Marissa Schmuhl

English 111.M10
Is Transformative Learning Helpful to Students?
Being a student can be difficult sometimes. With so many different techinquis of learning
or teaching, its hard to find one that works for both the students and the teachers.
Transformative, or self-guided, learning is now being used in the classroom. The question then
becomes, whether or not this technique is good or helpful to the students. Both Barry Alford,
author of Freirean Voices, Student Choices, and Jack Mezirow, author of Transformative
Learning: Theory to Practice, believe that transformative learning helps the students.
Both of the authors feel that with transformative learning, they can relate the topic to the
students lives. This is important to them because it will get the students to participate in the class
discussions. The students also might understand what other students or the teacher is talking
about. Alford feels that it is very important that the ideas come from the students themselves
(281). He thinks that if the ideas are coming from the students, then theyll care more and pay
more attention. Alford says that allowing the students to have lots of class discussions takes a lot
of time and doesnt always work, but when it does work, it is worth effort.
Mezirow thinks that these discussions are important, but he doesnt seem to do them in
his classroom as much as Alford seems to. He makes it sound like he uses some other forms of
learning as well as the transformative approach. He thinks that the transformative learning is
good for the student. He even calls it the essence of adult education (Mezirow, 273). It would
appear that he has high praise for transformative learning.

While both the authors think that transformative learning helpful to students, they dont
agree with everyting. Mezirow only mentions adult students. He even says that this learning style
requires a form of education very different from that commonly associated with children
(Mezirow, 272). It would appear that he believes only adults should use this learning style. On
the other hand, Alford doesnt say adult students. He only mentions students in general. Another
point that they differ on is who picks the topics. Mezirow thinks that the teacher picks the topics
and Alford thinks that the students have to pick them.
Finally, the authors also disagree on the role of the teacher during the discussions.
Mezirow thinks that the teacher should act as a colearner and let the students control where the
conversation goes (273). Alford feels that the teacher should act more as a guide and give the
students free reign of the discussion (280). He just tries to keep the students on topic, but
otherwise he lets them talk for as long as necessary. He says that the discussions can make the
students feel like owners of the classroom and the conversation (Alford, 280) and this is very
important to him. Alford also says that this can help the students write better papers (280). It
sounds like Alfords way of transformative learning discussions works better than Mezirows. He
allows the students work at their own pace during the discussions and keeps them on track.
Transformative learning does appear to be helpful to the students. It allows them a chance
to have their opinion known to others. It also gets the students thinking because somebody might
share their opinion and others might never have thought of it. Barry Alford and Jack Mezirow
might disagree on the how of transformative learning, but they do think that it is a very good and
useful learning technique.

Works Cited
Alford, Barry. Freirean Voices, Student Choices. Exploring Relationships: Globalization and
Learning in the 21st Century. Ed. Mid Michigan Community College. Boston, MA: Pearson
Learning Solutions, 2013. P 279-282. Print
Mezirow, Jack. Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice. Exploring Relationships:
Globalization and Learning in the 21st Century. Ed. Mid Michigan Community College. Boston,
MA: Pearson Learning Solutions, 2013. P 268-274. Print