The Theoretical aspects of transformative strategies will be discussed and a case study of an English for Special Purposes program shown. Instructors will learn about transforming students for social justice and incorporate student engagement.
As an EAL/Communications instructor for the Health Care Assistant program (HCA) (for caregivers) and someone doing her masters in Equity and Adult Education, I was inspired by learning about transformative education and how it could be used in class to inspire students and spark an interest in social justice. I will go through aspects of transformation as defined by researchers Mezirow (2009) , O'Sullivan (2016), Schlattner, (2022), Lange (2023) and Stuckey and Taylor (2024) as well as give a case study on the transformation of my HCA students at the end of a 2 year program. I will make sure there is relevance to the EAL classroom. This also connects to UDL Principles and in teaching in different contexts. We will also touch on the topic of transformation/reflection, how this is measured, who notices and why that is important. The transformational principles include a post-colonial lens. Participants will be given a transformative survey link by Stuckey and Taylor (2024)
https://sites.psu.edu/transformativelearning/to use themselves and with their students. Topics include self-awareness, change in world view, openness, using art, how dialoguing fosters growth, imagination, spiritual connection, action, critical reflection, embodiment, and the environment.
