personal internally realities” and “it represents our sense of self as well as knowledge” (Combs 2009: 17). The Lower-Left (LL) hand quadrant represents the Interior-Collective known as the “We” “representing our shared internal realities” as culture, religion and morals (Combs). The Lower-Right (LR) hand quadrant represents the “Its” as “groups or collections of objects and events” referring the environment or large social institutions (Combs 2009: 17). The Upper-Right (UR) hand quadrant represents the Exterior-Individual as in the “It” referring to “single instances of objective objects and events” (Combs 2009:
Out of all the short stories that were assigned, it can be seen that they have all one thing in common. They all show the realms of violence each of them different. The story “The Lottery” by Shirley Jackson is a story where violence is shown in the most barbarous way possible. But with it, the author wants us to understand that violence is abhorrent and “The Lottery” shows that violent behavior can even corrupt the most innocent minds.
Popular education is a form of adult education that encourages learners to examine their lives critically and take action to change social conditions. It is "popular" in the sense of being "of the people." Popular education emerged in Latin America in the 1960s-1970s; Paulo Freire is its best known exponent. However, its roots may be found in the French Revolution, in workers' education of the 1920s-1930s, and in such movements as the Highlander Folk School in Tennessee (Beder 1996; Jeria 1990). The goal of popular education is to develop "people's capacity for social change through a collective problem-solving approach emphasizing participation, reflection, and critical analysis of social problems" (Bates 1996. pp. 225-226). Key characteristics of popular education are as follows: everyone teaches and learns, so leadership is shared; starting with learners' experiences and concerns; high participation; creation of new knowledge; critical reflection; connecting the local to the global; and collective action for change (Arnold et al. 1985; Mackenzie 1993). This digest describes popular education methods, addresses challenges, and offers some insights for adult educators.