Transformative Experience: An Integrative Construct in the Spirit of Deweyan Pragmatism

A sentiment held by Dewey and shared by other educators is that learning should enrich and expand everyday experience. However, this goal has not been a focus of research. In this article, I propose transformative experience as a construct capable of reflecting this goal and functioning as an empiri...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Educational psychologist 2011-04, Vol.46 (2), p.107-121
Main Author: Pugh, Kevin J.
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Constructivism
Dialogs (Language)
Educational Psychology
Educational Research
Experiential learning
Integration
Intervention
Learning
Middle Schools
Perception
Science Education
Science Teachers
Teacher Attitudes
Transformative Learning
Value Judgment
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Summary:A sentiment held by Dewey and shared by other educators is that learning should enrich and expand everyday experience. However, this goal has not been a focus of research. In this article, I propose transformative experience as a construct capable of reflecting this goal and functioning as an empirical research construct. I discuss the theoretical grounding for this construct in the work of Dewey and define it in terms of three characteristics: (a) motivated use, (b) expansion of perception, and (c) experiential value. In doing so, I describe how transformative experience integrates current research constructs such as transfer, conceptual change, and task value in a holistic way. I then provide illustrations of transformative experiences and review the existing research.
ISSN:0046-1520
1532-6985
DOI:10.1080/00461520.2011.558817