ABSTRACT
INTRODUCTION Th e focus of this chapter is a synthesis of literature related to use of transformative learning as a planned process for teaching and learning in health professional education. Evidence is presented to inform teaching practices across a variety of health professions. Th e authors have grounded their teaching of nurses in transformative learning for the past 15 years and believe transformative learning ‘enables learners to become engaged to imagine alternatives to prior assumptions and their own role in nursing and healthcare delivery systems.’1(p4) Within the context of adult education, transformative learning involves cognitive and non-cognitive processes whereby adults examine thoughts, beliefs, feelings and underlying assumptions through critical refl ection, critical self-refl ection and critical dialogue. Th e outcome of transformative learning is development of new perspectives for personal and/or professional change.
