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The hot new topic that everyone seems to be talking about is “creating a learning culture” at work. Dig deeper and you may find it hard to find concrete strategies behind the slogans and refrains. A learning culture should empower learners to continuously improve their skills. In this post, I’ll share why transformative learning might be the strategy that you want to use when designing a learning culture for your organization.
What is transformative learning?
What is transformative learning?
Transformative learning is about changing one’s perspective and acting in new ways through lived experiences. It can be thought of in three different approaches:
Beyond rational: this focuses on the spiritual and emotional aspects of change and learning.
Social change: as the name implies, this approach has to do with transforming society.
Cognitive rational: this has to do with critical reflection of one’s assumptions and beliefs.
Cognitive rational is likely the best option for creating a learning culture. However, every organization is different, so consider all three and select the best option for your project.
What does the transformative learning process look like?
What does the transformative learning process look like?
Regardless of which approach you choose, the transformative learning process has four stages. You’ll need to design an environment that enables learners to experience each stage.
What are the advantages of transformative learning?
What are the advantages of transformative learning?
A major advantage of transformative learning is that it aligns well with how adults learn. Consider the following six principles of adult learning and how they align with transformative learning:
Need to know: learners should know why they are learning what they’re learning.
Self-directed: design the conditions to enable adults to be self-directed in their transformative learning journey.
Experience: allow learners draw on their wealth of experience. This is especially helpful when contextualizing new information or sharing with others.
Relevance: the content should be relevant and should matter to the learner.
Problem-centered: the learning should help learners solve problems that exist on the job.
Internal motivation: the learner’s motivation to learn should be intrinsic, such as self-improvement, rather than solely extrinsic, such as receiving recognition or rewards.
You can apply these principles to the stages of transformative learning. For example, the disorienting dilemma can be designed to be relevant and show a problem-centered scenario for the learners to think about.
Where does transformative learning happen?
Where does transformative learning happen?
Transformative learning can happen anywhere in life, but the focus here is on two: the individual and the workplace.
Individual: the most important place for transformative learning is at the individual person level. Each person has to engage in critical reflection of their assumptions and beliefs. Each person also has to act in new ways for transformative learning to work.
Workplace: the collaborative aspect of transformative learning is key for the workplace. You can design an environment where people can have open and honest conversations with other learners.
How can you design the conditions for transformative learning?
How can you design the conditions for transformative learning?
Many tried and true methods are available for transformative learning. Consider the following:
Workplace mentoring: a mentee and mentor meet to problem-solve workflow issues, share experiences, and critically reflect on their work. Although the mentor supports the mentee in their professional journey, the learning goes both ways. Often, mentors will learn just as much from mentees since they bring a wealth of experiences and perspectives to the mentor.
Communities of practice: the key aspect of communities of practice is to bring folks together to learn about topics that they’re interested in. It is crucial that participants are able to share ideas and reflect (respectfully) in a space safe from punishments. For example, folks shouldn’t be worried about a poor performance review because they contributed ideas that their boss might disagree with.
What are some challenges with transformative learning?
What are some challenges with transformative learning?
Every learning strategy has limitations and challenges. Transformative learning is no different. Some challenges with transformative learning include:
Evaluation: the most effective evaluation strategies for transformative learning are interviews and self-reports. Some organizations place less value and have less patience for this qualitative data. This means that bottom-line gains can be difficult to measure, but additional evaluation strategies are being developed and tested.
Object of transformation: it can be hard to identify what is being transformed. Is it someone’s identity, consciousness, actions, etc.?
Permanence: experts disagree whether the transformation is permanent. Is there a clear end point to transformation? Can folks transform and then revert back?
In summary
In summary
Transformative learning is about changing perspectives and doing things differently. The transformation happens at the individual and workplace levels. A disorienting dilemma that leads to critical reflection is a key aspect of transformative learning. We can design workplace mentorship and community of learning programs to enable critical reflection. Some challenges exist that are important to consider. On the other hand, carefully think about the benefits of transformative learning. If you’re looking to create a learning culture in your organization, transformative learning is an excellent choice.
References
References
Biech, E. (2009). Step three: Use adult learning principles to design and deliver training. Association for Talent Development.
Janet Finlay (2010, May 17). Andragogy (adult learning) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vLoPiHUZbEw
Karlovic, L. (1992). Fostering critical reflection in adulthood: A guide to transformative and emancipatory learning. Jack Mezirow. 1990. San Francisco: Jossey-Bass. Canadian Journal for the Study of Adult Education, 6(1), 86–89.
Merriam, S. B., & Bierema, L. L. (2013). Adult learning: Linking theory and practice. Jossey-Bass.
Pandey, A. (2018, November 20). Getting started with self-directed learning (SDL) - Featuring a case study. eLearning Industry. https://elearningindustry.com/self-directed-learning-sdl-getting-started-case-study.
Walker, S. L. (2018). Development and validation of an instrument for assessing transformative learning: The transformative learning environments survey (TLES). Journal of Transformative Learning, 5(1), 23-46.
Western Governors University. (2020, October 21). What is the transformative learning theory. Western Governors University. Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.wgu.edu/blog/what-transformative-learning-theory2007.html#close.
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