The Application of The Transformation Theory into the Ciputra Entrepreneurship Training

This paper was wrote for my final paper in ADTED 460-PennState World Campus (2011). My instructor is Prof Melody Thompson

The Application of The Transformation Theory into the Ciputra Entrepreneurship Training

Antonius Tanan

Ciputra Entrepreneurship Training (CET) is entrepreneurship training in Indonesia that help adults to start a new venture or to be an entrepreneur.  The Transformation Theory of Jack Mezirow offers an important guidance in designing the entrepreneurship experiential learning or learning by doing program.  Since the objective of the CET is to train adults to be entrepreneurs, the training program always includes learning by doing as a major learning strategy.  A good learning by doing program will lead trainee move from one stage to the next stage of their competences and transform them gradually to the profile of successful entrepreneurs. Successful entrepreneurs have a certain mindset, attitude, skill and knowledge and the learning process must facilitate the transformation process of mindset, attitude, skill and knowledge of the trainee.

 The Main Concept: Mezirow in his writing of Fostering Critical reflection In Aduthood defined learning as ‘the process of making a new or revised interpretation of the meaning of an experience, which guides subsequent understanding, appreciation and action’ (p.1). This concept provides several guidances for entrepreneurship trainers to design learning by doing program. Firstly, the experiences must be designed in a context of predetermined meaning and the lesson learns must be defined clearly beforehand. Secondly, we need to provide resources (information and mentor) to help trainee to interpret the experiences in a right way. Thirdly we need to prepare trainee to be able to apply their new understanding in the next experiences. Fourthly we have to design the experiences as an opportunity for trainee to solve problems - how to do something or how to perform or task oriented problem solving.

The Educators: Mezirow also argued in his writing of Transformative Learning: Theory to Practice that the role of educators more to facilitator and provocateur rather than as an authority on subject matter. In my experiences, an entrepreneurship educator must act as a mentor, it has a greater scope than facilitator. Mentors share their knowledge (like a teacher), transfer their skill (like a trainer or coach), share their own experiences of success and failure (like a big brother), and provide their time to listen (like a counselor) and finally mentors share their life. It is very important to take the role of a mentor in entrepreneurship education. At least there are two reasons. Firstly, the learning experience usually is an emotional experience. Trainee will experience success and failure, enthusiasm and discouragement, challenge and difficulty, excitement and also dissapoinment. Mentors who can build personal relationship with trainee can assist trainee more effective in dealing with emotional problems. With this kind of mentors, trainee can communicate openly, discuss all the challenge and difficulty easily and also their growth can be monitored by mentors from time to time. Secondly, as a mentor, trainers must be able to be a role model and role modeling is important. Trainers cannot train creativity effectively if the trainers themselves do not have any experiences of practicing creativity.

The Process: Mezirow described the transformative process occurs across the following phases in the clarification of meaning (Mezirow, 2000, p.22):

1. a disorienting dilemma;

2. self- examination with feelings of fear, anger, guilt or shame;

3. a critical assessment of assumptions;

4. recognition that one’s discontent and the process of transformation are shared;

5. exploration of options for new roles, relationships and actions;

6. planning a course of action;

7. acquiring knowledge and skills for implementing one’s plans;

8. provisional trying of new roles;

9. building competence and self-confidence in new roles and relationships; and

10. a reintegration into one’s life on the basis of conditions dictated by one’s new

perspective.

I would simplify the transformative process into three main processes and how entrepreneurship educators should respond to the theory.

The Theory	Responds of educators
Experiencing · a disorienting dilemma;	The experiences must push trainee “to the limit”, lead trainee to leave their comfort zone and trainee must reflect their personal experience in a real market place. This kind of challenge will create dilemma, trainee will face uncertainty, complexity and risk of failures
Reflection · self- examination with feelings of fear, anger, guilt or shame; · a critical assessment of assumptions; · recognition that one’s discontent and the process of transformation are shared; · exploration of options for new roles, relationships and actions; · planning a course of action;	·    Moment of reflection should be part of the program ·    Facilitators must provide questions which will trigger a meaningful reflection ·    Trainee must have a personal time to discuss their reflection with the mentors
Responding · acquiring knowledge and skills for implementing one’s plans; · provisional trying of new roles; · building competence and self-confidence in new roles and relationships; and ·	·    Mentors discuss with trainee their respond to the reflection ·    Mentors must make sure the trainee will have an effective way to pursue transformation.
Experiencing with New Mindset · a reintegration into one’s life on the basis of conditions dictated by one’s new perspective.	·    Mentors provide trainee with a new experiential learning with will offer trainee to apply new perspective and also encounter a more difficult challenge.

I want to conclude that the Transformation Theory is very important to be understood by the entrepreneurship educator, it will enrich the knowledge of entrepreneurship educators on transformation process and help them greatly in designing the learning by doing program.

References

Mezirow.J. Epistemology of Transformative Learning. Retrieved from

http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.116.8014&rep=rep1&type=pdf

Mezirow.J.(2000). Learning As Transformation.

Mezirow.J. Fostering Critical Reflection In Adulthood: A Guide to Transformative and Emancipatory Learning Critical Reflection. Retrieved from http://www.graham-russell-pead.co.uk/articles-pdf/critical-reflection.pdf