Publication

Transformative Experience: An Integrative Construct in the Spirit of Deweyan Pragmatism

Description

A sentiment held by Dewey and shared by other educators is that learning should enrich and expand everyday experience. However, this goal has not been a focus of research. In this article, I propose transformative experience as a construct capable of reflecting this goal and functioning as an empirical research construct. I discuss the theoretical grounding for this construct in the work of Dewey and define it in terms of three characteristics: (a) motivated use, (b) expansion of perception, and (c) experiential value. In doing so, I describe how transformative experience integrates current research constructs such as transfer, conceptual change, and task value in a holistic way. I then provide illustrations of transformative experiences and review the existing research.

Publications

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PUBLICATION DETAILS

Type
Article
Author
Kevin J. Pugh
Publisher
Educational Psychologist
Topic(s)
Teacher Professional Development and Pedagogy
File Attachment(s)
Publication Year
2011
Additional Disciplines
Bioscience - general
Computer Science - general
Engineering - general
Environmental Science - general
Mathematics - general