Transformative learning in engineering education: the experiential learning factor

Abstract

Transformative learning in engineering education has been rarely investigated, but it is a very important subject worthy of greater research. In a qualitative study on transformative learning in engineering education, the authors of the present article uncovered several transformative learning outcomes and the factors that caused them [1]. The outcomes were: improved people and relational skills, project management ability becoming second nature, changes in ways of thinking and increased resilience. The factors that caused them were: the need to break out of comfort zones, the need to have crucial learning experiences, which were experiential in nature, and the importance of staying motivated throughout the entire process of transformation until completion. This present article focusses on one of these factors in more detail; namely, the crucial role of experiential learning. The authors’ considerations presented in this article, which constitute a new research contribution, are supported by the interview data from their earlier study [1].