The theory of transformative learning, the process of making meaning of one's experience, emerged from the work of Jack Mezirow and has been explored through numerous research studies and critiques over the last 20 years. The purpose of this monographic is to provide greater insight into the transformative learning theory. The paper begins with an…

The escalating success of personal coaching and the significant potential it holds as a vehicle for effective learning, appear to have had little impact within educational contexts to date. In response, this paper therefore presents an introduction to personal coaching practice and its outcomes and examines its processes through a discussion of…

The ubiquitous use of the term "transformation" in experiential education has blurred its specific meaning in any given case. Designing an effective curriculum requires instructors to determine what kind of transformation they would like to generate. A review of two research projects provides insights about different types of personal…

This thesis reports and discusses my research on the action-learning project undertaken by MBA students with respect to actively embodied team learning. The teams undertook a number of consultancy projects for local companies during 1997-1999. It was seen that the successful teams evolved into micro learning organisations through a staged process…

Adult students training to be teachers initially reproduced aspects of their former workplace culture in the education classroom. Narrative helped generate a more open learning climate that facilitated transformative learning. In addition to authentic workplace learning, a sequestered classroom environment proved essential for the development of…

A 6-week experiential course based on a model of death education and transformative learning prepared nursing students to care for dying patients. Pretest/posttest scores for 45 who received the intervention and 59 controls showed the intervention contributed to a significant positive increase in attitudes toward care of the dying. (Contains 27…

Prophecies say that Aboriginal peoples of the Americas will educate and illuminate the world by sharing their Sacred Fire, the spiritual strength that has enabled their survival. Such a vision sustains Aboriginal literacy practitioners, who are developing a unique holistic foundation for the healing and nurturing of minds, bodies, and spirits.…

Three adult educators who conducted a summer institute for 40 graduate students discuss how their positionalities influence conceptions of pedagogy and multiculturalism and shape inclusive teaching/learning interactions. They describe the sometimes uneasy intersections of the personal, the professional, and the political. (Contains 18 references.)…

The effectiveness of adult literacy education in Botswana is limited by centralization, lack of teacher and learner input, and the national literacy campaign's conventional rather than transformative approach. A critical approach that involves learners in planning, uses native languages, and enables teachers to select materials can better achieve…

Transformative philosophy was used to redesign a course for special education and nursing majors. To encourage collaboration, dialogue and interaction were included. Course evaluation by 21 students showed positive responses to the presence of medically fragile children in classrooms and awareness of the need for communication and collaboration…

The authors present the essential aspects composing the framework of transformative education. They discuss the general ends it promotes, the psychosocial theory upon which it is based, and the processes through which transformations are realized. Critical questions and educational virtues that serve as guidelines for implementation of…

A survey of 405 adults and interviews with 19 showed the majority of learning experiences were informal. For learning to be significant, it must personally affect the learner by expanding skills or causing a transformation, and it must be subjectively valued by the learner. (SK)

Analytically describes the annual Educational Leadership Development Conference held at St. Peter's College, Oxford University. Highlights the venue, participants, program goals, activity structure, and learning processes, drawing from the literature in adult learning, andragogy, and transformational learning and using Cranston's process model as…

Authentic relationships between teacher and student form a central process in transformative learning in the classroom. Based on research and theory, this chapter provides practical strategies for educators looking to foster authentic relationships.

This chapter addresses ethical issues that can arise for an educator who ascribes to and practices from the theoretical perspective of transformative learning.