(Part V) Transformative Learning- Changing the Educational Paradigm
(Part V) Transformative Learning-
Changing the Educational Paradigm
Transformational Learning- The
Possibility of Transcendence-Case Studies of Good Practice
This is the fifth in a series of short articles with a
focus on challenging current educational models and paradigms with a view to
gathering current research and knowledge to provide a sustainable and
transformative approach to education to foster active agents of change for the
uncertain future that lays ahead.
If you missed Part I, II and III of this series of articles
you can find it on my blog (petedrayton.blogspot.com), LinkedIn (www.linkedin.com/in/pete-drayton) or Twitter (@drayton_pete).
Are we ready to make a collective,
conscious decision as a species and as a society?
Introduction and Setting a Context
Like most educators, my interest is in providing the best possible
learning experiences for children and to this end meeting their emotional,
spiritual, physical and social needs. However, I believe in achieving this
through a lateral and non-linear way, which allows children to explore and be
agents and key drivers in their learning and development! This is not a pipedream;
educational institutions exist all over the world that employ this ethos and belief
system. However, they are the minority, under-funded, unrecognized and sadly
undervalued by major policy makers, governments and the social system within
which they exist. School is not meant to be a place for childcare, whereby children
are taught a narrow set of objects, readying them to take their place in the
workplace to drive economic and capitalist gains. We are human beings, living
our life which is precious and sacred.
Schumacher
College, U.K
Sterling (2018) states that
traditional educational models of learning are grounded in a separation from
the living world. Furthermore, it can be argued that the capitalist models of
the Global North fuel and exploitative view of the world around the central
theme of, ‘what’s in it for me!’. Educational models are still firmly rooted in
this ethos and are built around a values-based system of exploitation rather
than fostering links, a nurturing view and regeneration, therefore these models
are not transformative in their approach and do little to develop and instill
positive ecological views and values in younger generations. However, the
overall picture is not as dire as it may appear! There are numerous examples of
educational institutions leading innovation in developing education,
pedagogical approaches and curriculum with links to ‘indigenous and
countercultural trends,’ (Sterling, 2018). However, educational institutions
choosing to tread this ecological path are on the fringes of ‘normal’
institutions and are still viewed as ‘left of center’.
To this end, Schumacher College
based in Devon, England has been at the forefront of transformative learning
not only in theoretical modules of learning but how the courses, curriculum and
systems have been developed and nurtured. The ethos of transformative learning
is embedded throughout its curriculum, values, ethos, pedagogy and assessment
with a view to creating a truly holistic model of learning (Sterling, 2008).
Models for learning include a participatory approach, which proposes an
alternative view of higher education than that of traditional institutions.
Schumacher goes beyond simply teaching sustainable education, the systems in
which the institution are underpinned and founded demonstrate a way of
sustainability, which I would greatly like to see across all institutions.
Schumacher College employs a method of transformative learning called, ‘Head,
Heart and Hands,’ which enables learners to develop and employ critical
thinking (Head), relational knowing (Heart) and engagement (Hands) to create a
transformative learning experience. This can be achieved through the learning
experiences and activities in table 1.0 below.
|
·
Participatory
experience. Through sessions with our experienced faculty, learning will
be co-created by the group, the community and the place. Learning is
regenerative, involves relationship building, and is aimed at working
collaboratively with your peer learners; ·
Systems
thinking. We explore specifically how knowledge of whole systems can
create a context for the teaching of your subject that is complex, emergent
and dynamic. ·
Nature-inspired
learning. We will immerse ourselves in activities geared to exploring
how we can learn from immersion in nature, using ecological principles to
inspire, nourish and inform your educational practice. ·
Multiple
ways of knowing. Emphasis is laid on the development of
understanding and tools for stimulating learning at multiple levels –
specifically, the somatic, affective and intuitive in addition to the
cognitive. This will include an exploration of indigenous pedagogical theory
and practice. ·
Collaborative
action. Collaborative learning and self-organisation within the cohort
will be encouraged at every step of our journey together. Following the
course, the group may decide to continue to offer peer support to help each
other apply the toolkit you develop in your everyday professional life. |
Table 1.0 cited from Dartington Trust,
Schumacher College website on Head, Hearts and Learning courses on offer as of
June 2024 (https://www.dartington.org/event/head-heart-hands-learning/)
Using your Head- Critical
Thinking and why it is so important
Critical thinking is well-known
and cited as being a major determiner on a learner’s ability to develop their
own lines of thinking, challenging pre-held notions and perspectives and their
ability to ascertain the validity of any given information. Furthermore, it is
also a key determiner in an individual’s ability to develop metacognition and
‘really think about their thinking’, which I feel optimizes and captures the
essence of what it means to be an active learner.
Following your Heart- Relational
Knowledge and why developing deep and meaningful connections is so important
Relational knowledge is paramount
to developing higher levels of cognition and cognitive processes (Halford,
2010) through opportunities to develop skills in ‘reasoning, categorization,
planning, quantification and language.’ Furthermore, it fosters forms of
independent learning and agency (heuristic) as well as a deeper
understanding of objects and their properties (analytic), which is important
for both symbolic and creative processes (Halford, 2010). This is crucial in
developing far higher levels of cognition and learning, which are slower to
develop.
Learning through
Practical Experiences- Learning with the Hands
This practical
application and experience through hands-on, experiential learning is key and
is an aspect which is sorely missing from most educational experiences that
students encounter. This takes learning out of the classroom and beyond the
theoretical, giving it real-life and meaningful application, whereby learners
can realize its importance and discover how best to employ and deploy this
new-found knowledge. This practicality is a key aspect in learning across any
discipline and is something that seems to drop off throughout the career of a
student, where in the initial phases the learning is so practically and
experientially-based. Furthermore, this allows students to practice and
encounter real-life problems and develop solutions as opposed to simply
learning about this in theory, which has a far lesser impact on retention and
value of knowledge. It seems absurd that this is not taken into greater
account, where a didactic approach to learning is still the dominant model of
learning in the vast majority of institutions. Walk into any classroom and you
would not be mistaken for expecting to see a teacher at the front lecturing and
presenting information to children sat in seats, passively engaging with the
content. Would it not be far better to see learners practically applying this
knowledge, through real-life experiences and problem solving. Of course,
instruction is needed and information needs to be presented but what form
should this take? Could greater agency not be given through greater
opportunities for self-directed learning and voyages of discovery. I counter
that the most thrilling discoveries in all fields have been discovered through
the latter!
Wood School, Bali
Wood School Bali is an alternative
style educational institution located in Ubud, Bali with a focus on a neo
humanist approach. Neo humanism is
defined as, ‘the practice of love for all things in the universe be it animate
or inanimate.’ A view that ordinary and normal approaches both on a societal
and educational level have done, and continue to do, more harm than good. This
unique approach far extends standardized testing, rote memorization and a
traditional classroom setting to take learning beyond the classroom, offering
enriching daily meditations, collaborative learning and problem solving whilst
fostering values of love, respect and nurturing. Embedded in an
environmentalist approach which allows children to develop their connection and
advocation for nature through outdoor learning, farming and gardening and through
initiatives such as caring for animals and providing shelters to traditional
lessons surrounding indigenous culture and knowledge. The focus shifts from a
zero-sum game to a new model of learning, knowing and being, a model which
develops, nurtures and fosters agents of change, environmental and human
advocates to work towards a collaborative, peaceful and harmonious future for
all things, universally and with no exception. What does this look like in
practice, ‘Imagine stepping
into a classroom where students are not just passive recipients of information
but active participants in their learning journey. Picture a place where empathy,
creativity, and critical thinking are just as important as arithmetic or
grammar. This is what a Neo humanist classroom looks like.’ For more details on
the core principles of this school see table 1.1 below.
This is a truly refreshing and transformative approach not
just to pedagogy and curriculum but the core principles, values and ethos of a
school, which truly values all things and strives for a peaceful and harmonious
future. This model requires a radical shift in traditional models of education,
curriculum, pedagogy and learning environments to foster and instill the key
values which we all strive for daily as humans and living creatures on Earth.
|
The Core
Principles of Neo humanist Education Neo
humanist education is rooted in a few key principles that differentiate it
from traditional educational models: 1.
Holistic
Development:
Neo humanist Education believes in nurturing all aspects of a child -
physical, intellectual, and spiritual. It's not just about grades; it's about
fostering a love for learning, critical thinking, emotional intelligence, and
a sense of responsibility towards oneself, others, and the environment. 2.
Universalism: This philosophy promotes a sense
of oneness with all beings. It encourages students to cultivate empathy,
understanding, and respect for all cultures, religions, and forms of life. 3.
Joyful
Learning: Neo
humanist Education recognizes that joy and curiosity are intrinsic to
learning. It encourages experiential learning through art, music, nature, and
play, fostering a love of learning rather than a fear of failure. 4.
Ethical
Leadership:
This approach instills a sense of responsibility and ethical awareness in
students, preparing them to be compassionate leaders and global citizens. |
Table 1.1 The Core Principles of Neo
Humanist Education (https://woodschoolbali.com/, 2024).
The Theory of Neo
Humanist Education (a little background)
Answering the key question, ‘what
is neo humanism?’ and ‘what is a neo humanist educational model?’ is not at all
easy. It could be considered a philosophy, a way in which to lead your life,
perhaps it’s tied up in our perceptions, values and beliefs, could it be a
practice or is it in fact all of these? I posit that the latter is true
(Sarkar, 1982).
Neo humanism is a worldview, a lens
through which people observe, engage and interact with the world around them.
Its overriding philosophy being a supreme love for all things with absolutely
no prejudice, judgement or hate. To build a worldview which is free from
discrimination. Sarkar (1982) states this is not solely spiritual practice but
requires adept abilities to think rationally and logically to problem solve and
reason in a world which has yet to embrace and accept a love and respect for
all things animate and inanimate. Sarkar (1982) argues that there has been
exceptional intellectual progress throughout history, however it is the inner
and spiritual worlds of individuals which have fallen behind and are not yet
matched to our intellectual abilities, aptitudes and knowledge. This is a
fundamentally difficult and human problem. If we are one human society,
a collective unit, working together to make life fundamentally better and
equitable for everything, then at what point is it ok to create physical
divides, obstacles and divisions between people through their ‘race, religion, creed
or nation?’ How better would the world be if we imagined that all people where
part of one human family all working together towards a common goal?
Afterall, isn’t that what we are and should be doing? Sounds like a utopia, I
believe so!
Green School Bali, Bali
Green School Bali is primarily
concerned with building a ‘habit’ and ‘culture’ of sustainable and
environmental knowing and being, whereby the surroundings and cultural ethos
can develop active agents of change and ambassadors for the environment, but
how is this achieved?
On a systemic level the buildings
and surroundings as well as specific curriculum focus on green development and
awareness as well as outreach programs with the local communities. Green School
Bali have coined their curriculum ‘a living curriculum,’ which aims to provide
an experience-based, community-led, classroom without walls
and nature integrated curriculum all supported and reinforced through
use of the schools purpose-built, sustainable buildings and learning spaces. Green
School Bali places a huge level of importance student agency and autonomy both
in their personal and academic lives but how is this achieved?
The history of the school dates back to the founders first, self-built, school born out a dream to provide children with a holistic educational model, which was not easily accessible or well-known at that time. To this end, years of homeschooling had been provided to give their own children the type of education they dreamed of but how could this be applied, scaled-up and accessible to more children beyond their own family? Green School Bali believes current and mainstream models of education (in the Global North) are not equipped to deal with the challenges the world presents both now and, in the future, and therefore an alternative view of education is required. There is a belief and culture of moving away from a prescriptive, objective and milestone driven education, which limits and inhibits a lateral and flexible model of learning. Furthermore, it ‘confines learning and limits, if not inhibits, creativity.’ Curriculum design is not solely a governmental or school leadership driven event, it is created through all stakeholders in the community and this means teachers, parents, students and a myriad of other stake holders, which are inherently linked to the school.
Green School Bali has their
curriculum rooted in two key areas: REAL Pedagogical Principles and Hands-On
Learning, a brief outline of which is provided below.
REAL Learning
The guiding
principles for this model revolve around four key tenets of the educational
experience learner’s encounter:
·
Relationship-centered
·
Experiential
·
Authentic
·
Local
The relationships
between learners, the environment and their community are key and forms an
important part of their learning experience and school life. Furthermore, the
curriculum offers a holistic approach to learning and moves beyond a tokenistic
gesture of a whole child-centered model of learning.
The reflective
nature of Green School and its ability to respond to feedback both internal and
external drives a fluid model of evolution as the school responds and develops
to create and experience-based model of learning. This is achieved through the
experienced needs of learners, their environment as well as the needs of the
community. It is important to note that this is not a reactive change but fluid
and sustainable in its approach to facilitate long-term success and well-being.
The
interconnected and systemic nature of the students and the world they live in
is key and to this end there is great importance placed on providing real-life
and AUTHENTIC experiences for learners to ensure meaningful and
purposeful learning opportunities, whereby students can make clear and easy
connections between what they are learning and the wider world, this is key as
afore mentioned earlier in this essay and in previous essays. This is a huge
aspect of how I feel learning should be developed and modelled to allow for a
purposeful education which serves the learners. Lombardi (2007) argues that
hands-on learning experience provide learners with the most meaningful and effective
methods of learning and does not have to come at the cost of a reduction in the
use and application of technology and the modern world we live in. In fact,
there are vast systems, software and hardware that exist which can also aid
problem-solving, analytical skills, logic and reasoning so a blend of these
worlds is key. This experiential learning is key to a student’s ability to
learn beyond a superficial level as the instruction, activities and learning
take place in a real-life context removing the artificial nature created by
classrooms with walls (Nicaise, 2000). This study carried out by Nicaise (2000)
is interesting as it focuses not on how teachers create authentic experiences
but, and maybe more pertinently, how students perceive and understand an
authentic learning experience and classroom as their learning is fundamentally
built on top and in direct correlation with their own perceptions and
worldviews (constructions of the world around them). For a more detailed over,
please refer to the reference list.
Creating Meaningful Learning Experiences
which are Authentic and REAL
Gardner (1991) argues that current
educational models, curriculum and instruction have become nothing more than
didactic, ‘drill and response’ style activities whereby remembering is key to
success and information is not purposeful nor is it meaningful in a real-world
context for its students. However, I wish more children, especially in primary
education, would question, ‘why are we learning this?’ and ‘why do we
need to know this?’. These questions, I believe, are key and relevant to
any learning experience and certainly as adults we would ask these questions
readily and freely. This type of question drives student agency and an autonomy
in their learning, which I feel is lacking in mainstream educational settings.
Learning should be a process of interacting, engaging and developing an
understanding of the outside world, however children are taught and educated in
artificial boxes, batched by age, in subjects and topics which may have little
meaning or relevance to them. Is this the best we can do? No, it is not!
Green
School states,
’The
world is a diverse and complex network of systems, and our programme,
community, and environment embody an integrated, systems-thinking approach.’
Finally, community plays a vital role
within school life and is deeply rooted and credence given when planning
curriculum and other key aspects in terms of the direction of the school.
Edcuation surrounding the local environment, indigenous knowledge, culture and
community all happen on a LOCAL level before thinking more globally.
Conclusion
The joy in reviewing and, in some cases,
physically seeing alternative approaches to education is truly inspiring and I believe
paves a positive path in the transformation of the current education model which
is grounded in a neo-liberalist approach to teaching, where children are viewed
as human capital and another cog in the economic machine, whereby rote
learning, standardized testing and fear of failing is common-place whilst
limiting children’s opportunities to develop holistically. I fully believe that
the current educational model adopted in many parts of the world does not hold
children’s best interests at heart or allow them to develop naturally through
exploration, curiosity and self-led discovery. This is not the fault of the
institution as this is a societal issue.
There is no one-size fits all
approach to education, batch learning or an assumption on what children should
learn and know at different stages in their life. Children and their learning/development
is not a linear process. The current system of inspection, rigorized testing
and age-related expectations is not effective in developing a human, a living creature.
I started this series of articles
by outlining the need for a transformational approach to the current
educational paradigm (if you have not read articles 1-4, I suggest going back and
reading them to build a deeper picture).
‘This question has been troubling me for a few years now and
I have personally moved through many different ‘levels of knowing’ (Sterling,
2003) and consciousness, from despair and an inability to respond to a
reflexive approach with regards to my own worldviews and perspectives when
faced with the ‘wicked problem’ of climate change. Are we ready to recognize
that a systemic and cross-disciplinary approach is needed across all sectors by
institutions, organizations, companies as well as governmental law and policy
which advocates for a sustainable future and green environment? (Drayton, 2024).
Like most educators, my interest is in providing the best possible learning experiences for children and to this end meeting their emotional, spiritual, physical and social needs in a lateral, non-linear way, which allows children to explore and be agents and key drivers in their learning and development! This is not a pipedream; educational institutions exist all over the world that employ this ethos and belief system. However, they are the minority, under-funded, unrecognized and sadly undervalued by major policy makers, governments and the social system within which they exist. School is not meant to be a place for childcare, whereby children are taught a narrow set of objects, readying them to take their place in the workplace to drive economic and capitalist gains. We are human beings, living our life which is precious and sacred.
Reference List
Fear, F., Rosaen, C., Bawden, R.
& Foster-Fishman, P. (2006) Coming to Critical Engagement. Maryland:
University Press of America, Lanham.
Freire, P. (1972) Pedagogy of the
Oppressed. Harmondsworth: Penguin.
Hicks, D. (2002) Lessons for the
Future: the missing dimension in education, Futures and Education Series.
London: RoutledgeFalmer
Lombardi, M.M (2007) Authentic
Learning for the 21st Century: An Overview. Educause Learning
Initiative- advancing learning through IT Innovation.
Mezirow, J. (1978) Perspective
transformation, Adult Education, vol.28, no.2, pp.100-110.
Mezirow, J. (2000) Learning as
Transformation: critical perspectives on a theory in progress. San Francisco:
Jossey Bass.
Nicaise, M., Gibney, T and Crane
M. (2000) Toward an Understanding of Authentic Learning: Student Perceptions of
an Authentic Classroom. Journal of Science Education and Technology.
O’Sullivan, E. (2002) The Project
and Vision of Transformative Learning, in: O’Sullivan, E., Morrell, A. &
O’Connor, M. (eds) Expanding the Boundaries of Transformative Learning: essays
on theory and praxis. New York: Palgrave Macmillan, pp.1-12.
Sarkar, P.R. (1982) The Liberation
of Intellect: Neo-Humanism, Ananda Marga Publications.
SPMC (2002) Systems Practice for
Managing Complexity – project philosophy and theoretical basis, [Online].
Available at: (Accessed: December 2010).
Sterling, S. & Baines, J.
(2002) A Review of Learning at Schumacher College, Dorchester: Bureau for
Environmental Education and Training, unpublished report to Schumacher College.
Sterling, S. (2003) Whole Systems
Thinking as a Basis for Paradigm Change in Education: explorations in the
context of sustainability (PhD thesis). Bath: Centre for Research in Education
and the Environment, University of Bath.
Sterling, S. (2011) Transformative Learning and
Sustainability: sketching the conceptual ground. University of Plymouth.
Journal for Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, Issue 5, 2010-11.
Useful Websites
https://www.dartington.org/event/head-heart-hands-learning/
https://www.greenschool.org/bali/bnmag/green-lead/what-is-the-green-school-curriculum/
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