introducing transformative learning theory

Summary

Transformative Learning Theory, initiated by Professor Jack Mezirow in 1975, explores how profound learning experiences alter an individual's perspectives and beliefs. It involves the reevaluation and reformulation of one's 'meaning perspectives' when faced with disorienting dilemmas that challenge existing beliefs. Mezirow's theory has evolved to include stages of transformative learning and considerations of emotional and social dimensions, offering a framework for educators to foster significant and lasting change in learners.

Takeaways

• 🌟 Transformative learning theory is designed to understand significant learning that profoundly changes the learner.
• 📚 It was originally formulated by Professor Jack Mezirow in 1975, based on research with women returners in an educational program.
• 🧠 Everyone has meaning perspectives shaped by upbringing and experiences, which are often taken for granted and seen as the way things are.
• 🕵️‍♂️ New knowledge is typically filtered through these existing meaning perspectives, adding to our existing worldview without transforming it.
• 🔍 Mezirow categorized meaning perspectives into personal/psychological, sociocultural/sociolinguistic, and epistemic.
• 🤔 Personal perspectives are beliefs about ourselves and our capabilities; sociocultural perspectives are beliefs about societal structures; epistemic perspectives are beliefs about knowledge itself.
• 🌪️ Transformative learning occurs when new knowledge or experiences don't fit into our existing perspectives, leading to disorienting dilemmas.
• 🛠️ To manage these dilemmas, learners must reformulate their meaning perspectives, changing assumptions and reshaping beliefs, which can be both painful and difficult.
• 📈 Mezirow described transformative learning as a 10-stage process, though the script only provides an overview of the initial formulation.
• 📘 The model has been further developed to include relearning, learning in relation to others, feminist critiques, critical social theory, and emotional dimensions.
• 📚 For further reading, the script recommends Patricia Cranston's 2006 work and the edited handbook by Edie Taylor and Patricia Cranston on transformative learning theory and practice.

Q & A

What is transformative learning theory?

Transformative learning theory is an educational approach developed to understand significant learning that profoundly and lastingly changes the learner. It was initially formulated by Professor Jack Mezirow in 1975.

Who originally formulated transformative learning theory?

Professor Jack Mezirow originally formulated transformative learning theory in 1975.

What was the basis of Mezirow's initial research for transformative learning theory?

Mezirow's initial research was based on his work with women returners in an educational program in the U.S.

What are the three types of meaning perspectives that Mezirow identified?

The three types of meaning perspectives are personal or psychological, sociocultural or sociolinguistic, and epistemic.

How do personal or psychological meaning perspectives relate to an individual's beliefs?

Personal or psychological meaning perspectives are beliefs about ourselves and what we can or cannot do, shaping our self-concept and actions.

What do sociocultural or sociolinguistic meaning perspectives represent?

Sociocultural or sociolinguistic meaning perspectives represent our beliefs about the world, society, and its organization, including views on class, race, gender, and economics.

What are epistemic meaning perspectives?

Epistemic meaning perspectives are our beliefs about what knowledge is and how it's constructed, such as the belief in objective and absolute knowledge.

What is a disorienting dilemma in transformative learning?

A disorienting dilemma occurs when new knowledge or experiences do not fit into our existing meaning perspectives, challenging our sense of self, understanding of the world, or certainties about knowledge.

How does transformative learning involve the reformulation of meaning perspectives?

Transformative learning involves reformulating meaning perspectives by making them more inclusive, changing assumptions, and reshaping underlying beliefs, which can be both painful and difficult.

What are some resources for further understanding of transformative learning theory?

Good starting points for further understanding include Patricia Cranton's 2006 book 'Understanding and Promoting Transformative Learning' and the edited handbook 'Transformative Learning in Action: Insights from Practice' by E. Taylor and Patricia Cranton.

How has transformative learning theory evolved since Mezirow's initial formulation?

The theory has evolved to include considerations of relearning, learning in relation to others, feminist critiques, critical social theory, and emotional or affective dimensions of learning.

Outlines

00:00

📚 Transformative Learning Theory Overview

The script introduces transformative learning theory, a concept developed by Professor Jack Mezirow to describe significant learning that profoundly changes a person's perspective. It originated from research with women returners in the U.S. and has evolved with contributions from various scholars. The theory posits that individuals have 'meaning perspectives' shaped by their upbringing and experiences, which they use to interpret new knowledge. This learning often reinforces existing beliefs rather than transforming them. However, transformative learning occurs when new experiences or knowledge challenge these perspectives, leading to 'disorienting dilemmas.' To accommodate these challenges, individuals must reformulate their perspectives, a process that can be both painful and cognitively demanding. Mezirow outlines a 10-stage process for this transformation, and the script suggests further exploration of the model, including its development and critiques.

Keywords

💡Transformative Learning Theory

Transformative Learning Theory is a concept developed to understand significant learning experiences that profoundly change the learner. It was originally formulated by Professor Jack Mezirow in 1975 and has since been expanded upon by others. The theory is central to the video's theme, emphasizing the deep and lasting impact of education on an individual's worldview. The script discusses this theory as a means to explore how people's perspectives can be fundamentally altered through education.

💡Meaning Perspectives

Meaning perspectives refer to the taken-for-granted ways of seeing ourselves and the world, shaped by upbringing and experiences. These perspectives are integral to Mezirow's theory, as they form the lens through which new knowledge is filtered and understood. The script illustrates how these perspectives can either assimilate new information or resist it, leading to transformative learning when they are challenged.

💡Disorienting Dilemmas

Disorienting dilemmas are experiences or encounters with new knowledge that do not fit into one's existing meaning perspectives. They are pivotal to the transformative learning process as described in the script, as they create a crisis that prompts the learner to question and potentially reformulate their beliefs and understanding of the world.

💡Meaning Schemes

Meaning schemes are subsets of beliefs that are part of an individual's larger meaning perspectives. The script explains that these schemes are built upon and can be transformed through the process of transformative learning, which involves the reevaluation and adjustment of one's beliefs in response to new experiences or knowledge.

💡Personal or Psychological Meaning Perspectives

These are beliefs about oneself and one's capabilities, such as 'I'm not the kind of person who can do this.' The script uses this concept to illustrate how an individual's self-concept can be a filter for new learning and can be challenged and changed through transformative learning experiences.

💡Sociocultural or Sociolinguistic Meaning Perspectives

Sociocultural or sociolinguistic meaning perspectives encompass beliefs about the world, society, and its organization, including views on class, race, gender, and economics. The script mentions these perspectives to highlight how one's understanding of societal structures can be transformed through transformative learning.

💡Epistemic Meaning Perspectives

Epistemic meaning perspectives relate to beliefs about what knowledge is and how it is constructed. The script discusses how these perspectives, such as the belief in objective and absolute knowledge, can be challenged and altered, leading to a transformative learning experience.

💡Critical Reflection

Critical reflection is a process of thoughtful consideration and reevaluation of one's beliefs and assumptions. The script emphasizes its importance in transformative learning, as it is through critical reflection that individuals can reassess their meaning perspectives in light of new experiences or knowledge.

💡Relearning

Relearning, as mentioned in the script, is a part of the transformative learning process where learners must unlearn and then relearn certain concepts or beliefs. It is an essential aspect of changing one's meaning perspectives to accommodate new understandings.

💡Feminist Critiques

Feminist critiques are mentioned in the script as one of the developments that have challenged and expanded Mezirow's initial theory. These critiques have contributed to a more inclusive understanding of transformative learning, considering gender perspectives and experiences.

💡Emotional Affective and Subconscious Dimensions

The script briefly touches on the emotional, affective, and subconscious dimensions of learning, indicating that transformative learning is not just cognitive but also involves emotional and subconscious changes. This highlights the comprehensive nature of transformative learning, affecting not just how we think but also how we feel.

Highlights

Transformative learning theory aims to understand significant learning that changes the learner profoundly and long-lastingly.

Developed by Professor Jack Mezirow in 1975, based on research with women returners in an educational program.

Transformative learning challenges and has been developed by many scholars since its original formulation.

Everyone has meaning perspectives shaped by upbringing and experiences, often taken for granted.

New knowledge is filtered through existing meaning perspectives, adding to our current understanding of the world.

Learning often builds on existing meaning schemes without transforming our worldview.

Meaning perspectives are categorized into personal, sociocultural, and epistemic types.

Personal meaning perspectives relate to beliefs about oneself and one's capabilities.

Sociocultural perspectives involve beliefs about the world's organization, such as class, race, and gender.

Epistemic meaning perspectives concern beliefs about the nature of knowledge and knowing.

Transformative learning occurs when new knowledge or experiences challenge existing meaning perspectives.

Disorienting dilemmas can shake our sense of self, understanding of the world, or knowledge certainties.

To manage new ideas, we must reformulate our meaning perspectives, changing our assumptions and beliefs.

Transformative learning can be painful, as it involves letting go of deeply held beliefs.

The process requires thought and critical reflection, which can be difficult.

Mezirow described transformative learning as a 10-stage process, which may be explored further in subsequent discussions.

Later scholars have expanded the model to include relearning, social learning, feminist critiques, and emotional dimensions.

For further reading, consider Patricia Cranton's 2006 work and the edited handbook by Edie Taylor and Patricia Cranton.

Transcripts

if you're interested in the kind of

education that radically changes the way

people think and the way people feel

then it's worth exploring transformative

learning theory it was developed to help

educators understand the nature of

really significant and powerful learning

that changes the learner in profound and

long-lasting ways it was originally

formulated by Professor Jack Mesereau in

1975 based on research that he did with

women returners in an educational

program in the u.s. his since been

developed and challenged by many others

and it is important to remember this but

in this introductory scribe we're just

going to consider a very simple overview

of his initial starting ideas everyone

has a set of meaning perspectives that

they develop as a result of their

upbringing and experiences these are

taken for granted ways of seeing

ourselves in the world were really fully

conscious of them and we tend to think

that they simply represent the way

things are when people encounter new

knowledge they filter this through those

meaning perspectives and they add this

new knowledge to their existing way of

seeing the world much of the learning we

experience takes place like this it

doesn't transform our way of looking at

the world it just builds on it it adds

to what Mazer are called our existing

meaning schemes the subsets of beliefs

that are shaped by those larger meaning

perspectives measure our cataract

categorized the meaning perspectives to

which we filter new learning in three

ways personal or psychological

sociolinguistic or epistemic personal or

psychological meaning perspectives our

beliefs about ourselves and the kind of

things we can do so I'm not the kind of

person who can do this or it will be

wrong of me to do that

socio cultural or sociolinguistic

meaning perspectives are what we believe

about the world society in the way it's

organized for example our beliefs about

class race gender economics an epistemic

meeting for flex perspectives epistemic

meaning perspectives are what we believe

about what knowledge is and the

it's made for example we might believe

that knowledge is objective and absolute

and we can always know what the right

answer is transformative learning

happens when we encounter new knowledge

or have new experiences that won't fit

into our existing meaning perspectives

measure are labeled these disorienting

dilemmas they can shake our sense of

ourselves our understanding of the world

or our certainties about knowledge in

order to be able to manage these new

ideas and experiences we have to

reformulate our meaning perspectives we

have to make them more inclusive we have

to change our assumptions and reshape

those underlying beliefs and this can be

painful because it involves letting go

some dearly held beliefs and it can be

difficult requiring lots of thought and

critical reflection now measure our

spoke about this is a 10 stage process

and we might look at that in the next

scribe so remember this is a simple

overview of meza Rao's initial

formulation of the idea later scholars

have developed the model to take account

of relearning learning in relation to

others of feminist critiques a critical

social theory emotional affective and

subconscious dimensions of learning if

you want to learn more good starting

points a patricia Cranston's 2006

understanding and promoting

transformative learning and Edie Taylor

and Patricia Cranston's edited handbook

of transformative learning theory and

practice