The purpose of this study is to explore the transformative learning experience of humanities learning clubs as a way to achieve sustainable development of our society, analyze them in the framework of grounded theory, and reveal the internal dynamic s...
The purpose of this study is to explore the transformative learning experience of humanities learning clubs as a way to achieve sustainable development of our society, analyze them in the framework of grounded theory, and reveal the internal dynamic structure of transformative learning clubs. To achieve this, the research was conducted with 11 participants from 'Godeok's Joy' a humanities study circle for mothers in the Godeok District, Gangdong-gu, Seoul.
The researcher, as the operator of 'Godeok's Joy' recruited participants through a local mom's cafe in November 2019 and has been running the study club through the Naver Cafe platform until July 2023. This research is based on the study club's activities from December 2019 to June 2023 and interviews conducted from October 2022 to March 2023. The main findings of this study can be summarized as follows.
Firstly, as a result of analyzing and placing the 'transitional learning experience of humanities learning clubs' as a central phenomenon, the research findings revealed causal conditions such as 'desire to read books', 'fulfillment of intellectual curiosity', 'desire for diverse social interactions' and 'voluntary and active participation'. Contextual conditions included 'desire for personal growth', 'maternal experiences', 'temporal and mental flexibility due to children's growth', 'financial capacity', and 'previous experience in other study circles'. Mediating conditions comprised 'leader together', 'five-step enrollment process', 'invisible norms', 'minimal financial burden', 'systematic collaborative learning plans', 'autonomous participation activities' and 'active implementation and practice'. Their action/interaction strategies were derived from 'tail-bite conversations from various perspectives', 'self-reflective learning through one's own stories in humanistic conversations', 'sympathetic and positive support', 'frequent communication using SNS', 'learning through listening and observation' and 'learning to exist'. The results were 'self-reflection and self-realization through transitional learning', 'building dynamic and balanced object mobile', 'slow, steady, and together learning embodiment' and 'building a life-combined learning community with rhizome structure'.
Secondly, the transformative learning study club under investigation has undergone growth and development through four stages: 'formation stage', 'adaptation stage', 'transformative learning stage', and 'expansion stage'. Based on the operator's collaborative learning plan, invisible norms such as problem-solving cognitive perception, avoiding unnecessary personal exchanges, active listening, positive responses, and proactive execution emerged. The participants adapted autonomously to these invisible norms, leading to the establishment of organic and loosely formed relationships. The participants composing the study club were identified as key elements that drove the internal dynamics of the transformative learning study club, forming the 'systematic collaborative learning planner', 'conveyor of new learning information', 'assertive implementer', and 'passionate follower'. This resulted in the formation of autonomous and flexible 'objet mobile' and demonstrated a dynamic yet balanced internal dynamic.
Thirdly, the humanities study club that originated as a book club achieved self-growth through 'dialogic relationships' and formed 'objet mobile' with diverse participants, leading to a shift in perspectives on learning, relationships, and roles. Moreover, within the organic and loosely formed relationships, much like cells differentiate within an organism, the circle continuously generated subgroups, thus constructing a lifestyle-integrated learning community with 'rhizome structure' in daily life. Through these observations, the expanding nature of lifelong learning was revealed, substantiating the effectiveness of the internal dynamics of transformative learning study clubs as facilitators of sustainable development in our society.
In this way, the dialogic relationships, objet-mobile relationships, and rhizome relationships that emerged in the research on the internal dynamics of the new transformational learning circles have precedent and substantial meaning as motifs of new trend learning communities for the MZ generation that will be poured into the future. The exploration of the inner dynamics of transformative learning circles reveals a community-based transformative learning process. In addition, it is meaningful that the principle of community field composition of lifelong learning is presented as a social network of lifelong learning is formed through ‘objet mobile’ formed based on the activeness of the participants and each other's empathic and positive support.