The article synthesizes literature relating to the recent development of the theory of transformative learning (TL) and societal changes using three exemplary fields of study: (1) Civic education and democratic transformations, (2) TL for sustainability and ecology, and (3) TL in the context of migration (and especially for refugees). This article…

This article provides an overview of the literature on transformative learning over the previous 45 years, describes its current condition as a relatively mature collection of theories, and calls for greater clarity, new iterations of theory, and productive and substantive steps forward. It then provides an overview of the contributions in this…

This chapter describes transformative learning as a catch-all term to describe many disparate phenomena related to learning processes involved in human transformation. It argues for the distinction between individual theories used to understand these phenomena and the metatheoretical work of analyzing across theories. This article then reviews…

Using a bibliographic approach that employs a systematic literature review, this paper analyzes the state of the field for assessing transformative learning (TL). Assessing TL has always been challenging. Using the field of international education (IE) as a case study, this article leverages findings from the assessment of TL in IE to illustrate…

Change always catalyzes organizational members to challenge, reframe, and revisit the assumptions that preside over the work they do. But how do recent changes affect individual and collective organizational transformations? More fundamentally, how can we think about learning and transformation in an organizational environment in perpetual…

This article describes four emerging theoretical approaches in transformative learning (TL). Elaborations of existing theories, descriptions of new theories, and analyses of TL processes are reviewed. Implications for understanding key TL concepts of experience, reflection, dialogue, disorientation, self, agency, autonomy, and time are discussed…

This update to Mezirow's Transformative Learning theory seeks to advance Mälkki's enhancement to the emotional dimension in phase one--the disorienting dilemma--by proposing the need for a complete grief process (as theorized by Kübler-Ross), to support movement from Mälkki's conceptualization of "edge-emotions" to a "comfort…

This chapter explores the interconnection of transformative learning, spirituality, and creativity, and how the discussion of these connections has unfolded since the new millennium.

This article focuses on imagination and the role it can play in bringing about transformation. Through telling stories of feminist activism and teaching, we consider how imagination can extend our understanding of transformative learning. We examine how creative expression and various art forms have enabled imagination and consider the conditions…

This article critically reviews literature dealing with transformative learning and social justice. Based on a review of literature from major journals and conference proceedings concerned with transformative learning it offers an assessment of the significance of social justice research in the wider field. It describes how social justice is…

At the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, some US workers became "essential" overnight and were, therefore, ineligible to work from home. Millions of these workers put their lives at risk to keep society functioning. So, why do we undervalue those we cannot live without? This article explores the transformative potential of learning in and…

Teaching and learning in times of crisis like the Coronavirus pandemic is less about crisis management and more about humanizing the crisis. Restorying COVID begins with understanding our students and ourselves as whole people, and their multidimensional needs--academic, socio-emotional, and socio-cultural, including racialization, social class,…

This article narrates the experiences of four former PhD students who completed the transition from graduate student to graduates with PhDs during unprecedented external events: The COVID-19 pandemic and a period of civil unrest in response to the 2020 police killings of George Floyd and Breonna Taylor. The authors reflect on some commonalities in…

Lessons learned during the COVID-19 pandemic, through trial and error and sharing stories of successes and failures, have resulted in progress in the quest to resume what we refer to as normal or regular college life for students, faculty, and staff. However, it is doubtful that we will ever get back to the exact same situation that we were in…

The COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically affected the way that healthcare is delivered in the United States and has likewise affected the way that health professions education is taught. This article reports a case study of a cohort-based health professions education program that was forced to transition from a blended model to a fully virtual…