“Pay no attention to the man behind the curtain” is a warning the Dorothy chooses to ignore as Toto tugs on the cloth and reveals the less than wizardly Wizard of Oz.  But had Dorothy heeded the advice and left without learning who was operating the magical Oz head, she would have been like many of us.

While conducting interviews on transformative learning and reviewing interviews conducted by other, I was surprised by how often those around the interview subjects were unaware of what was driving the change.  Perhaps less surprising is that those of us in leadership roles are often unaware of the transformative learning taking place around us.

If you are someone who teaches, mentors, or trains others, it is helpful to understand the process of transformative learning.

Jack Mezirow first described his Transformative Learning Theory when researching women returning to college. He noticed that their success in adapting was directly related to their ability to have a perspective transformation.  Transformative Learning is “The process of using a prior interpretation to construe a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of one’s experience in order to guide future action.”

Mezirow offers the following steps to transformative learning:

• A Disorienting Dilemma (this is the trigger for the growth)
• Self-examination (may experience guilt or shame)
• A critical assessment of assumptions
• Recognition that one’s discontent and the process of transformation are shared and that others have negotiated a similar change
• Exploration of options for new roles, relationships and actions
• Planning a course of action
• Acquisition of knowledge and skills for implementing one’s plans
• Provisional trying of new roles
• Building competence and self-confidence in new roles and relationships
• A reintegration of new assumption into one’s life on the basis of conditions dictated by one’s new perspective.

Not all of the above steps must happen for transformative learning, but the major elements are key for the growth of the individual:

1. A Disorienting Dilemma: When we come up against an experience that we recognize does not neatly fit our pre-existing meaning structure, it becomes a disorienting dilemma.  This might be caused by an abrupt experience such as a loss of a job, or it may build over time such as recognizing that our views of race or gender are not sufficient.
2. Critical Reflection: Next we examine the assumptions we hold to see why we believe what we believe, reviewing the way we have dealt with these issues up until now.
3. Rational Discourse:  We then recognize that others have had this experience, too, and through exploration with others, we expand our thinking and begin to consider new roles.
4. Taking Action: The final element is action. This involves planning, trying on the new roles, building confidence and changing.

Action is the part of transformative learning that is most visible to others, but it may seem that the person has a startling change if we are not aware of the internal struggle and the conversations that are happening with others.   In an educational or workplace setting, this may cause conflict with fellow students or colleagues.  Acknowledging changing beliefs and attitudes and welcoming change can provide both a safe-place for the transforming individual and the opportunity for others to grow as well.

 

For more information:

Mezirow, J., & Associates (2000).  Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco, CA: Jossey-Bass.