Critiques and evolutions of transformative learning theory

This article traces three key critiques (insufficient consideration of emotions, insufficient attention to social interaction, and insufficient theoretical foundations) of Mezirow’s theory of transformative learning in the field of adult education, with emphasis on discussions that have played out in the pages of the International Journal of Lifelong Education. This article then shows how these critiques played a larger role in the evolution of the literature of the theory, and then it points to fruitful future directions of theory development.