ERIC Number: EJ1248318
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2020
Pages: 12
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1927-5250
EISSN: N/A
A Qualitative Inquiry into Students' Transformative Learning Experiences in Old Havana's Escuela Taller
Gilblom, Elizabeth A.; Messemer, Jonathan E.
Journal of Education and Learning, v9 n2 p104-115 2020
This qualitative study employs transformative learning theory to investigate the learning experiences of 18 current students and graduates of Escuela Taller 'Gaspar de Melchor de Jovellanos' (ET) in Old Havana, Cuba. ET is a tuition-free, skilled-trades program that trains adult learners with limited economic resources and opportunities to conserve and restore cultural heritage, including historic structures, artwork and ironwork. The purpose of this study was to determine if and how participants transformed as a result of attending ET. Participants experienced professional and personal transformations that they attributed to learning a trade, learning how to collaborate, rediscovering their Cuban heritage, and participating in the restoration of Old Havana. The findings also underscore the significance of becoming cultural agents, who they define as individuals who experienced transformations from attending ET who support the transformations of others in their local communities by educating them about the significance and value of Cuban cultural heritage.
Descriptors: Transformative Learning, Foreign Countries, Student Experience, Adult Students, Cultural Background, Workshops, Building Trades, Trade and Industrial Education, Cultural Maintenance, Experiential Learning, Adult Vocational Education, Urban Areas, Graduates, Sense of Community, Individual Development, Skill Development, Disadvantaged
Canadian Center of Science and Education. 1120 Finch Avenue West Suite 701-309, Toronto, OH M3J 3H7, Canada. Tel: 416-642-2606; Fax: 416-642-2608; e-mail: jel@ccsenet.org; Web site: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal/index.php/jel
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Adult Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Cuba
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A