In Pursuit of Transformative Learning: Exploring the Stimulation of Curiosity Through Critical Reflection in the College Classroom
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University of San Diego Digital USD Dissertations Theses and Dissertations 2018-05-20 In Pursuit of Transformative Learning: Exploring the Stimulation of Curiosity Through Critical Reflection in the College Classroom Bo Y. Bae University of San Diego Follow this and additional works at: https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations Part of the Adult and Continuing Education Commons, Adult and Continuing Education and Teaching Commons, Curriculum and Instruction Commons, Educational Assessment, Evaluation, and Research Commons, Educational Leadership Commons, Educational Methods Commons, Educational Psychology Commons, Higher Education and Teaching Commons, and the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning Commons Digital USD Citation Bae, Bo Y., "In Pursuit of Transformative Learning: Exploring the Stimulation of Curiosity Through Critical Reflection in the College Classroom" (2018). Dissertations. 106. https://digital.sandiego.edu/dissertations/106 This Dissertation: Open Access is brought to you for free and open access by the Theses and Dissertations at Digital USD. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital USD. For more information, please contact [email protected]. IN PURSUIT OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING: EXPLORING THE STIMULATION OF CURIOSITY THROUGH CRITICAL REFLECTION IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM by Bo Bae A dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy May 2018 Dissertation Committee Cheryl Getz, EdD Robert Donmoyer, PhD Marcus Lam, PhD University of San Diego © Copyright by Bo Y. Bae All Rights Reserved 2018 University of San Diego School of Leadership and Education Sciences CANDIDATE’S NAME: Bo Bae TITLE OF DISSERTATION: IN PURSUIT OF TRANSFORMATIVE LEARNING: EXPLORING THE STIMULATION OF CURIOSITY THROUGH CRITICAL REFLECTION IN THE COLLEGE CLASSROOM APPROVAL: _____________________________________, Chair Cheryl Getz, EdD- _____________________________________, Member Robert Donmoyer, PhD - _____________________________________, Member Marcus Lam, PhD- DATE: April 9, 2018 ABSTRACT Educators in higher education are faced with growing pressures to shift pedagogical practices in order to accommodate the growing population of learners and improve student learning outcomes. While the acquisition of knowledge and skills are important to the learning process, they are insufficient in preparing students to function in rapidly changing environments. Curiosity is a vital component in the learning process that, when stimulated, has the potential to increase students’ capacity to think critically. Implementing teaching practices that intentionally focus on how curiosity can be stimulated and enhanced develops students’ abilities to access higher levels of thinking that are essential for in depth learning to take place. This study utilized a mixed-methods sequential explanatory design to determine the extent in which curiosity was stimulated and enhanced through critical reflection activities implemented in two sections of an undergraduate psychology course. The Curiosity and Exploration Inventory II (CEI-II) was administered as a pre-and post- assessment to 48 students to assess existing levels of trait curiosity (propensity to experience). Data from the assessments, as well as from the demographic questionnaire were then used to consider how critical reflection activities, as well as other external factors, impacted students’ state curiosity (curiosity evoked in a particular environment by situational factors). Critical reflection activities were developed using transformative learning theory and reflective thinking models. In the second step, 11 students were interviewed and a cross-case analysis was conducted to discover similarities and differences in how they understood and made meaning of course content. The findings of this study indicated that critical reflection activities did impact students’ tendencies to be curious in a classroom setting. This was partly due to autonomous processing through journaling, but mostly due to their engagement with other peers about their thoughts, feelings, insights, and inquiries about course content learned. The findings suggest that curiosity in the classroom is stimulated and enhanced when students are able to understand how the content is relevant to their learning, and how they can apply and make meaning of it in their lives. DEDICATION To mom and dad. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I now know myself to be a person of weakness and strength, liability and giftedness, darkness and light. I now know that to be whole means to reject none of it but to embrace all of it. – Parker J. Palmer My doctoral journey has been full of twists and turns, difficulties and triumphs, and lots and lots of growth. I could not have done it without the support and love of so many people. First and foremost, thank you mom and dad for encouraging me to dream big, and to live with purpose and intention. Your words and actions have been a strong foundation in which I was able to take risks and fail…mostly because I knew, in your care I wouldn’t fall too far. Sun and Jenn, you two have been a strong pillar throughout the past four years and despite the distance, I could turn to you whenever and for whatever I needed. Thank you for your unwavering love. To my dear nephews – Nathan (6 yrs.), Asher (3 yrs.), and Elijah (1 yrs.) – you were a sweet source of strength that got me through till the end. Dr. Cheryl Getz, I cannot imagine having gone through this program without you. You have been a dear mentor and friend, and I will miss our meetings at Nutmeg. Thank you for being the first person to connect with me at USD, and for allowing me to lean on you and learn from you throughout the past four years. Your words and presence have had more impact on me than I’ll ever be able to express. Dr. Robert Donmoyer, your smile is what I’ll remember the most. Your ability to make sense of my thoughts and ideas before I even had a grasp of what I wanted to accomplish was very helpful and downright amazing. Thank you for your edits and keen insights that helped me grow as a student and researcher. vii Dr. Marcus Lam, you made the numbers tolerable! Thank you for welcoming my questions with warmth and patience as I struggled to put all the quantitative pieces together. You encouraged me to dig deeper and be more confident in my results, and for that I will always be grateful. Dr. Veronica Galvan, thank you for partnering with me in this study. Your generosity, openness, and interest in my research meant the world to me, and your enthusiasm was exactly what I needed to see my dissertation to completion. Thank you for your invaluable thoughts, insights, and perspective. Someday, I hope I can assist an eager graduate student with as much kindness and warmth as you showed me. Dr. Zachary Green, Dr. Terri Monroe, and Dr. René Molenkamp, who I am today is a product of being exposed to your teaching and coaching. Thank you for showing me what it means to find my voice and lead from a place of love and compassion. Dr. James T. Harris III, knowing you has been one of the greatest gifts that I have received while at USD. Your gentleness, ability to genuinely connect with people, and deep passion for education has forever impacted me as an educator and individual. Teaching with you has been an honor, and I will miss you dreadfully! Dr. Jonathan Brown, you were the one who encouraged me to consider a career in higher education. I did and it’s been a fulfilling ride ever since. Thank you for showing me how and why higher education is where it’s at! My dear friends: Jane Cho – you have been with me from the very start (our time in Arizona!) and as far as I’m concerned, we went through this program together. Janet Azmoun – my study buddy for life who knew when it was time to get down to “business” and when the intermittent chatting served as a lifeline for me. Dominic Guglielmo – your viii humor and words of encouragement got me through one of the toughest years of my life. Warren Whitaker – I wouldn’t choose another person to be with me on this journey. Redeemer Community – when things got rough, I could turn to you for comfort and strength, and you delivered – thank you! And finally, to the One who sustained me through it all. I could not have done it without you Jesus. Thank you for blessing me every hour of every day. ix TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGMENTS ................................................................................................ vii TABLE OF CONTENTS .....................................................................................................x LIST OF TABLES .............................................................................................................xv LIST OF FIGURES ....................................................................................................... xviii CHAPTER ONE: INTRODUCTION TO THE STUDY ....................................................1 Background of the Study .............................................................................................. 2 Changing Times ...................................................................................................... 3 Institutions..........................................................................................................5 Measuring Learning ................................................................................................ 6 Non-traditional teaching. ...................................................................................6