TEACHING & EDUCATION

What is the transformative learning theory?

Transformative learning process definition, examples, and how it can be applied in the classroom.

Everyone learns differently, and understanding the different ways that humans learn is crucial to
educational success. Teachers and students alike can greatly benefit from understanding how learning
works for different students. By understanding how learning happens, educators can maximize their
efforts and create classrooms where learners can thrive. WGU logo – online college

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July 17, 2020

TEACHING & EDUCATION

What is the transformative learning theory?

Transformative learning process definition, examples, and how it can be applied in the classroom.

Everyone learns differently, and understanding the different ways that humans learn is crucial to
educational success. Teachers and students alike can greatly benefit from understanding how learning
works for different students. By understanding how learning happens, educators can maximize their
efforts and create classrooms where learners can thrive.

Understanding Mezirow’s transformative learning theory.

Mezirow’s transformative learning is defined as “an orientation which holds that the way learners
interpret and reinterpret their sense experience is central to making meaning and hence learning.” Put
in simple terms, transformative learning is the idea that learners who are getting new information are
also evaluating their past ideas and understanding, and are shifting their very worldview as they obtain
new information and through critical reflection. It goes beyond simply acquiring knowledge, and dives
into the way that learners find meaning in their lives and understanding. This kind of learning experience
involves a fundamental change in our perceptions—learners start to question all the things they knew or
thought before and examine things from new perspectives in order to make room for new insights and
information. Many learners and experts agree that this kind of learning leads to true freedom of thought
and understanding.