Purpose: The purpose of this article is to consider the impact of incorporating a set of readings focused on issues of gender, diversity, leadership, and feminist thought into the curriculum of a statewide educational leadership doctoral program. Design/methodology/approach: Based data from open-ended surveys, semi-structured interviews, and…

Emancipatory learning can occur through critical reflection grounded in theory. This study describes an action research project in which the author engaged in retrospective structured analysis of an incident involving visual documentation of student learning. It was experienced by a struggling novice teacher educator, who at the time of the…

Based on theories of emotional intelligence, adult education, psychology of reading, and emotions and literature, this study was designed to develop and validate the Affective Response to Literature Survey (ARLS), a psychological instrument used to measure an emotional response to literature. Initially, 27 items were generated by a review of…

This book examines how young people who struggle with life's worst conditions somehow manage to overcome adversity, identifying significant factors that contribute to their resilience. The book presents information and decision making skills students need to make good decisions in the face of adversity; learning strategies and teaching techniques…

Today, a person can find a variety of travel and study programs as diverse as that person's imagination and pocketbook. This paper considers today's study abroad programs in developing countries, particularly study abroad in Africa. The paper discusses the educational value of study abroad in Africa. It focuses on perspective transformation, that…

The practice of fostering transformative learning was reviewed from an empirical perspective. In the literature, much support was found for Mezirow's ideals for promoting rational discourse and critical reflection, two of the three interrelated components he identified as central to the process of fostering transformational learning. Other factors…

Analyzes faculty attitudes regarding the infusion of critical thinking into course work. Studies 2700 teachers from 33 two- and four-year colleges, who identified both "higher-order thinking skills" and "teaching of facts and principles" as their primary teaching roles. Finds a discrepancy between what is valued and what is actually pursued and…

Describes a study conducted at an 8000-student Catholic university to determine whether critical thinking (CT) skills increase after four years of undergraduate education. Examines seven categories of CT: (1) truth-seeking; (2) open-mindedness; (3) analyticity; (4) systematicity; (5) CT self-confidence; (6) inquisitiveness; and (7) maturity of…

This paper addresses the theme of the special issue by looking at the development of student autonomy in learning in the French programme at the University of the West Indies St Augustine, Trinidad and Tobago. The paper explains why a focus on autonomy is apt to meet both the programme's linguistic goals and its larger societal goal of preparing…

In this paper we provide a North American perspective as we explore the formation and comprehension of queer knowledge in adult education and in larger sociocultural contexts. We consider the need to position queer in adult education mindful of how queer is historically and currently positioned in culture and society. In doing so, we articulate…

The urban context generates a barrage of disorienting dilemmas for urban learners, thereby complicating and challenging the promotion of transformative learning. (Contains 1 table.)

Those growing up in the 1950s, 60s or 70s are familiar with how physically active children were before computers and video games were introduced. Each neighborhood had its own version of the various games that were played. Many of these games involved a pink rubber ball called a Spaldeen. They were everywhere and almost everyone had one. These…

The findings reported in this article form part of a wider comparative research project investigating the active learning of teachers and of pupils in the educational practices of eight countries. This article aims to describe what a small rural school in Finland understands by active learning. Data is presented from a qualitative research case…

The article reports on an action research project, informed by transformative learning theory. Transformative learning involves individuals gaining an awareness of their current habits of mind, and resulting points of views accompanied by a critique of their assumptions and premises, an assessment of alternative views, a decision to negate an old…

Purpose: This paper describes and analyses an attempt to engage in transformational learning, oriented to the development of a culture of innovation, at a medium-size software development organization in Australia. Design/methodology/approach: An action research methodology was used whereby continuous cycles of strategic social learning were…