Transformative Learning in Adults
Adult learners desire more than just knowledge and resist academic teachings strategies such as notes memorization and examinations. They desire something more than just what is offered in the classrooms- the learning goes beyond content knowledge acquisition, or learning equations, learning historical facts and data. It is a desirable process for adults to learn to think for themselves, through true emancipation from sometimes mindless or unquestioning acceptance of what we have come to know through our life experience, especially those things that our culture, religions, and personalities may predispose us towards, without our active engagement and questioning of how we know what we know.
In this paper therefore we are going to review articles relating to transformative learning in adults so that we can have a grasp of the issue. Transformative learning is the kind of learning we do as we make meaning of our lives. (Hill, 2001) It is a very important and popular topic in the adult education because it doesn't just involve classroom learning- it involves learning about our lives. This is important because as adults, the meaning making process can change everything about how we look at work, family and the world. In general terms, what we are looking at here is an adult education based theory that suggests ways in which adults make meaning of their lives.
Mezirow, (1991came from a humanistic orientation and believed than self- actualization was the prime objective of adult learning, and the mission of the educators was to assist adult learners to develop and achieve their full potential as emotional, psychological, an intellectual beings. Indeed experimental evidence has shown that adults require being equipped with more knowledge outside the classroom setting to have an all-round understanding of the world
Primary literature articles have shown that adult education...
The articles have made it known that adult require transformational learning while not emphasizing the same on the other age groups of learners. Adults are supposed to acquire self-directed learning, critical thinking, experimental learning and learning to learn, each which has been proposed as unique and exclusive adult learning processes. (Cortazzi et al. 2001)
The same articles have spoken on the various aspects of transformative learning in adults and they have collectively identified factors which produce transformational learning in adult students. These factors include the characteristics of the instructor, student, course content, learning environment, and instructional activities all of which are influences of transformational adult learning. The studies have also established that transformative learning looks at 'deep learning' not just content or processes learning, as critical as those both are of many kinds of learning, and examines what it takes for adults to move from a limited knowledge of what they know without questioning (usually from their cultures, families and organizations and society)
Cortazzi et al. (2001)The findings from these literature articles are the cause as to why majority of people are far from understanding this concept of transformative learning in adults. This is despite the overabundance of journals, books, and research conferences devoted to this subject. If then we do not have a clear idea of the concept, this can only mean that then we cannot take it up and apply to our lives.
The same finding from the articles trigger the feeling in us that then the perspective transformative learning occurs infrequently. This is believed to be as a result of disorienting dilemma which is triggered by life crisis or major life…
