ARTICLE Survey of Transformative and Spiritual Dimensions of Higher Education

The purpose of this study, conducted in Winter 2003, was to document academic pro-grams and other initiatives in North American universities and colleges that incorpo-rate transformative and spiritual elements of learning. A combination of qualitative and quantitative instruments was used for data collection. Transformative learning has historically referred to a primarily epistemic, rational process whereby adult learners become aware of their unconscious roles, beliefs, and assumptions. The oper-ational definition of transformative learning used in this study emphasized reflective learning, the intuitive and imaginative process, and the ethical, spiritual, and/or con-templative dimensions of education. Questionnaire responses and interviews indi-cated that although there is great interest in bringing transformative/spiritual ele-ments into higher education, this movement still exists primarily among individual faculty within classrooms rather than as a departmental or institutional strategy. However, there are a number of notable initiatives in mainstream educational insti-tutions. Survey participants were also asked about strategies that would support the transformative learning movement