Despite their tremendous tragedy, the terrorist attacks that occurred on September 11, 2001, have also produced a juncture for transformative learning. Several transformative learning opportunities that may enable some adult learners find and use knowledge as the tool to transcend a tragedy into a learning experience have been identified. Although…

Discusses a study done using the Productivity Environmental Survey that reviews the learning style preferences of adults in a university setting. Twenty learning styles with three predictors were used. It was found that three styles (structure, evening, and afternoon preferences) were most effective. (Contains 20 references.) (MZ)

Few college teachers understand the process learners go through during periods of insight, large or small. Many treat this transition from one paradigm of knowledge to another as purely cognitive when, in fact, it is also highly emotional. A model of the transition is presented and a reflective guide is offered to help teachers facilitate this…

This book presents a theory of how adults learn by making meaning of their experiences. Chapter 1 gives an overview of an emerging transformation theory of adult learning, compares it with other theories of adult learning, and describes the dynamics of the process through which one makes meaning of one's experience. Chapter 2 examines the way…

How do you transform your own practice, and the practice of your peers? How do you act as a change agent in a positive, open dialogue with peers? The author seeks to explore this complex, often difficult issue, hoping to encourage others to look at their practice, and the practice of their peers, and ask: "Can we do better?" Can we…

The impact of travel on older adults was examined through semi-structured interviews of a purposively selected sample of eight individuals ranging in age from 56 to 89 years. The interviews were designed to determine whether interviewees' travel had resulted in any transformative learning experiences. The participants (three Caucasian married…

Jack Mezirow's theory of transformative learning has evolved into a description of how learners learn by integrating new knowledge with their existing knowledge, beliefs, and experiences. Centrality of experience, critical reflection, and rational discourse are three common themes in Mezirow's theory, which is based on psychoanalytic theory and…

S. Brookfield proposed the "critical practice audit" technique as an experiential approach to helping learners engage in transformative learning by participating in some kind of action or practice. Ivey and Ivey proposed a five-stage interview structure involving numerous intentional interviewing skills, including the following:…

This article presents a longitudinal research study that led to the development of a theoretical framework for explaining how students experience the process of transformational learning in service-learning. The article describes nonreflective and reflective dimensions of the process of transformational learning. The author recommends that future…

How do beginning teachers experience the complex process of learning to teach in an urban setting? This article contributes to the literature on teaching in urban settings by theorizing the process of learning to teach based on longitudinal interview data generated from practitioners who were viewed by the researcher as critical informants. The…

This book describes the theory and process of transformative learning (TL) and presents practical strategies for fostering and supporting TL. In chapters 1 and 2, TL is placed within the broader context of adult learning and Mezirow's 1991 theory of TL is presented. Chapter 3 examines the following: TL's relationship to the instrumental,…

This article presents a rationale for why role-play simulation is an effective and socially dynamic learning strategy for VET or HE. The factors of generational change, work world demands due to global economics and rapid technological developments are drivers for educationalists to focus more on the process of learning rather than the content.…

Following a cognitive-developmental perspective, the Scholarship of Teaching & Learning is understood as a process of knowledge construction whereby knowledge claims are validated through reflection on teaching experience and educational theory. These reflective processes can be documented and peer reviewed. Teaching portfolios allow for the…

The concept of narrative was used to examine the process of transformative learning and explore the possibilities for using narrative as a central construct for theorizing transformation and thereby expanding the possibilities for research and practice. The concepts of narrative used in the analysis were as follows: (1) it moves from past to…

Three presentations are provided from Symposium 17, Transformative Learning, of the Academy of Human Resource Development (HRD) 2000 Conference Proceedings. "Leadership Development as Transformative Pedagogy" (Olga V. Kritskaya, John M. Dirkx) examines the nature of transformative instructional environments, focusing specifically on the…