Transformative Learning Theory and Vocational Education Reform: Empirical Evidence from Technical Colleges in South East Nigeria

This study applies transformative learning theory to the study of vocational education reform processes in technical colleges in South East Nigeria, examining how educators and students undergo perspective transformation through engagement with reformed vocational education practices. Transformative learning, developed by Mezirow and extended by subsequent critical and spiritual traditions, describes the process through which individuals critically examine and revise deep-seated assumptions, leading to more autonomous and critically reflective practice. Its application to vocational education reform offers a theoretically rich lens for understanding how pedagogical change takes hold at the individual and institutional level. This study employs a mixed-methods longitudinal design, tracking 120 vocational teachers and 300 students across six technical colleges in Anambra, Enugu, and Imo States through a two-year reform implementation process involving competency-based instruction, active learning, and entrepreneurship integration. Quantitative measures of transformative outcomes use validated instruments administered at three time points. Qualitative data from reflective journals, observations, and in-depth interviews capture transformation processes. Structural equation modelling and narrative analysis are combined. Findings are expected to reveal that disorienting dilemmas arising from reform implementation trigger perspective transformation in a significant minority of educators and students, with those who undergo transformation demonstrating stronger reform engagement and better outcomes. Theoretical contributions extend Mezirow's model to the vocational reform context. Keywords: transformative learning, vocational education reform, technical colleges, South East Nigeria, Mezirow