Re-Storying Life as a Means of Critical Reflection: The Power of Narrative Learning

Abstract

Narrative learning is strongly allied with transformational learning and adult development (Merriam, Caffarella, & Baumgartner, 2007), given that it creates context for adult meaning making. Through the use of narrative writing, adult students have the opportunity to engage multiple aspects of learning. Many colleges and universities allow adult learners to earn college credit for prior learning experience by submitting written narratives about their prior learning. By using the Kolb (1984) model to write prior learning narratives, students develop new knowledge that may lead to transformational learning. This article presents the use of narrative writing as an important method of adult learning. Through self-written narratives, adult learners can critically reflect upon prior learning experiences in ways that allow them to “re-story” (Clark & Rossiter, 2008, p. 61) their lives. The premise of this paper is that the act of reframing and re-storying past learning experiences provides a means of adult sense-making that engages multiple means of learning and creates a learning context in which transformational learning can occur. Additionally, spiritual learning can become transformational, particularly when Christian educators intentionally integrate and model Christian faith and learning in the classroom as well as through writing assignments. This type of integration can contribute to Christian identity transformation and Christian spiritual formation.