Empowering identity reconstruction of indigenous college students through transformative learning

Abstract

This paper explores the interplay between identity reconstruction of indigenous college students and the effects of transformative learning on their self-development and collective action. Seventeen indigenous college students were interviewed for this study. The findings showed that most indigenous college students developed stigmatized identity and low self-esteem before entering college. Participating in native student clubs and a non-formal tribal service program empowered students to raise their ethnic consciousness. The study also found that transformative learning of college students affected development of their positive self-concepts, interpersonal relationships, and ethnic and cultural identities. The effects of perceptive transformation also empowered meaningful connections in these students to personal career choices and sustainability of ethnic groups and cultural development.