In this article, we explore how inclusion and diversity in mindful dance and movement practices can be supported by a practice of self-reflexivity in regards to our embodied identities as teachers. We understand identities as created through processes of stratification, which tend to assign dualistic, fixed and often mutually excluding categories…

This article presents an exploratory and interpretative study on the development of self-reflection and self-knowledge in university teachers by an embodied experience. Dance Movement Therapy and Body-Mind Centering share the fundamentals of the paradigm of embodied cognition through a first-person full-body experience. Using these principles, a…

This mixed-methods action research study examined how implementing a Professional Learning Community (PLC) supports the development of metacognitive teaching. Participants were ten technical college science instructors. While PLCs are common in K-12 education, they are less employed at the postsecondary level. There is a gap in the literature…

Intercultural teaching often emphasizes exposure to and understanding of cultural differences. Although it acknowledges the importance of cultural self-awareness, little research has been done to explore how such a goal is achieved. This article adopts collaborative autoethnography (CAE) to explore the creation, development, and use of variations…

In this 2-year action research study, 33 university professors attended a 4-day faculty seminar titled "Mindfulness Meditation in Teaching," which included guided insight meditation, dialogic inquiry, and action planning. Participants generated and committed to 26 novel methods for integrating mindfulness practice with teaching,…

This autoethnographic study explores how my (the author's) four-year "ashrama" pilgrimage was a transformative learning experience in peace education. The pilgrimage was an embodied, sociocultural spatial immersion in the Raja Yogic tradition which led to the development of "Yogic Peace Education: Theory and Practice," a…

We present a first-hand, longer-term account of one student's (Christine's) experiences in and after a mathematics inquiry course. In this course, students actively posed problems, conducted their own mathematical explorations, and wrote journal entries about their experiences. During the course, Christine found that inquiry helped her develop…

This article aims at contributing to the development of teaching methodologies which can foster transformative learning in higher education. It presents a workshop experience, embedded in an undergraduate course, whereby active and dialogic methodology was designed to support the students in maturing self-awareness about their epistemologies and…

Our interpretative study that was carried out in a science and engineering oriented university examined the ways students in an introductory biology course perceived their learning in the course that was substantially changed to allow student-centered learning. The instructional change was framed by the view of learning as a sociocultural activity…

Contemplative practices support transformative learning processes but can be difficult to identify in a higher education environment. Advocates of contemplative approaches to education see this void as a concern. When topics like these are ignored, especially when desired by students, staff, and faculty, the holistic, transformative, and deep…

This article explores a significant element of faculty development that is often missing or given little attention. The author analyzes the results of a series of Courage Study Circles, which provided time and space for faculty members to reflect upon and revitalize their identity as teachers. The study draws on participant evaluations of yearly…

This article offers a comparative self-reflection on two seemingly disparate teaching practices: hatha yoga and critical social theories of education. As some have already discovered, the two enacted fields share many core principles and practices; deal with strikingly similar content; and are primarily self-reflective. As an…

Instructors from two different disciplines collaborated to teach a preservice teacher education course examining the concepts of language and culture with the expectation that mindfulness-based reflective practice could enhance comprehension of course content and provide introspection for transformation. Two questions were studied: how to promote…

English teachers encourage writing that opens college students to transformative learning through soul work as John Dirkx describes and develops the concept of soul work in his theory of transformative learning. This soul work involves the conscious attempt to bring to the surface myths, images, and metaphors from the unconscious through…

Unintended outcomes can derail the best of intentions in the classroom. Designing a new course for Honors students provided an opportunity to change my traditional teaching style. I envisioned a classroom where students enthusiastically became more self-directed learners. I was perplexed with mixed reactions from students; while some joined me and…