Transformative Learning Theory
Edward W. Taylor
There is an instinctive drive among all humans to make meaning of their
daily lives. Because there are no enduring truths, and change is continuous,
we cannot always be assured of what we know or believe. It therefore
becomes imperative in adulthood that we develop a more critical worldview
as we seek ways to better understand our world. This involves learning
“how to negotiate and act upon our own purposes, values, feelings and
meanings rather than those we have uncritically assimilated from others”
(Mezirow and Associates, p. 2000, p. 8). Developing more reliable beliefs,
exploring and validating their fidelity, and making informed decisions are
fundamental to the adult learning process. It is transformative learning theory
that explains this learning process of constructing and appropriating new
and revised interpretations of the meaning of an experience in the world.