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Exploring Learning & Teaching in Higher Education pp 267–286Cite as

Transformative Learning Theory: Addressing New Challenges in Social Work Education

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Abstract

Transformative learning theory has emerged as an educational approach concerned with understanding and facilitating profound change at both individual and societal levels. The congruence between the features of transformative learning and the central concerns of social work education suggests that this approach to learning may be beneficial as the profession addresses new challenges, including engaging with the global environmental crisis. This chapter discusses the features of transformative learning and explores their application in integrating ecological concerns into social work education.

Some sections of this chapter first appeared in the article Jones, P. (2010). Responding to the ecological crisis: Transformative pathways for social work education. Journal of Social Work Education, 46(1), 67–84. They are reprinted here with the permission of the Council on Social Work Education (CSWE).

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  1. James Cook University, Townsville, QLD, Australia

    Peter Jones

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  1. Faculty of Education, Institute of Educational Technology, Beijing Normal University, Beijing, China

    Mang Li

  2. Educational Methodology, Policy & Leadership, University of Oregon, Eugene, Oregon, USA

    Yong Zhao

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Jones, P. (2015). Transformative Learning Theory: Addressing New Challenges in Social Work Education. In: Li, M., Zhao, Y. (eds) Exploring Learning & Teaching in Higher Education. New Frontiers of Educational Research. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-55352-3_12

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