0.5 Mirci, p., & Hensley, p. (april 2011). transformational adult  (Page 2/9)

Education is political. In order to retain one’s job, a person is required to implement mandated policies and regulations that are consistent with the monocultural model. Within this context educators are unconsciously socialized into accepting uncritically this model. Educational justice leaders need to work against this socializing tendency within them before they can be effective change agents. Thus they need to maintain a level of credibility among stakeholders while simultaneously advocating for an alternative model.

Emergence of a knowledge era is bringing about societal and global upheavals. Increasing technologies, e-commerce, outsourcing of jobs, and a global economy driven by the knowledge industries are impacting people daily (Drucker, 2007). Increasing diversity necessitates culturally proficient leaders (Terrell&Lindsey, 2009). Elderly are beginning to outnumber youth, impacting fiscal allocations; jobs are shifting globally between countries; and social injustices are accumulating (Marx, 2008). These problems, combined with the monocultural model of schooling, require leaders who can transform education and society. Institutionalized marginalization continues in schools (Adams, Blumenfeld, Castañeda, Hackman, Peters,&Zúñiga, 2000; Heldke&O’Connor, 2004). Problems are exacerbated by a wealth gap (Giroux, 2009). Doubts exist about the capacity of current educational leaders to be paradigmatic change agents (Fullan, 2005). The current monocultural model reflects a static worldview entrenched in essentialism whereby the beliefs, values, and norms of the dominant culture are perpetuated (Fuchs, 2001). Problem-posing is an alternative model arising from social reconstructionism and reflects a dynamic, historical consciousness and systemic worldview (Freire, 2007). In this model the purpose of schooling is to address the needs of society as a whole, acknowledge diversity, develop critical literacy, prepare students to become societal change agents who solve social problems, and end oppression (Webb, Metha&Jodan, 2009). Problem-posing and social reconstructionism assert the democratic ideal that the freedom one affords to self should be afforded to others.

Theoretical framework

Mezirow’s (1981) theory of transformative learning was selected because of its genesis in critical theory. He reinterpreted Habermas’ (1972) concept of emancipation as a knowledge domain transforming one’s life-world (Brookfield, 2005). Mezirow redefined emancipation as perspective transformation.

This theory has prompted scholarship and broader understandings of adult learning. The phases of transformative theory serve as a heuristic guide for studying the meaning perspectives of doctoral students. Self-examination of one’s existing meaning perspectives is threatening as habituated ways of thinking are questioned (Mezirow, 1991).

The possibility exists that not all people in a doctoral program for educational justice leadership will embrace transformative learning. Instead, they may avoid self-examination and not critically analyze meaning perspectives using social justice tenets. Thus, their emancipation will be limited by unquestioned institutional beliefs and norms that shaped them. In contrast, embracing transformative learning entails a process of reevaluating one’s identity, institutions, and worldview.