Transformative Learning in Adults

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 has always been spoken by educators as if it were a separate domain from the other types of education namely; learning in childhood and in adolescent. 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 transitions, although it may also result from an accumulation of transformations in meaning schemes over a period of time. Less dramatic predicaments, such as those created by the teacher, also promote transformation. The results of these studies have pin point to us the fact the study of this subject is coupled with myths that are etched deeply into the educators mind. This makes the learning weak.

Even though warning have been sounded only a multitude of context and domain specific theories are likely to result. The energy expended on developing a general theory of adult learning shows no sign of dwindling. The theories to advance the adoption of this concept are often weak and hindered by the persistence myths. These myths when taken together comprise something of an academic belief in adult education.

Indeed as we examine learning across the life span the variable of cultures, ethnicity, personality and political culture, assume greater far significance in explaining how learning occurs and is experienced than does the variable of chronological age. The four types of experiments were done on the following areas; transformational learning, roles of participants in transformative programs including students and instructors, course content, environments and instructional activities as they relate to transformational learning, and challenges for instructors who teach transformational material.

(Mezirow, 1991 Hill, (2001) The corresponding data shows what mechanisms are required for adults to identify, assess and evaluate alternative sources of information, often sources that may look at how adults can identify, assess and evaluate new information, and in some cases, reframe their world-view through the incorporation of new knowledge or information into their world-view or belief system.

Controversy on transformative learning in adult arose when the theory say that adult learners posses different characteristics when it comes to learning from those of children and adolescent and thus adults should be given more than just knowledge and academic teachings strategies such as notes memorization and examinations. The argument here is that even the children and adolescents should be given something more than just what is offered in the classrooms- the learning goes beyond content knowledge.