A Review of Theoretical and Empirical Literature - Unresolved

Since 1978 the theory of transformative learning, as defined by Jack Mezirow (1978a,b; 1981; 1989; 1990; 1991a,b; 1992; 1994a,b; 1995; 1996, 1997), has stimulated much discussion and analysis in the field of adult education. This scrutiny has generally manifested itself in two forms, that of theoretical critique and empirical study. Unfortunately, most of the published discussion of Mezirow’s work has been predominantly theoretical critiques and the empirical studies have been generally available only as dissertations or conference proceedings (Taylor 1995; 1997a). Furthermore, most of the empirical studies focus on the model and the inherent components of a perspective transformation, whereas the theoretical critiques center on issues related to transformative learning underlying constructs about learning. Rarely have these two forms of inquiry been explored in concert with each other, reflecting on how each together informs our understanding the nature of transformative learning. It is the intent of this section of the monograph to do just that, identify and discuss the major theoretical and empirical tensions associated with transformative learning theory. More specifically, seven areas of contention emerge from the literature: