On Transformative Learning Of Teachers At Vocational School And Colleges

Transformative learning refers to the learning and adaptive process in which learnersconstantly change “the distorted meaning view” and form new meaning view and system toadapt to the new environment via inspection, critical reflection, questioning, etc whenfacing new learning tasks and emergencies. For teachers’ professional development atvocational schools and colleges, transformative learning is of indispensable significance. Onone hand, it is actually a process from one meaning category to another through changingteachers’ mode of awareness and experience, which “plays a role of shaping. Since then, intheir own views or others’, many aspects make a difference”, so as to promote theirprofessional development effectively. On the other hand, it prompts teachers to extend theirfocus to professional living space and social living space and not limited to traditionalschool learning and classroom learning, which plays emphasis on the construction oftheir individual life experience and meaning so as to mobilize their enthusiasm and initiativeand continually gain professional development.This dissertation applies the relevant theory of transformative learning, takes teachers atvocational schools and colleges as particular research objects, use literature researchmethod, case study, interview, etc. It combines with teachers’ professional practice andcharacteristics to make a in-depth analysis, inquiry and reflection on their transformativelearning; interprets the motivation, characteristics, processes, influencing factorsof their transformative learning from the perspective of professional development; putforward the strategies to promote their transformative learning from several aspects; depictsthe basic map of their transformative learning; and hence further enriches and develops thetheory of transformative learning, and provide theoretical and practical advice and guidance topromote their professional development.This dissertation’s specific structure and contents include the following aspects. The firstchapter is an introduction. It is composed of five parts: research origin, research status,research purpose and significance, research design and innovative points. The second chapteris the theoretical interpretation of transformative learning, and the analysis of connotation,core concepts, basic framework and mechanism, etc. The third chapter is the ideal analysis oftransformative learning for teachers at vocational schools and colleges. Based on the analysisof their professional development demands, it can deduce that transformative learning is animportant approach for their professional development. The fourth chapter is therepresentation of case study on teachers’ transformative learning. It analyzes some specific cases and displays the state of teachers’ transformative learning by virtue of through interviewand case study. The fifth chapter is the understanding of case study on teachers’transformative learning. It analyzes some specific cases and thoroughly discusses theteachers’ transformative learning. The sixth chapter is the promoting strategies of teachers’transformative learning. It adopts the theories of transformative learning and professionaldevelopment for teachers at vocational schools and colleges, combines with their actualsituations, and thus think about the strategies of prompting teachers’ transformative learningbased on the following angles: teachers, vocational schools and colleges, families andresearch on transformative learning. That means, teachers should build up the idea of activelearning, rationally use of existing experience, attach importance to introspection andstrengthen cooperation; vocational schools and colleges should formulate relevant, incentivepolicies and measures, create lifelong-learning atmosphere, provide organizational support,make innovation training and improve professional development mechanism; actively buildgood family structure and create cultural family atmosphere; strengthen the study ontransformative learning, prompt indigenous research, emphasize integration of researchstrategies and continually broaden research perspective and innovate research methods. Theseventh chapter is the summary of this dissertation and prospect of future research whichbased on the imperfection of existing research.