Transformative Learning in Community College Adult Education Programs: A Case Study

Thesis Abstract

Transformative learning theory, particularly as articulated by Mezirow and subsequent scholars, provides a lens to understand how adult learners undergoing reassessment of assumptions navigate changes in identity, competence, and agency within community college contexts. The study addresses a persistent problem despite policy emphasis on lifelong learning, community college adult education programs often fail to produce enduring changes in learners’ career trajectories and civic participation. This research investigates how transformative learning processes unfold within a real-world case of a mid-sized urban community college serving a diverse adult student body, examining how program design, instructional practices, and peer interactions facilitate or hinder transformative outcomes. The aim is to elucidate how transformative learning occurs in community college adult education programs and to identify conditions that promote durable shifts in perspectives and behaviors. Specific objectives are (1) to map participants’ pre-course frames of reference and identify typical disorienting dilemmas encountered in foundational adult education courses; (2) to examine how instructional strategies—dialogic pedagogy, collaborative learning, and contextualized assessment—contribute to perspective transformation; (3) to assess the role of institutional supports, including counseling, mentoring, and bridge-to-work services, in sustaining transformative learning; (4) to explore variations in transformation across demographic subgroups (age, gender, ethnicity, and prior educational attainment); and (5) to develop a context-sensitive model of transformative learning for community college adult education that informs pedagogy and policy. The study adopts a mixed-methods case study design anchored in Mezirow’s transformative learning theory and supported by empirical findings on adult education and social constructivism. The population comprises 1,200 adult education students enrolled in basic skills, GED, and transitioning-to-college courses at the college over two successive academic terms. A purposive sample of 240 students will be selected to ensure representation across program types and demographic groups. Data collection combines quantitative instruments—pre- and post-learning surveys measuring critical reflection, self-efficacy (General Self-Efficacy Scale), and learning empowerment (Learner Empowerment Scale)—with qualitative methods, including focus group discussions (six groups, 8–10 participants each) and in-depth semi-structured interviews with 40 students, 15 instructors, and 10 academic counselors. Classroom observations (60 hours) will document instructional practices and discourse patterns related to transformative prompts. Data analysis employs a convergent mixed-methods approach. Quantitative data will be analyzed using paired-sample t-tests to assess changes in critical reflection and self-efficacy, multiple regression to identify predictors of transformational outcomes, and ANOVA to examine subgroup differences. Qualitative data will undergo thematic analysis using NVivo, guided by a priori codes from Mezirow’s phases of transformation and supplemented by data-driven themes. Triangulation will integrate qualitative and quantitative results to validate the transformative learning pathways. Credibility will be enhanced through member-checking, audit trails, and peer debriefing with a cross-functional research team. Validity and reliability will be established through instrument validation, pilot testing, and intercoder reliability checks (Cohen’s kappa). Key expected findings include (1) a pattern of disorienting dilemmas linked to concrete skill gaps and identity as student and worker; (2) evidence that dialogic, problem-centered pedagogy with contextualized assessment facilitates higher levels of critical reflection and perspective transformation; (3) a significant association between access to counseling/mentoring and sustained transformative outcomes; (4) differential transformation trajectories across age, prior education, and employment status; and (5) a model outlining the conditions, processes, and outcomes of transformative learning in community college adult education. The study contributes to knowledge by operationalizing transformative learning within a contemporary community college setting, informing theory on adult education in practice, and offering a validated, practitioner-oriented framework for designing programs that cultivate durable transformations in adult learners. It will inform policy on resource allocation for counseling and mentorship, pedagogical training for instructors, and program design that foregrounds dialogic, context-rich learning. The study concludes with actionable recommendations for scaling transformative practices, a synthesis of implications for faculty development, and directions for future research that test the proposed model in other college contexts.