Mezirow’s Theory of Transformative Learning and Freire’s Pedagogy

Abstract

Jack Mezirow (1923-2014) and Paulo Freire (1921-1997) are two of the most important contributors to understanding adult learning. Mezirow (Bloom, 2015) frequently acknowledged the impact that Freire had on his thinking and one can wonder if there is a distance between the critical consciousness of Freire and the critical reflection of transformative learning? This study is restricted to the works of Freire and Mezirow and engages in a critical dialogue about their contribution. It does not focus on the multiple ways in which each has been amplified and reinterpreted by sympathetic scholars. These are the main focus of the study: an autobiographical moment; a look at Dewey as the precursor of both Freire and Mezirow; Hegel’s influence; a theological moment that divides the two educators; their contributions to teaching methods useful in critical pedagogy.