European Perspectives on Transformation Theory

Ted Fleming is Adjunct Associate Professor of Adult Education at Teachers College, Columbia University, USA. Formerly Head of Department and Associate Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences at Maynooth University, Ireland, his research interests include non-traditional students in higher education and critical theory. Alexis Kokkos is Professor of Adult Education at Hellenic Open University, Greece, and Chairman of the Hellenic Adult Education Association. He is also a co-convenor of ESREA’s European network Interrogating Transformative Processes in Learning and Education.  Fergal Finnegan is Lecturer at the Department of Adult and Community Education at Maynooth University, Ireland. He is a co-editor of the Journal of Transformative Education and co-convenes the ESREA network Active Democratic Citizenship and Adult Learning.

• Chapter 1. Introduction; Alexis Kokkos, Ted Fleming and Fergal Finnegan.- Chapter 2. Context and development of transformation theory in the European field of adult education; Ted Fleming, Alexis Kokkos and Fergal Finnegan.- SECTION I. Reviewing and expanding the theory.- Chapter 3. Connected knowledge in Belenky and Honneth: Implications for transformative learning theory; Ted Fleming.- Chapter 4. "Freedom is  a very fine thing": Individual and collective forms of emancipation in transformative learning; Fergal Finnegan.- Chapter 5. Coming to grips with edge-emotions: The gateway to critical reflection and transformative learning; Kaisu Mällki.- Chapter 6. Theory development between tradition and innovation: Exploring systems thinking within and beyond transformative learning theory: Saskia Eschenbacher.- Chapter 7. Time and the rhythms of transformative learning: Michel Alhadeff-Jones.- Chapter 8. Communicative practices in work and training contexts: Exercising transformative authority?; Jerome Eneau and Eric Bertrand.- SECTION II. Connecting theory with educational practice.- Chapter 9. Introducing the Method Transformation theory in educational practice; Alexis Kokkos.- Chapter 10. Disorienting dilemmas and irritations in professional development: A longitudinal study of Swiss teacher-students; Anna Laros and Julia Košinár.- Chapter 11. New scenarios of transformations: How to support critical refelction on assumptions through the theatre of the oppressed; Alessandra Romano.- Chapter 12. Promoting transformative learning through English as a lingua franca: An empirical study; Nicos C. Sifakis and Stefania Kordia.- Chapter 13. The theory and practice of evaluating transformative learning processes; Claudo Melacarne.- Chapter 14. Sustainability, reflection, tranformation and taking back our world; Ian Jasper.- SECTION III. Transformative learning in organisations.- Chapter 15. "Not only a man with a drip": Cancer as a shared social P; Loretta Fabbri and Elisabetta Di Benedetto.- Chapter 16. Reframing professional challenges through action learning conversations in medical organizations; Maura Striano.- Chapter 17. Conclusions, comparisons and directions for future study; Alexis Kokkos, Fergal Finnegan and Ted Fleming.