Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning

by Jack Mezirow

Transformative Dimensions of Adult Learning describes the dynamics of how adults learn--and how their perceptions are transformed by learning--as a framework for formulating educational theory and practice. It presents an in-depth analysis of the ways in which adults learn, how they make meaning of the learning experience, and how their lives can be transformed by it.

Genres: Education

272 pages, Hardcover

First published May 7, 1991

Reviews

[Jamie]

This book was such a cumbersome read! Most sentences read like a middle schooler who just discovered a thesaurus and chooses the longest synonym for each word.

Mezirow's theory is sound and relatable to anyone's life experiences. But my guess is that there must be an updated text or more current research on the theory available. The book definitely dates itself as it talks about lacking technology to see what is happening in the brain and unknowns that we have knowledge of 30 years later. In my opinion this was a poor choice for the main text of a graduate level class.

[Isaac]

This is the last book I had to read for undergrad, and normally I wouldn't include textbooks or required-reading on my goodreads, but since I genuinely enjoy psychology books I'll make an exception.

This book was very informative, but a lot of the information felt like it was told in a very roundabout way (similar to a thesis paper or an empirical research article, but not as concise). There is a lot of good information in here, but I do feel like it was much longer than it needed to be.

[Myha Hill]

“The word remember comes from the Latin memor, which means ‘to be mindful again’… we recognize things in the sense of re-recognizing them, responding to them now as we did in the past” (30) - shifted my perspective on what memory can be. If remembering involves re-recognizing experiences rather than recalling them, then reflection may be the moment when we revisit past encounters and reinterpret them with greater awareness.

[Ron Hurst]

Best academic book and possibly best overall book I have read this year. Most academic books loose steam as they proceed finishing weakly making you wonder why they hadn’t ended chapters before. Mezirow’s last chapter is as important as all the rest. If you are an adult educator, it would be irresponsible not to read this book. I highly recommend it!

[Lee Collver-Richards]

A book to reference and ahead of its time - a question that came out of the group reading was whether transformation of an individual harm its society!? Imagine that - How can we transform our cultures, beliefs and society to honor all life?

[Linh]

This book cannot be written in a more confusing style.
Just read the summary at the end of each chapter, and it will save you the headache.

[Valeriana]

Foundational author in adult learning. I can't count the number of times I've referenced this author in academic articles.