Conceptualizing and Measuring Student Transformation in International Education With a Quantitative Assessment

Educators often refer to international education as a transformative learning experience. But what does transformative learning mean in this context, and how can we document at a large scale when it is occurring? This study explores those questions using quantitative data from international education programs. Key dimensions of transformative learning outcomes are identified using Hogan’s (2016) framework and empirically tested using a validated instrument that is frequently used in international education, the Beliefs, Events, and Values Inventory (BEVI). The findings reveal statistically significant relationships across TL outcome dimensions, suggesting that transformative learning represents a network of changes involving multiple aspects of deep self formation. It is the synchronization between changes in those outcome dimensions that makes transformative learning unique and powerful. This study provides an intuitive yet innovative way of understanding and measuring transformative learning in international education.