Culture of Active versus Passive Learning: Transformative Experience in Learning Qualitative Inquiry Course (Published)
This paper provides an important personal reflective journal emerging from the existing experience of qualitative inquiry course and analysis of international students’ experiences on the culture of active versus passive learning and how we can archive transformative learning. Based on the finding emerging from focus group interviews with international students, three general themes emerged, including teacher-students’ interaction, communication skills and International-Chinese students’ relationship as aspects promoting transformative learning. The author concludes that the active learning method was the best way to promote transformative learning among students. The study has implications for future research on the culture of active versus passive learning and on how transformative learning can be promoted in the university milieu.
Keywords: Transformative Learning, active learning, passive learning, qualitative inquiry
Contemporary Working Dilemmas and European Policies for Transformation (Published)
The contemporary societal characteristics, the rapid development of technology, the intense demographic changes, the high and persistent unemployment rates have led to major changes in the workplace. More and more professional groups are becoming vulnerable and they need to redefine their work profile and strengthen it with skills that will let them respond to the mental, physical and emotional demands of the new labor market. In such a context, the training and education of potential professionals becomes a matter of major importance and a reference point for the policies of international organizations. The European Commission has drafted texts which aim to increase the employability of individuals. One recent text is that of “A New Skills Agenda for Europe”, which was adopted by the Commission on 10 June 2016. Following the quantitative methodology and in particular the content analysis of the text we examine the way it can be achieved. The categories used for the analysis of the text come from the transformative learning theory of Mezirow and in particular the ten stages of stochastic processing. The results of this study show that the aim of this text seems to be the learning transformation of employees in order to become more employable.
Keywords: Dilemma, Employability, European Policies, Skills, Transformative Learning
Transformative Learning Pedagogies and Reflective Practice in Reproductive Health (Published)
Reproductive health education is an imperative issue in Ghana and other emerging economies. This is an educative effort that must be of concern to all educators seeking a more equitable society. The discussion of reproductive health issues in Ghana is not as transparent as it should be. When issues of reproductive health are discussed, those involved in the discussion are branded “spoilt” or not cultured. Consequently, most people are not comfortable discussing issues of reproductive health. It is in recent times that some non-governmental organizations, Ghana health service and some educational institutions have intensified reproductive health education with the focus of reducing teenage pregnancy, sexual harassment and rape. The objective of reproductive health education in the university is to help students to develop and improve on knowledge, attitude and practices that are appropriate for health and longetivity. Issues on reproduction health are vital for ensuring quality health and wellbeing. This chapter is in two sections. Practical considerations to the study of reproductive health with emphasis on initiating topics in reproductive health and establishing teacher-student rapport in the course of teaching reproductive health. The second section focuses on Social Studies level 100 student teachers pre and post experiences on reproductive health lessons in university in Winneba in the Central Region of Ghana. This chapter argues that it is important for students to be actively involved in lessons on reproductive health and encouraged to ask questions to help them claim ownership of the knowledge acquired during such lessons to ensure life-long learning.
Keywords: Learning Pedagogies, Reflective Practice, Reproductive Health, Transformative Learning
