Transformative Learning Approach Research Articles

Development of PHYVAR (Physics in 3d Virtual Reality) on Solar Energy Material to Support Students’ Spatial Intelligence

Spatial intelligence, as proposed by Howard Gardner's theory of multiple intelligences, is one of eight different intelligences that every individual has. The 9 intelligences include: visual-spatial intelligence, linguistic-verbal intelligence, logical-mathematical intelligence, physical-kinesthetic intelligence, musical intelligence, interpersonal intelligence, intrapersonal intelligence, naturalistic intelligence and existential intelligence. Spatial intelligence includes a person's ability to visualize objects complexly in three dimensions, manipulate an object to make it appear realistic and understand spatial relationships with physical phenomena. This form of intelligence plays an important role in various fields, including but not limited to physics, engineering, architecture, and scientific exploration. In this field, the capacity to conceptualize and work with spatial elements is fundamental to problem solving and innovation. Solar energy, also known as solar power or solar radiation, is a renewable and sustainable energy source that comes from the sun. Its significance is critical in overcoming global challenges related to energy security, climate change mitigation and environmental sustainability. The integration of solar energy topics into the class is critical. In particular, point 7 of the goal emphasizes the ambition to achieve universal access to affordable, reliable, sustainable and modern energy services by 2030, making solar energy education an integral part of preparing students for a sustainable future. The main objective of the research discussed is to test the feasibility of PHYVAR (Physics in 3D Virtual Reality) on Solar Energy material to support students' spatial intelligence. This research uses Research and Development (R&D) approach by utilizing the Rowntree development model which includes planning, development and evaluation stages. The software used for development includes: Blender 3D 4.0 and Unity Hub 2022, which is used to create a virtual reality environment, displaying a combination of technological advances in education. The evaluation process for PHYVAR media and solar energy materials is carried out with validation by experts, which include material experts and media experts. Apart from that, input and assessment of media suitability were taken from the responses of 35 Class X students from a high school in Pandeglang. Validation results from both experts and students show a high level of agreement, meeting the criteria for the "very good" category, which shows the potential of PHYVAR media in increasing spatial intelligence and facilitating effective learning experiences. The integration of virtual reality technology and interactive learning materials such as PHYVAR in educational environments offers a transformative learning approach. Not only does it increase students' understanding of complex concepts, but it also fosters creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving competence. By utilizing innovative educational methods such as virtual reality simulations, educators can create engaging and immersive learning environments tailored to diverse learning preferences and abilities, thereby creating a more engaging and effective educational landscape.

Teamwork Conflict Management Training and Conflict Resolution Practice via Large Language Models

This study implements a conflict management training approach guided by principles of transformative learning and conflict management practice simulated via an LLM. Transformative learning is more effective when learners are engaged mentally and behaviorally in learning experiences. Correspondingly, the conflict management training approach involved a three-step procedure consisting of a learning phase, a practice phase enabled by an LLM, and a reflection phase. Fifty-six students enrolled in a systems development course were exposed to the transformative learning approach to conflict management so they would be better prepared to address any potential conflicts within their teams as they approached a semester-long software development project. The study investigated the following: (1) How did the training and practice affect students’ level of confidence in addressing conflict? (2) Which conflict management styles did students use in the simulated practice? (3) Which strategies did students employ when engaging with the simulated conflict? The findings indicate that: (1) 65% of the students significantly increased in confidence in managing conflict by demonstrating collaborative, compromising, and accommodative approaches; (2) 26% of the students slightly increased in confidence by implementing collaborative and accommodative approaches; and (3) 9% of the students did not increase in confidence, as they were already confident in applying collaborative approaches. The three most frequently used strategies for managing conflict were identifying the root cause of the problem, actively listening, and being specific and objective in explaining their concerns.

What Italian furniture companies do towards sustainable transition? Design actions and strategies showcased during Milan Design Week 2023

AbstractManufacturing companies find themselves at the crossroads of innovation and sustainability in an era of growing emphasis on corporate social responsibility. This paper delves into Design for Sustainability, aiming to understand the practices Italian design furniture companies are implementing towards sustainability through case studies analysis of sustainable actions (SA) showcased in Milan Design Week 2023. The study categorizes SA according to the Design for Sustainability Framework, determining their role in furniture companies’ transformative learning approaches towards sustainability.

“It should not only be technical education.” Students’ climate anxiety experiences and expectations toward university education in three European universities

Climate anxiety is increasing among students in higher education. In this mixed-method study, we map attitudes toward climate anxiety of students from sustainability related study fields. We analyze case study results from three universities in Europe (Helsinki, Warsaw, and Uppsala), querying: students’ needs in coping with climate anxiety in academia and ways university operations can be improved to meet those needs. Results from a cross sectional survey (N = 157) place climate anxiety within a range of emotions, from sadness to hope. The majority of respondents reported a mixture of empowering and paralyzing emotional states. Respondents to semi-structured interviews advise academia to rethink its time economies, prioritize transformative climate action, acknowledge students’ emotion work around sustainability issues, make climate education more humanistic, and include more-than-human-nature in educational spaces. Educators could employ transformative learning approaches to redefine climate anxiety from paralyzing emotion into constructive learning experience.

The Role of the Civic University in Facilitating Inclusive and Transformative Pedagogical Approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals: A Systematic Literature Review

Facing rising financial pressure due to economic stagnation and lacklustre engagement from policy-makers, higher education institutions (HEIs) and local communities are placing increasing emphasis on cooperative efforts between universities and communities to co-create positive societal change in the face of the triple planetary crisis. Based on the PRISMA method, this systematic literature review seeks to contribute to the academic knowledge on Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) governance at the local level by unpacking the contribution of HEI-community cooperative approaches to transformative learning and action for sustainability. In order to successfully incorporate communities’ priorities in the local-level integration of the SDGs, it is crucial that these new collaborative initiatives foster transformative learning approaches to Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) in an equitable, intersubjective, and inductive manner. The findings present the various strategies used to build long-term, impactful, and resilient learning skills for sustainable development for all ESD stakeholders at the local level, including communities, HEIs, and city authorities. This review proposes these interventions as tools for better local governance towards the integration of the SDGs into HEIs and communities, specifically through SDG4 Quality Education.

Implementation of A Transformative Learning Model in Supervising Non Formal Education Institution in the Submission of Accreditation

PKBM Sumber Ilmu, The partner of this community services has failed to pass the first steps of pursuing the accreditation. The cause of this failure is that the formal education mindset is still embedded in the managers and educators which influence the pattern of preparing accreditation documents. As the result, the document was not satisfy the assessor which assesst the requirement. This community services try to provide supervission for the managers and tutors of PKBM Sumber Ilmu so they can (1) prepare accreditation documents that are in accordance with the characteristics of non-formal education, and (2) prepare maximum supporting evidences for fields assessment. This program implement transformative learning and andragogy approach which incude two main activities namely workshop and assessment simmulation. The stage of activities are providing material related to accreditation documents and evidences of field assessment for non-formal education units, providing assistance to make sure the suitability of the documents and evidences, and carry out field assessment. The result of this community services are (1) the achievement of the accredation documents reach more than 80%, and (2) the readiness of supporting evidence for field assessment reach 80%. Because of those result, the PKBM Sumber Ilmu are ready for the whole accreditation process.

Learning How to Learn Languages: A Transformative Learning Approach to Empower Effective Language Learners

This practice report describes a 12-week stand-alone course designed to address the challenges university students face in foreign language classes. Adopting principles of transformative language learning, course content, activities and resources were designed and implemented to dispel myths and preconceptions regarding language instruction, promote self-directed, independent learning, and raise awareness of the cognitive and socio-emotional processes involved in language learning. Students’ feedback indicate that the course had a significant impact on their perceptions of adult language learning, their capacity to reflect on their use of strategies, and the importance of developing a plan to continue applying these new understandings in their academic pursuits. The course fostered a shift in students’ perspective, from viewing themselves as passive recipients of ‘language injections’, to becoming self-directed, motivated, and independent learners.

Pedagogy of Rethinking: Teaching Students to Transform Conventional Professional Practices to Sustainable Ones

Sustainable development serves an umbrella concept for the transformation of individual and professional life. Students of higher educational institutions must acquire the skills of sustainable decision making and practicing, which will be applied in their working place. They might face problems in changing the existing professional practices to sustainable ones. The experience of ESD methods application in the universities of Ukraine, Poland, and Latvia was analysed in order to define common challenges and issues encountered by the supervisors of the courses, which included design of a project. The courses with projects were taught to the students of all three education levels with various backgrounds: Mechanical Engineering, Chemical Engineering, Environmental Engineering, Transport Technologies, and Management. The central idea of those projects was to transform chosen industrial and managerial practices to ones aligned with the SDGs. A self-assessment of course results, comparative analysis of methods and approaches used yield a list of recommendations and methods that contribute to the rethinking capacity for transformation of any professional field practices towards the principles of sustainability. In particular, it is clear that the project course should be co-created using transformative learning approach and “flipped classroom” to stimulate generation of students’ ideas. Equally important is to adapt SDGs to each professional field not only highlighting their varied applicability but also conceptual equivalence. The important result of project-based learning is also action competence of students, being ready and interested to implement sustainability principles in their work and see them as options for entrepreneurship and business development.

Preferred Style of Teaching and Learning by College Students in the New Normal

Styles of teaching and learning are one of the factors that contribute to student learning performance. This study aimed to determine the students’ preferred teaching and learning styles in the new normal education implemented during the pandemic. Moreover, a quantitative-descriptive design was used to attain the research objectives. A total of thirty-item questionnaires were categorized using the three learning theories: Constructivist Learning Theory, Self-Actualization Theory, and Transformative Learning Theory. A total of three-hundred forty-four (344) college students from the University of Mindanao-Digos participated in the study. Results showed that students have a high level of preference for Constructivist Learning Theory, Self-Actualization Theory, and Transformative Learning Theory in teaching and learning style in the new normal. When analyzed by department, Self-Actualization Theory and Transformative Learning Theory showed significant differences, while Constructivist Learning Theory showed no significant difference. In terms of year level, Constructivist Learning Theory and Transformative Learning Theory showed no significant difference while Self-Actualization theory showed significant difference. Thus, it is recommended that professors should utilize a constructivist, self-actualization, and transformative teaching and learning approach to college learners and implement a learning style suited to the year level and department of students

Exploring the development of change agents for sustainability: outcomes of the Listen, Live and Learn initiative at Stellenbosch University

Purpose Among the various pro-sustainability strategies that universities adopt, Stellenbosch University’s 2030 Agenda further challenges universities to provide sustainability education that enables students to become change agents for sustainability. The Listen, Live and Learn (LLL) initiative is a co-curricular programme developed at Stellenbosch University, South Africa, that seeks to foster social cohesion and develop change agency among students. This study aims to understand how LLL students had developed agency for change through their experiential learning in the programme. Design/methodology/approach Using a transformative sustainability learning approach, this study examined secondary data containing qualitative and quantitative data from the 2018 LLL end-of-year survey. The qualitative data was analysed thematically, and the quantitative data was analysed using counts and frequencies. Findings Through their participation in the programme, the students learned about their character and opened up to engage with the ‘others’ whom they lived with in the same residence. They also reported becoming more open-minded, intentional, reflective and confident. Another personal change reported by the students was their ability to collaborate with their housemates. The learners recommended that the programme could be improved by providing resources for house projects, guidance with inviting house theme experts and help with conflict resolution. Originality/value Through this research, the authors have demonstrated the ability of a transformative sustainability learning programme to effect a change in the attitudes, norms and behaviours of students at a higher educational institution towards a sustainable and just society.

Becoming Relationally Spacious: Mental Healthcare Students’ Experiences With the Immunity to Change Workshop

Students in mental health care are urged to develop professionally as well as personally, according to the Norwegian national state curriculum. The purpose of this study was to describe mental healthcare students’ experiences with the use of Immunity to Change (ITC) workshops and endorse this as a transformative learning approach to personal–professional development. One focus group interview and four in-depth individual interviews were conducted with open-ended questions. These were analyzed with Giorgi’s phenomenological method. Further existential reflections were guided by van Manen’s phenomenological hermeneutics. ITC workshops offered a way to develop the ability to approach various situations and relationships in mental healthcare work flexibly and dynamically. Tolerance for uncertainty and ambiguity enabled students to grow personally and interpersonally. This study highlights the importance of supporting students to structure their transformative journey of becoming relationally spacious, being able to room themselves as well as colleagues and users/patients.

Affective learning in short-term educational travel abroad: An exploratory mixed-method study

Employing an exploratory mixed-method approach, this research explores young adults' affective learning outcomes derived from their short-term educational travel abroad experiences. Different from previous travel research mostly focusing on the educational benefits of cognitive knowledge and technical skills, the current research highlights the prominent effect of educational travel on young adults' personal growth and attitudinal/emotional development by investigating the understudied domain of affective learning and how it manifests among college students having short-term study abroad experiences. Through a systematic review and a follow-up survey-based comparison study, five salient affective learning variables were identified—perspectives on global interdependence, intercultural attitudes, openness to diversity and challenge, environmental attitudes, and general self-efficacy. Furthermore, this research found that travelers’ lower-order affective learning shows significant progress after the short-term educational overseas travel. This study contributes to a niche topic in tourism research and provides implications to promote educational travel as an effective transformative learning approach.

Transformative Learning for Sustainability Practices in Management and Education for Sustainable Development: a Meta-Synthesis

Purpose: This study aims to analyze how transformative learning (TL) theory has contributed to sustainability practices in management and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) and what kind of strategies can direct future practices in the field. Method/design/approach: An exploratory and inductive study to synthetize primary qualitative case studies was conducted. After screening 241 articles extracted from the Web of Science database, we identified 13 empirical papers highlighting TL theory and sustainability. Then, a meta-synthesis of these qualitative case studies was conducted based on the key characteristics of TL. Results and conclusion: Six theoretical propositions were elaborated, showing that the TL theory has contributed to sustainability through some influential factors on process, conditions, and results. In addition, based on these dimensions, the study provides some strategies for future practices. Research implications: The findings of this study have both theoretical and practical contributions, which can direct organizational and educational politics and practices. Originality/value: Sustainability and ESD are current topics in the academy in favor of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). However, there is a lack of studies on the development of theoretical strategies towards sustainability practices in management and ESD from a transformative learning TL approach. Thus, this study shed more light on the topic.

Identification of measures conducive to learning for the introduction of digital and assistive technologies (DAT) in processes of nursing care: aqualitative study

HintergrundDigitale und assistive Technologien (DAT) finden Eingang in die Versorgung. Konzepte, Pflegende strukturiert an die neuen Technologien heranzuführen, fehlen. Daher macht dieser Aufsatz einen Vorschlag, Pflegefachpersonen im Umgang mit DAT anzuleiten, zu beraten und zu schulen.ZielDie Arbeit fragt, wie Pflegefachpersonen einen strukturierten Ansatz der Sensibilisierung, Qualifizierung und Erprobung hinsichtlich DAT erleben und bewerten. Verändert ein transformativer Lernansatz die Bereitschaft DAT einzusetzen?MethodePflegende wurden hinsichtlich DAT sensibilisiert. Pflegende wurden in der Anwendung von 2 Robotiksystemen und eines passiven Exoskeletts geschult, um diese anschließend zu erproben. Das Erleben der strukturellen Ausgestaltung des Edukationsansatzes wurde durch Interviews und durch die qualitative Inhaltsanalyse nach Kuckartz eingeschätzt.ErgebnisseAlle 5 Pflegefachpersonen verfügen über eine 3‑jährige Ausbildung. Zwei nehmen neben pflegerischen auch Aufgaben der Wohnbereichsleitung wahr. Das Vorgehen wird durch alle Befragten positiv bewertet. Der strukturierte Ansatz erhöht das Interesse und die Bereitschaft DAT perspektivisch in den Pflegeprozess zu integrieren. Es zeigt sich, dass die Passgenauigkeit auf pflegerelevante Probleme und die Notwendigkeit DAT durch die Arbeitgeber verfügbar zu machen entscheidend sind, um DAT praktisch einzusetzen.SchlussfolgerungEin strukturiertes Konzept erhöht die Einsatzbereitschaft von DAT in der pflegerischen Versorgung. Einer mangelhaften Implementierung von DAT liegen u. a. fehlendes Wissen und fehlende Aus-, Fort- und Weiterbildungskonzepte zugrunde. Die angestoßene Reflexion ermöglicht es DAT auf spezifische Pflegeprobleme zu prüfen, spezielle Situationen im Versorgungsprozess zu berücksichtigen und Anwendungshürden abzubauen.Zusatzmaterial onlineZusätzliche Informationen sind in der Online-Version dieses Artikels (10.1007/s16024-022-00372-4) enthalten.

Transformative Pedagogy in the Film Taare Zameen Par: An Empirical Analysis under the Light of Transformative Learning Theory

This article examines how transformative pedagogy happens in the Indian film Taare Zameen Par. This film has been analyzed under the lens of transformative learning theory introduced by Jack Mezirow. The author of this article purposively selects some critical scenes, dialogues, and situations that appear throughout the film to understand transformative pedagogy and transformative learning theory. This study employs the textual analysis method suggested by Frey et al. (1999). The prime intention of this study is to investigate how transformative learning happens in that film and find out ways to overcome the challenging situation in classrooms. This study finds that substantial transformative learning happens in the film’s last half. Communication or dialogue is the most important element to engage students in transformative learning activities. This study discovers the teacher’s extensive communication or communication efforts that support Mezirow’s transformative learning theory. Teaching critical thinking is another vital element of transformative learning. This study observes teachers could change students’ views about themselves and turn perplexed or shattered students into successful ones. Desire to change students, empathy for students, trusting students, and caring for students are some of the essential elements of transformative learning. This study notices that all those components of transformative learning exist in the film Taare Zameen Par. This study is crucial from the pedagogical point of view, which applies film as a transformative learning tool. Later, this article suggests how the school system and higher education institutions across the globe might be beneficial by employing a transformative learning approach in the classroom to make learners confident and successful in their life.

Tourism for all. Educating to foster accessible accommodation

This mixed-method case study analyzes the effectiveness of an educational module combining different methodologies within the transformative learning approach to foster students’ agency. It is articulated around an action-based challenge related to tourism for all, and proposes design thinking as a problem-solving method, and learning logs as self-regulating reflective tools. Results showed a positive change in students’ attitudes towards people with disabilities and the development of critical reflexivity. Students reported being committed to contributing to ensure accessibility. We hope the pedagogical insights obtained in this study inspire more educators to support and implement educational innovation for social transformation and inclusion.

A case study of sustainable hospitality education relating to food waste from the perspective of transformative learning theory

This study applies a critical tourism approach and transformative learning theory to examine the factors influencing students to take a food design course and the relationships among students' learning intentions and the processes and outcomes of transformative learning. The results show that performance and effort expectancy have significant influences on students' learning intentions and that there are partially mediating effects among students' learning intentions, transformative learning processes, and transformative learning outcomes. After completing the investigated course, most students clearly expressed that, through the transformative learning approach of the course, they learned critical/liberal-thinking skills regarding global sustainable issues of food waste.

Design thinking as digital transformative pedagogy in higher sustainability education: Cases from Japan and Germany

There is an increasing emphasis on using transformative learning approach through pedagogies to make Higher Sustainability Education (HSE) more effective. The study explores how Design Thinking (DT) as a pedagogy can be conducive to transformative learning in the digital settings, in HSE, by incorporating the critical components of the Digital Transformative Pedagogy (DTP) framework. The study describes the design and implementation of two courses from universities in Japan and Germany and captures the participants' perspectives on their experiences. The research findings emphasize that DT pedagogy successfully incorporates all the components of the DTP framework in both cases (hybrid and digital settings) to set up learning processes and environment favorable for transformative learning experiences. The research can offer concrete practice, pathways, and lessons for curriculum development to bring transformative learning into digital teaching practice in HSE.

Developing Equitable Pedagogical Practices in Teacher Education: Considerations for Critical Transformative Perspectives in a North American Context

Abstract Teacher education programs may encourage their students to reflect upon their own school experiences through critical perspectives to develop equitable pedagogical practices for a better society. However, what are the implications of using critical perspectives? The purpose of this theoretical paper is to examine assumptions of using critical transformative approaches in teacher education for equity by addressing the following question: What issues between teacher educators and their students need to be considered when using a critical transformative learning approach to develop equitable pedagogical practices in a North American context? By framing critical and transformative learning as working with difficult knowledge and cognitive dissonance, I argue that teacher education courses need to create spaces that foster authentic dialogues to move beyond psychologizing to critical awareness for equity in education.

Social Transformative Learning in Human Rights Delegations: Critical Research on the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network

This article examines the experience of six participants in the Maritimes-Guatemala Breaking the Silence Network (BTS) delegation program. Human rights education is central to this program that operates between Canada and Guatemala. Key findings from this research include participants’ rethinking of their own power and privilege upon returning to Canada and making connections with the struggle of Indigenous peoples in both countries. Another finding concerns how specific communal aspects of the BTS delegation (communitas) lead to social transformation and the development of solidarity relationships that are transformative to all. The research affirms the need for experiential learning experiences which use transformative learning approaches to support human rights and social change.