In this study of peer instructors in three Learning in Retirement Programs, the constructivist elements embedded in Mezirow's theory of transformational learning are examined at the theoretical intersections of transformational learning and developmental constructivism, specifically the work of Robert Kegan, resulting in a suggested developmental…

"Code status" is a prominent feature of end-of-life discussions in U.S. hospitals. This essay analyzes how the rhetoric of code status articulates the terms of end-of-life decision-making in one hospital's "Patient" Preferences Worksheet. The Worksheet signifies the abandonment of the technological fix as the preferred…

Much of the rhetoric about contemporary higher education suggests that colleges and universities need to embrace change due to advances in knowledge, technology, transportation, and more--advances that have dramatically shifted the way one functions in the modern world. But what manner of change for learning itself do the public narratives…

The importance of multiculturalism in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina can be illustrated through a comparative view of the 1967 controversial, seminal, and Academy Award winning film, "Guess Who's Coming to Dinner". In the film, a multicultural cast starred in a groundbreaking tale of interracial marriage--then still illegal in some United…

In this article I introduce the concept of "acknowledgement" and explore the role which it plays in facilitating teacher learning. Acknowledgement is the validation or recognition of the teacher, which comes about when teachers have the space to present their own perceptions of their teaching without judgement. I trace the development of a teacher…

To develop adult learning groups in formal educational settings, the educator must understand the nature of learning in groups. Three types of group learning are instrumental, communicative, and emancipatory. The type of learning that occurs in groups varies according to the learning tasks and goals. Group learning that has as its goal the…

This volume brings together the expert and timely writings of educational practitioners and researchers struggling to reform their classrooms to reach and teach diverse student populations. The contributors describe the importance of bringing one's own identity, culture, and history to discussions with disenfranchised communities. This book brings…

Oral history effectively deals with economic disadvantage and cultural inhibition by valuing and validating personal experience. Older adults particularly experience transformative learning. (SK)

Summarizes the transformation theory of adult learning and explains the relationship of transformative learning to autonomous thinking. (SK)

Because language represents self and culture, a holistic approach to second-language learning goes beyond skill acquisition. The goal is a reintegrated sense of self achieved through transformative learning. (SK)

Adult educators are encouraged to promote transformative learning through facilitative relationships, but they are not adequately prepared or supported to manage the dynamics of such relationships. Solutions include adopting an existential systems perspective, researching effective facilitation, revising preparatory curricula, developing a code of…

Transformation theory states that people learn through frames of reference that may be transformed by critical reflection. If literacy involves meaning making, literacy learning is a transformative process and communicative competence is the goal of literacy education. (SK)

Assumptions underlying teaching for transformation and cultural relevance include (1) how is spirituality defined; (2) transformative learning involves cognitive, affective and symbolic/spiritual aspects; (3) transformative learning must attend to sociocultural dimensions (personal, cultural, structural, political, sacred); and (4) instructors…

Observation of 12 outstanding service-sector leaders showed how they use theories of employee learning to guide collection of information that they use to achieve the intellectual transformation of the work force. Notes that their success also depends on their ability to motivate and raise employee self-confidence. (SK)

In response to Cunningham's review of his book "Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning" in the Spring 1992 issue of "Adult Education Quarterly," Mezirow clarifies his transformation theory of how adults learn and points out how his meaning has been misrepresented. (SK)