In participatory action research (PAR), university-based researchers often take foundational concepts such as transformation, empowerment, critical consciousness, and mutual understanding for granted as desirable or necessary outcomes or achievements. We discuss the danger of this and suggest that researchers recognize these as processes that…

This study used a qualitative action research approach to engage a group of secondary English teachers in a collective inquiry to determine the best model for transformative teacher reflexivity and dialogue. Through solution-focused conversation, the goal was to design a sustainable framework for professional development that fosters creative,…

Background: The ongoing transformation of the interplay between human beings and nature calls for new ways of learning. Although established educational practices merging sciences and arts have been studied before, the focus has been mainly on science or technology-discipline-orientated aspects. More research is needed on the characteristics of…

For decades, the gap between theory and practice has remained the central problem of teacher education. This study will present an alternative approach in an attempt to try to bridge the gap between theory and practice in a teacher education course focused on inclusive education. The approach is based on a model that integrates a university-based…

Critical pedagogies often prioritize critical thinking and social awareness at the expense of preparing urban youth for social action. Though sociopolitical efficacy is argued to bridge critical reflection and social action, this relationship is undetermined. We argue that critical reflection and sociopolitical efficacy are independent predictors…

This paper forwards discourse analysis as a productive way to consider the ways in which the possibilities available for middle grades preservice teachers in justice-oriented teacher education programs are complicated by larger discourses relating to teacher neutrality and teacher education as a transformational narrative. To illustrate this,…

This study examines semester schools, which have elements associated with transformative learning, and an adolescent population, where transformative learning has less commonly been studied. We administered the Learning Activities Survey pre/post semester (n = 173) and followed the survey with semistructured interviews (n = 30) to assess whether…

Education is naturally transformative, but the acquisition of new skills and construction of new knowledge are only possible when we empower students instead of forcing their conformity. Our current compliance-based teaching methodologies rely on coercion, conditioning and external motivators that engender submission and fear in students and…

In this case, Mary, a cisgender White principal, is struggling in a contentious school climate with a mostly White staff and a racially divided school community. A lunchroom incident highlighted the unaddressed conflict among students, families, and the community that can no longer be ignored. Her unresponsive leadership raises questions about the…

This article examines silent reflection within the context of Augustinian Catholic schools. Tracing the rich lineage of Augustinian spirituality, it explores how cultivating interiority serves as a transformative practice that fosters spiritual growth, nourishes a deeper understanding of self and others, and compliments academic inquiry. Through a…

In this article, we explore features of a summer program intended to support the personal and academic development of non-dominant high school youth. We focus on one particularly robust practice in the program known as encuentros -- daily gatherings intended to build community and collective sense-making. We draw on field notes and videos to…

In this case study, we present opportunities science, technology, engineering, arts, and mathematics (STEAM) education provided to a sixth-grade class. We collected observational and interview data in a language arts and a science class over 1 year. We used the liberation social psychology (LSP) framework to understand students' discourses and…

Critical reflection and transformative action in a cyclical rhythm are the fundamental features of the process of praxis (Freire, P. [1970]. Pedagogy of the oppressed. Continuum). A self-study methodology was used to explore the lead researcher's pedagogical experiences teaching at a youth development center (YDC) while utilizing praxis as…

Purpose: For writing instruction, reflection has been an essential tool. Typically, educators ask students to reflect in a structured written, individual format. Less explored is the role that small and whole group reflective conversations have in fostering students' understandings about writing. The purpose of this paper is to explore several…

Outdoor learning experiences can invoke feelings of uncertainty and discomfort, acting to disrupt human-environment narratives. In this article, the "performance" of nonhuman nature and discomfort in outdoor learning is considered, told through two vignettes from residential field trips with secondary age students, held at Slapton Ley…