Abstract
Introduction
Alexis Kokkos
The following pages of this article contain six essays on transformative learning (TL) that were written to celebrate the 40th anniversary of TL. The essays were written by Elizabeth Kasl, Laura Markos, Victoria Marsick, Vanessa Sheared, Ed Taylor, and Lyle Yorks. These authors belong to a “wave” of scholars who joined the field of TL between the mid-1970s and mid-1990s. Their stories describe the chronicle behind their engagement with the TL theory and its community. This is evident in the essays written by five of them, since they primarily focus on their experiences regarding the first stages of their involvement. Adding another perspective, Laura Markos describes the foundational orientation of the Journal of Transformative Education, reflecting the viewpoints of leaders of various educational institutions engaged in transformative education whose input was central to the journal’s founding.
I believe that this tribute is useful in many different ways. It offers lucid indications for the reasons that lead scholars to engage in the field of TL, and it also presents the way they have contributed to the formation of the TL movement. Jack Mezirow’s role is highlighted within this process. Additionally, some of these essays also discuss the current situation of the field. Another challenging insight is the presentation of the scholars’ personal relationship with the theory. To my understanding, the perspective of TL infused their ideas, orientations, and actions, and it became a way of living. In my reflections which follow the essays, I explore these issues further.