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H E N T   N E W S

Holistic Education Network Tasmania, Australia

 April 9th, 2005         Send this email to a friend

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Issue 14: Integral Theory - Part 2

Making Sense of the Complexity of Student Development

There are many developmental models indicating the various stages of growth from young adolescence through adulthood. Different theorists (eg Piaget, Kohlberg, Erikson, Loevinger, Egan, Kegan... ) have put forward models with multiple lines of development in areas such as the cognitive, ego, moral, social, art, worldview and spiritual.

Integral theorists (see previous newsletter) have suggested there may be up to 20 lines of development. These include many of Gardner’s multiple intelligences: Verbal/Linguistic, Logic/Mathematical, Visual/Spatial, Music/Rhythmic, Interpersonal, Intrapersonal, Body/Kinesthetic, Naturalist, Existential/Spiritual.

How can we make sense of all these models? Various stages of development can be represented on a 4 Quadrant Integral Map as concentric circles with early developmental stages in the centre and learners progressing outward along different developmental lines.

The following map uses the generic developmental stages of pre-conventional,   conventional, post-conventional and ego-centric, ethno-centric, world-centric. Each individual learner will have a unique developmental profile with lines at different stages.

http://www.hent.org/world/rss/files/integral/quad_stages2.gif

 

Some Developmental
Stage Theories

Jean Piaget –
Cognitive stages           

  1. Sensory Motor
  2. Preoperational
  3. Concrete Operations
  4. Formal Operations

Lawrence Kohlberg –
Moral judgment stages

  1. Magic wish
  2. Punishment/obedience
  3. Naïve hedonism
  4. Approval of others
  5. Law and order
  6. Prior rights/social contract
  7. Universal -ethical/spiritual

Abraham Maslow –
Needs stages

  1. Psychological
  2. Safety
  3. Belongingness
  4. Self-esteem
  5. Self-actualisation
  6. Self-transcendence

Robert Kegan - 
Self development stages          

  1. Incorporative
  2. Impulsive
  3. Imperial
  4. Interpersonal
  5. Formal-institutional
  6. Postformal-interindividual

See how these map to generic stages

Integral Theory and Transformative Learning

Development of lines through stages can be seen as in-form-ational (within a structure/form/perspective/stage) and trans-form-ational (a transition from one structure/form/perspective/stage to another).

Learning within a stage (also called translation or flourishing) gives the deeper understanding (scaffolding) that is necessary before a sustained transformation to the next stage is possible.


http://www.hent.org/world/rss/files/integral/quad_stages3sm.gif

Transformative Learning

 “... we transform frames of reference - our own and those of others - by becoming critically reflective them of their assumptions and aware of their context… Assumptions on which habits of mind and related points of view are predicated may be epistemological, logical, ethical, psychological, ideological, social, cultural, economic, political, ecological, scientific, or spiritual, or may pertain to other aspects of experience.”

"Transformative learning refers to transforming a problematic frame of reference to make it more dependable ... by generating opinions and interactions that are more justified. We become critically reflective of those beliefs that become problematic.”
  

Mezirow, Jack et al. (2000) Learning as Transformation


 

Integral Theory and Holistic Education

Holistic educators are interested in a wide range of student developmental lines - cognitive, ethic/moral, interpersonal, self/ego, creativity and spirituality being just a few. An integral approach could

  • make some sense of the plethora of existing models
  • facilitate individual student pathway planning
  • inform the design of learning programs
  • assist classroom teachers with tools for students at different stages

Transformative learning involves moving from one developmental stage to the next. An integral perspective can

  • assist both students and teacher understanding of the process
  • provide strategies and tools to ease transition to the next stage
  • help to balance development across the quadrants

 

www.hent.org

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and an international holistic education discussion list

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