Critical reflection theorists jack mezirow biography

Students are then encouraged to use critical thinking and questioning to consider if their underlying assumptions and beliefs about the world are accurate. Keywords: adult education, higher education, academic development, disorienting dilemmas, assumptions, beliefs, worldview, change, transformation, critical reflection. Transformative learning theory was developed by Jack Mezirow in the late s.

He used this theory to describe how people develop and use critical self-reflecting to consider their beliefs and experiences, and over time, change dysfunctional means of seeing the world. So, what must happen for a person to change their view of the world?

Jack mezirow transformative learning theory

When faced with a disorienting dilemma, people are forced to reconsider their beliefs in a way that will fit this new experience into the rest of their worldview. Researcher Michael Christie presents the following case study as a real life example of transformative learning theory in action. Christie describes his experience teaching adult woman in a Graduate Diploma course for Adult and Vocational Educators.

The content of the course provided many new ideas that functioned as disorienting dilemmas for these woman. The woman were forced to think through their assumptions in a number of areas, including beliefs about gender roles. Disorienting dilemmas often occur in the context of academic learning environments, as teachers provide space to critically engage with new ideas.