Working with at Risk Children: A Model for Transformative

Learning

Kartika Bayu Primasanti, Hariyanto

Faculty of Teacher Education, Petra Christian University, Surabaya, Indonesia

Keywords: Transformative learning model; at risk children group; children education.

Abstract: This article presents a model for transformative learning. The model was conceptualized from a sustainable

experiential learning of a student-teacher group from a private university in Surabaya and literatures on

transformative learning theory and teaching the at risk children group. This paper exemplifies how the

model was used to guide the selected student teachers to experience transformative learning as well as to

initiate it to the community. This is a descriptive report based on a sixmonth observation and journals of

practical work of the student teacher group. This study was observing how the model developed effectively.

The researchers found that this model benefited both the adult learners and the at risk community. For the

student teacher group, this process was not only equipped them to develop related knowledge and practical

skill but also a sensitivity to continue serving the at risk communities in various levels. Meanwhile for the

community, this model has helped them to see various alternatives in pursuing meaningful life inspired by

the work of the student teacher group.

1 INTRODUCTION

In Indonesia, teachers’ quality considered low.

Compared to the 14 developing countries in the

world, the teacher’s quality in Indonesia is in the

14th place (Yunus, 2017). Many professionals in

education field recognize the need for competency

that allow educators to establish their vision on

teaching exceeding other skills. There should be a

repertoar to facilitate student teachers develop their

vision on teaching through the whole learning

process. Without experiencing transformation in

their view, they will not able to depict the vision of

teaching and sense the difference between learning

and not learning. Thus, in the Indonesia context,

transformative learning program is important to

inspire, to test, and to prepare a student teachers for

their teaching career as a calling.

Learning becomes transformative when the

learner does not only acquires a skill or knowledge,

but also experiences a profound effect on one’s

notion of self and relationship with society (Qi and

Veblen, 2016) One of the society groups which will

be the most influential community for student

teachers to learn is at risk children group.

Marginalized children in Indonesia have invited

the world attention recently. The child poverty study

conducted by The 2012 Bappenas-SMERU-

UNICEF indicated that around 44.3 million children

are affected by poverty, living on less than two

dollars per day (The Indonesian Story, 2011). It is

believed that the issue is rooted in educational

problem. The government has taken step toward the

educational problem of marginalized children by

focusing most on the partnership program with other

countries or non profit organization on children

education. In their current work, The Unicef Basic

Education and Gender Equality (BEGE) is also

focusing the program on supporting the

marginalized children group in various levels of

education (Thematic Report, 2011). In Indonesia,

the problem of at risk children is worse in urban

setting. Unicef stated that marginalized children in

urban setting is less well than in rural counterparts.

The researchers was attracted by the impact

urban marginalized children experience after the

closure of ‘red area distric’ called Gang Dolly – the

largest prostitution area in Indonesia. Children of

this group have experienced several traumas. The

main trauma was caused by the conflict raised in the

closure. The children were there and saw the conflict

between the pro and the con parties. It was followed

by the abandonment raised by the absent of the

parents who need to find another job for their life.

Primasanti, K. and Hariyanto, .

Working with at Risk Children: A Model for Transformative Learning.

DOI: 10.5220/0009017100002297

In Proceedings of the Borneo International Conference on Education and Social Sciences (BICESS 2018), pages 96-101

ISBN: 978-989-758-470-1

Moreover, these children also experienced

psychological trauma by seeing the prostitution type

of bussiness from the early age (Winamo, 2014).

The Cahaya Mentari Center for Crisis in Dolly

stated that from 2006-2014 there were 397 cases of

child abuse in Gang Dolly. Eighty one cases

happened in the family, 45 others were physical

abuse. Some of Indonesian national newpaper wrote

that children were forced to work on the street as

well as beggars. Other cases were human trafficking

and child pornography. Early children were also

involved in smoking, physical, psychological, and

sexual abuse.

This manuscript explored an approach to student

teacher education that engaged students in

potentially transformative learning experiences in

the context of a college classroom. The course was

designed to engage students in a transformational

learning process through extensive and intensive

interactions with at risk children group in the ex ‘red

area’ in Surabaya called ‘Gang Dolly’. Using

qualitative approach, changes in student dispositions

towards at risk children, as well as student

perceptions of their own self were examined..

2 LITERATURE STUDI

2.1 The Social Emancipatory

Approach

As formerly proposed by (Celleja, 2014) which

benefit themselves, society, and their creator. Later,

Cranton regenerated Mezirow’s notion and defined

transformative learning as “process by which people

examine problematic frames of reference to make

them more inclusive, discriminating, open,

reflective, and emotionally able to change”

(Cranton, 2016). Thus, the fruit of transformative

learning is individual development which leads one

into deeper relationship with any subject or object

she or he interacts with.

As the theory developed, Taylor has established

several conceptions of transformative learning:

psychocritical, psychoanalytical,

psychodevelopmental, social emancipatory,

neurobiological, cultural-spiritual, race-centric, and

planetary perspectives of transformative learning

(Taylor, 2008). Among the various approaches, the

critical differences are in the purpose of

transformation and the underline on either individual

or social change. This study was based on the social

emancipatory approach, which rooted in the work of

Paulo Freire. The goal of this approach is social

transformation which leads the oppressed

community develops its critical consciousnes. The

author used this approach for describing the data,

which joted down from social activities.

2.2 Transformative Learning Model

On the basis of his reasearch regarding women who

return to college after a long period, Mezirow

proposed ten phases of transformative learning.

However, on the practical level, those ten phases has

to meet the context where participants lives. After

the work of Mezirow, many authors tried to

proposed various model of transformative learning

according to the context. Hoggan and Cranton

proposed a narrative model of transformative

learning which use literature (Hoggan, Cranton,

2015). They believed that narrative literature provide

a wide range of text for students to learn and

experience transformation. The result of their study

showed that using narrative literature, there would

be promoting change, new perspectives and fosters

critical reflections. In addition, the study presented

the connection with personal experiences, emotional

responses, and role models in the story.

Keen and Wood studied activating event for

transformative learning in a very specific context,

which was a prison for marginalized children (Keen

and Woods, 2016). They interviewed 13 educators

which involve in the events. The research study

showed that educators’ response to unplanned

activating events, humor, and respect, and being a

role model, and counselor have been significant

factor to foster transformative learning in such

classroom. In addition, Dirkx, Mezirow, and

Cranton proposed that the model to facilitating

transformative learning in the classroom are not

heavily relying on instrumental learning and

curriculum package but also by challenging

students’ meaning schemes and frame of reference

(Keen and Woods, 2016).. Moreover, the students

who live under oppression, poverty, or living in a

prison institution need to be understood in regard of

their whole live experience. Thus, they would sense

an appropriate educational practice and actively

resisting social and cultural forces, which limit them

to learn.

The Singleton’s study was one which close to

this research study. Singleton called her model as

Head, Heart, and Hands Model for Transformative

Learning (Singleton, 2015). This model is a holistic

approach in developing ecoliteracy. It showed the

holistic nature of transformative experience and

related the cognitive area (head), the affective area

Working with at Risk Children: A Model for Transformative Learning

(heart), and the psychomotor area (hands). This

model proposed that a transformative learning

should touch the three areas, which lead individual

to experience a change in life. This study conducted

in the context of environmental behavior.

Another contextual model presented through a

research study was the STAR (McAllister, 2011).

This model was implemented in the nursing

education in Australia. The model used specific

curriculum and the support from educators to foster

the Sensitivity, Taking action, and Reflection toward

the nursing education students. The estimation of

transformative learning for nursing understudies lies

in its capacity to stir them to issues of play that

prompt and maintain wellbeing disparities and to

expert bit in them basic reasoning and addressing of

already held presumptions, convictions, qualities,

and points of view, with the goal that they might be

a piece of fundamental change.

2.3 Education for the At Risk Children

The risk lies with children who lives under poverty,

in a ‘red district’ area, who may have meager home

support structure, homeless, hungry, ill, or have to

work (Tratchman, 1991). Those children are usually

left behind at their school or even can not go to

school. In 1991, Tratchman conducted a study

regarding how child care take care of the children

from the at risk group. The study showed that the

children were experiencing abuse in the child care.

Therefore, the study proposed a need to collaborate

early childhood education into a child care program.

Coulton and Pandey studied a group of at risk

children in urban area in Cleaveland, USA

(Counlton and Pandey, 1992). They suggested that

even though area with concentrated poverty differ in

their history, demographic characteristics, and social

conditions, it was true that children living in this

type of area are suffer from health and

developmental problem.

Nabors, et al studied that children in urban area

who experience homelessness also suffer from

mental health problem, which lead to school and

health problems as well (Nabors, Weist, Woest,

et.all, 2004). During a summer camp program, there

was a mental and physical health prevention

program for this group of children. The study

showed that children from homeless family had

participated in the counseling program more often

than others from low-income family. It suggested

that the mental health problem was very serious in

the homeless kids community who at risk of school

failure.

3 METHODOLOGY

The research was a descriptive study, with the data

collected from adult learners from student teachers

at Elementary Education Department, Petra

Christian University, Surabaya. The case of teaching

children in the ex prostitution area called “Gang

Dolly” was used to illustrate the adult learning

process with the embedded analysis of individual

and collective learning units (Creswell, 1998; Yin

2009). The transformative learning class to work

with children in the area seeks to mobilize the

communities in providing early learning center. The

data was collected in August of 2017; it involved

document analysis, interviews, and observation (;

Yin 2009). Sixteen student-teachers were asked to

write a reflection journal regarding their experience

in the program. Multiple sources allowed data

triangulation thus increasing the credibility of the

research (Bryman, 2012). The validity of the study

was established through data triangulation and the

chain of evidence confirmed by the 16 participants..

4 FINDING AND DISCUSSION

Taylor stated that from the social emancipatory

approach the participant of transformative learning

program should experience social transformation

(Taylor and Cranton, 2012). In this study, the

researchers classified two groups which involving

the program: 1. The student teacher group as the

participants; 2. The parent community which was

the target of the social transformation. From the data

collection through journalling and observatory

participant observation, the researchers witnessed

that the process of social transformation began from

the shift happened to the student teacher group

which initiate change in the community.

Cranton proposed several questions to addressed

whether one experience a transformative learning

thorugh a sustainable planned activity or not

((Cranton, 2016). Some of her indicators were the

psychological development, view of social level, and

respons to critical questions. These three indicators

were addressed through an instruction given for the

student teacher group in writing their journal while

doing their field work in the ‘red area’. First, the

students were asked to describe their condition over

six months before the field work. Second, they wrote

a journal addressing their psychological

development, their view of social levels, and

responding some critical incident questions.

BICESS 2018 - Borneo International Conference On Education And Social

4.1 The Past Lead to Disorienting

Dilemma

Mezirow suggested that transformative learning

involved a critical reflection which will change

one’s view. It started with disorienting dilemma,

which prompts basic reflection (Cranton, 2016).

Then, it led to a viewpoint transformation, which the

individual follows up on. Perplexing issues

influenced grown-up students in a wide range of

ways and effected the performance of the person.

Since the short-time impacts on students were

frequently unfavorable, numerous grown-ups were

hesitant to promote their training because of the

difficulties and stress included. In this study, the

researchers created a moment for the student to think

about themselves and the at risk children through a

seminar session as the first phase of the

transformative learning class. In this class, the

professor presented various negative impact on

children caused by the prostitution practice in the

‘red area’ called Gang Dolly. After a seminar

session, the professor asked the student teacher

group to visit the community. The next session was

a moment to describe how they see themselves six

months before the visit. Mejiuni on worldwide and

community based transformative learning presumed

that community-based transformative learning start

with the individual and after that moves to social and

community change (Taylor and Cranton, 2012).

The sixteen student teachers presented three

categories of tone in describing their past six months

condition. The first category fell into the negatif

view of self. All the 16 respondents stated that they

saw their ‘past six months self’ as negative

individuals. Some stated that they were left behind

because they came from remote areas of Indonesia.

Some said that they were still struggling with their

calling as student teachers; thus, they felt weired to

be in the community. Half of the respondents stated

that they were egocentric. They were only thinking

about themselves. Some others admitted that they

just wanted to achieve good grade so that they were

not really care for others.

The second categories were only three

participants with high self confidence who thought

that they should had not been in this community.

They thought that they deserve a better place to

learn. These student teachers felt that they were

better in various ways than others. They thought that

their ideas were better because they had experiences

in teaching. The group of students with this positive

self image were from urban area. In addition, the

third category were those who felt that being in the

community was a gift given to them. Thus, it

revealed a need to give thanks and do something for

the community. The respondents stated this view

were those came from the remote area where their

previous places were considered left behind.

These three categories of students teachers’ view

of their past showed that there were disorienting

dillema initiating the process of transformative

learning as suggested by Mezirow (Cranton, 2016).

This disorienting dillema were not only negative but

also an awarenes of over positive view of one’s self.

This leads the student teachers to experience the

further phases of transformative learning.

Roberts showed that disorenting dilemma could

have both positive and negative impact on the

participants’ performance (Roberts, 2006). In the

study, for participants who felt struggle with their

past and saw an enlightment, they could go through

the next phase of transformative learning. For those

who thought they were good enough and needed no

change, they would face difficulty in the next phase

of the transformative learning process.

4.2 Psychological Development

Jung saw that the purpose of psychological

development as being to differentiate ourselves from

the collective of humanity (Cranton, 2016). Jung

added that psychological development helped one to

differenciate oneself from others. In the journals,

student teachers were asked to describe what they

learn about themselves regarding how they see their

self concept, the skills, the finding of themselves,

their perception of themselve, and their feeling

toward the process of teaching the at risk children.

Despite of seeing themselves from a psychological

type (introversion vs extraversion), the responses for

this indicator fall into two perspectives: 1. Relate

themselves as God’s creation; 2. Present themselves

as mature individuals.

The first category was those who see themselves

as unique creation of God. One respondent stated, “I

realize that I was made by God unique with my

goodness and my weakness.” The others believed

that they were created in God’s image as Christians

believe. Thus, they see themselves experience

improvement because they grow in the image of

God. Therefore, they would like to give their lives to

work in the field God want them to be. The second

category was those who see themselves as developed

human being. They admitted that there were maturity

grow in them so that they possess a new character,

such as to be giving than given, think about priority,

and understanding more about their vulnerability.

Working with at Risk Children: A Model for Transformative Learning

In terms of skills, all of the respondents admit

that through the learning process they possessed new

skill they never thought before. Those skills were

communication and collaboration. Some students

stated that it was a struggle for them to interact with

children, moreover those who are not well educated.

Through the experience in the field, they learn to

know the children more than to manage their

behavior. Knowing the children was more important

than an effort to manage the children’s behavior

which often make the participant tired. Therefore,

before they interacted with any kids from the

community, they tried to remember the backgound of

the children and tried to understand. This basic

knowledge helped the participant to interact healthier

than before.

The second skill they developed was

collaboration skill. The transformative learning

project instructed the student teacher groups to plan

the lesson and design the learning process for the

kids. Thus, they had to collaborate with other

students to think and share their ideas. According to

some students, this phase was not easy because not

all students have the same thought. They needed to

discuss, involve in conflicts, and solve the problem

together. That was how the collaboration skill

developed.

The data showed that there were two

classification in describing the finding. First was

those who realize that they were very vulnerable.

Second, they found that they were on the stairs of

development.

In the perception sub indicator, all the participants

agreed that they were learners who love to do

something practical than theoretical. They loved to

be able to sense the problem and solve them. They

enjoyed working in the field than sitting in the class.

They were craving of new method of teaching using

aids and introducing new challenge. They admited

that they like to talk than to think and write.

Regarding the feeling grew when they were in the

field, all the participants stated that they love to be in

the field because it taught them the meaningful life

they posses more than the teaching practice itself.

Few of the participants who admitted that their past

was good enough and did not see any enlightment in

the first phase of the class program were

experiencing disorienting dilemma in this phase.

They felt that the background of the at risk

community and the practical work with the at risk

kids helped them to sense the vulnerability of human

being. This phase was where a tension of emotion

and rationality emerged in the transformative

learning process (Taylor and Cranton, 2012). It drove

them to give thanks to what they have now. The

student teacher group admitted that they see

themselves from a new perspective, which was as

God unique creation. Then, this perspective led them

to develop their skill and knowlege to serve the at

risk community.

4.3 The New View Led by Critical

Incidents

In the view of social level indicator, the researchers

asked the student teachers to mention what they see

in the social environment which move their heart.

All the participants highlighted the effect of social

environment in the live of the children. They

realized that such a community had develop a

negative impact for the children, especially in their

psychological aspect. A participant stated that what

the parents of the community were doing influenced

the unwell condition of the children today. Because

the kids saw practice of prostitution all their lives,

those activities considered natural norm for them.

They never saw any other alternatives in their lives

which help them to know that the prostitution

practice was morally negative. Therefore, in the

view of social level, the participants proposed that

all the parents need to give the best education for the

kids to subtitute the ‘dark’ period the children have

experienced in the past.

The shift of paradigm which followed by the

attitude change and the development of knowledge

were lead by several critical incidents. All

participants experience incidents which motivated

them to grow, such as when they were teaching the

children. Another moment let them fall in a distance

with the course which led them to have a moment to

think and grow. They felt that when they were

discussing the material they should deliver to the

kids, they often neglected by the group. In addition,

the theoretical perspective given in the class after the

field work session has made them less interested.

5 CONCLUSIONS

This study explored a model of transformative

learning based on teaching experience in the at risk

children community. The course was designed to

engage students in a transformational learning

process through extensive and intensive interactions

with at risk children group in the ex ‘red area’ in

Surabaya called ‘Gang Dolly’. This study showed

that the model of teaching at risk children in urban

area impacted the transformation began from the

BICESS 2018 - Borneo International Conference On Education And Social

100

student teacher as individual, which then influence

the community.

The few participants from urban area needed a

longer time to involve in disorienting dilemma

phase; while those from remote area were

considered faster. The disorienting dilemma could

be by hearing a story about the at risk children or by

involving directly in the community.

The participants admitted that the critical

incidents which helped them to reflect on what they

believe in the past was the moment when they

interacted with the children directly in the

community. However, some stated that the moment

when they had to argue with the group in preparing

the work was the incident which led them to change

their view of others. These moments lead the student

teacher group to dig deeper into the life of the at risk

children. They were making friend and talking to the

family. They did personal counseling for the kids

and sensed that this kid group had experienced

psychological trauma of the prostitution practice.

This drove the student teacher group to think that the

at risk children group was matter. Thus, some of the

participants committed to take part in continuing to

serve this community. By this initiative, the parents

of the at risk children group get helped and felt that

they were precious. This view motivated them to

involve in the continuous program arranged by the

student teacher group..

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