Nurse Educators Teaching Through the Lens of Transformative Learning Theory

The study purpose was to explore the experiences of nurse educators when teaching undergraduate nursing students through the lens of transformative learning theory.

This qualitative case study used interviews of 11 nurse educators who employ teaching strategies developed from the perspective of transformative learning theory. Multiple data sources were added to the study to enhance credibility of the findings: two program administrator interviews, qualitative surveys for 97 nursing students, five classroom observations, and records review.

Using inductive analysis, the data collection revealed five prominent themes: Stepping Off the Stage, Teaching Outside the Box, Finding the Balance, Who's in Charge?, and Seeing Is Believing.

The five themes provided insights into a previously unknown phenomenon in nursing education. The use of transformative learning strategies by this group of nurse educators illustrated innovative approaches to enhance teaching effectiveness, optimize student learning outcomes, and achieve the level of transformation nursing graduates need to successfully perform in the complex health care environment. [J Nurs Educ. 2019;58(4):225-228.].