Enhancing Transformative Learning for Sustainability Through Interactive Telecollaboration: Insights from the International Book Club

The study aimed to enhance core competencies for education for sustainable development through transformative learning and language education. Based on Situated Learning Theory, which views learning not only as the individual acquisition of knowledge, but also as participation in meaningful social practices, the 2022 International Book Club used Conversation Theory to facilitate active online learning. The project focused on Carlotta Walls LaNier’s autobiography and involved students from two Polish universities collaborating with peers from Mexico, Ukraine, Montenegro, and Guatemala. This exploratory mixed-methods study employed various data collection tools, such as Padlet, weblogs, and surveys. The findings suggest that the project supported interaction, provided evidence of indicators of transformative learning, helped learners overcome language barriers, and fostered intercultural empathy. The main challenges included time-zone differences, varying participant engagement, and limited opportunities for translating reflection into actionable outcomes, which has implications for the design of future telecollaborative projects.