TARGETED CHANGE IN THE MENTALITY OF COMMUNITIES THROUGH TRANSFORMATIVE ADULT LEARNING

Abstract

The relevance of the study is driven by the need to transform the mentality of human resources of Ukraine to introduce the reform of decentralisation of power and to create capable amalgamated territorial communities. The paper explains the specifics of the implementation of the programmes of transformative adult learning for a targeted change in the mentality of communities. For this purpose, the reengineering programme “Aware Residents is a Strong Community” was developed (using the theories of transformative adult learning, institutional matrices and progressive capitalism) and carried out among 200 local leaders and 800 residents of territories where the Kosmatska and Yabluniv ATCs were to be created, according to the Government’s Perspective Plan. The content of the programme was justified, and the effectiveness of its implementation was proved based on the results of the pre-project and follow-up sociological surveys through questioning all categories of adults with a sample size of 400 people selected using the methods of sociological analysis. The research revealed that the transformative adult learning, which involves a duality approach of individual and collective learning and community engagement approach, is an effective tool for introducing targeted changes in the human mentality according to the criteria of the Western institutional matrix. Therefore the findings can be used when implementing educational projects and programmes aimed at the reformation of public administration and the introduction of democratic governance.

Keywords

• transformative adult learning
• mentality
• reengineering programme
• amalgamated territorial communities
• aware residents