Transformative Learning and the Value Action Gap
Conference Tracks
Learning Theories and Pedagogy – Research
Abstract
The Value Action Gap is the gap that exists between peoples’ stated values and their actions related to global environmental issues (Christie & Jarvis, 2002; Corraliza & Berenguer, 2000; Flynn et al., 2009). Environmental education is a key means to influence values, but it does not always result in a long-term positive change in action (Noortgaete & Tavernier, 2014).
In the field of environmental education one of the primary goals is to educate students so that they are able to make informed environmentally conscious decisions in their future lives, majors, and careers (Hooey et al., 2017). At the end of the semester many students will state that they have learned, and now care, about many environmental issues that they did not know existed. Unfortunately, in most cases this has not led to a long-term change in behavior, particularly if the student is not focusing on an environmental science related major (Liu & Lin, 2015). The purpose of this study is to examine if Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory is an effective pedagogical approach in environmental education that not only leads to a change in student values, but a sustained commitment to their pro-environmental actions.
The study is a longitudinal study in which the values and actions of general education sciences students are measured via a pre-test and post-test to determine if and to what degree students changed their values and actions related to environmental science over a single semester. Ideally a future second post-test will be administered to the same population of students to measure if implementing TLT in the environmental education course was successful in not only changing values but also led to a prolonged change in pro-environmental actions.
Session Format
Poster
1
Publication Type and Release Option
Image (Open Access)
Recommended Citation
Evers, Chad A., "Transformative Learning and the Value Action Gap" (2022). SoTL Commons Conference. 2.
https://digitalcommons.georgiasouthern.edu/sotlcommons/SoTL/2022/2
Transformative Learning and the Value Action Gap
The Value Action Gap is the gap that exists between peoples’ stated values and their actions related to global environmental issues (Christie & Jarvis, 2002; Corraliza & Berenguer, 2000; Flynn et al., 2009). Environmental education is a key means to influence values, but it does not always result in a long-term positive change in action (Noortgaete & Tavernier, 2014).
In the field of environmental education one of the primary goals is to educate students so that they are able to make informed environmentally conscious decisions in their future lives, majors, and careers (Hooey et al., 2017). At the end of the semester many students will state that they have learned, and now care, about many environmental issues that they did not know existed. Unfortunately, in most cases this has not led to a long-term change in behavior, particularly if the student is not focusing on an environmental science related major (Liu & Lin, 2015). The purpose of this study is to examine if Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory is an effective pedagogical approach in environmental education that not only leads to a change in student values, but a sustained commitment to their pro-environmental actions.
The study is a longitudinal study in which the values and actions of general education sciences students are measured via a pre-test and post-test to determine if and to what degree students changed their values and actions related to environmental science over a single semester. Ideally a future second post-test will be administered to the same population of students to measure if implementing TLT in the environmental education course was successful in not only changing values but also led to a prolonged change in pro-environmental actions.
