Call for Papers: ZFHE 21/1 | Zeitschrift für Hochschulentwicklung (Journal for Higher Education Development)

Call for Papers for Issue 21/1

Transformative Learning in the Higher Education Context

Editors: Ingrid Geier, Robert Hummer, Sandra Milz (all PH Salzburg) & Alessandro Barberi (OVGU Magdeburg / University of Vienna)

Publication date: March 2026

About the topic

At a time when challenges such as social inequality, environmental degradation, and climate change are becoming increasingly acute, higher education institutions have a responsibility to contribute to addressing these issues. Especially in times of crisis, when many new courses must be set, it is crucial that universities enable independent and reflective anticipation of what is to come. Teacher training must also equip equip teachers with the appropriate skills and willingness to initiate change towards a sustainable and just future (most recently, for example, Ammerer et al., 2024).

Challenges of the type described above can be conceptually summarized under the term “key problems typical of the epoch” (Klafki, 1993; Novy et al., 2020). When it comes to critically and reflectively examining these challenges within the context of higher education institutions and thereby making them transformable, the concept of transformative learning (TL) plays a key role (e.g., Singer-Brodowski, 2016) . TL aims to make an educational contribution to a socio-ecological transformation of society (Eicker et al., 2020) that strives for a good life for all (Wintersteiner, 2021).

At the same time, it should be noted that TL has long since become an academic buzzword (EAEA, 2022), often based on different understandings. One of the most influential concepts in this context is that of Mezirow (1997, 2000, 2003). According to Mezirow, TL is primarily oriented toward individual perspectives of meaning and leads to a rethinking and changing of fundamental patterns of thought, values, and perspectives. In related discourses, TL is understood, for example, as an opportunity to solve social and ecological problems by actively letting go and unlearning mental structures, thereby leading to sustainable behaviors (O'Sullivan, 2002). This type of learning “asks us to continuously reflect on [...] our assumptions, values, and ways of seeing the world” (Chaves & Wals, 2018, p. 105) and aims to bring about a change in “socialized perspectives and ingrained routines” (Schneidewind & Singer-Brodowski, 2013, p. 229) through active engagement. At the same time, in the context of education for sustainable development (ESD), for example, the question arises as to how the associated normative demands can be dealt with professionally in teaching and learning processes (Rieckmann, 2021).

As the recent debate on the Whole University Approach (Wals, 2024) makes clear, TL has arrived as a topic at various university locations (e.g., the “House of Transformation” initiative at HTW Berlin). This makes it all the more important to reach a discursive understanding of terminology, target dimensions, potential effects, concepts, projects, and experiences—also taking into account the question of what can be derived from this for the initial and continuing education and training of teachers.

This is where the present call for the ZFHE special issue comes in. This special issue aims to identify the potential for transformative learning in the higher education context, explore the conditions for success, and put forward strategies for action for discussion. Questions from all disciplines can be addressed, provided they are relevant to the topic outlined above. These could include, for example, but are not limited to:

What is the current discourse on transformative learning (TL) in general and with regard to higher education in particular? How can TL be understood in theoretical and conceptual terms? What approaches can be identified in this context? How do existing approaches from areas such as ESD, democracy education, active citizenship education, or global learning relate to TL?
How can the conditions for the success of TL within existing educational structures be assessed? Where, in particular, is there scope for action for higher education institutions?
How can teacher professionalism be defined and systematized in the context of TL? What specific measures (e.g., in the area of different dimensions of knowledge or other relevant aspects of professional competence) are necessary in order to be able to professionally plan, structure, and implement transformative teaching and learning processes? structure, and implement transformative teaching and learning processes? Which factors can be considered favorable or unfavorable dispositions for teacher professionalism in the context of TL? What can be derived from the concept of TL for the initial, continuing, and further training of teachers?
Which conditions for success (e.g., framework conditions, supporting factors, principles of action) can be identified in the implementation of TL at the university level? Which (specific) teaching and learning methods and didactic approaches show particularly high potential for effectiveness in the context of TL? What are some examples of good or next practices?

Literature

Ammerer, H., Anglmayer-Geelhaar, M., Hummer, R., & Oppolzer, M. (Eds.). (2024). Utopias in the classroom. Theoretical locations – subject perspectives – practical examples. Salzburg Contributions to Teacher Education: Vol. 14. Waxmann.

Chaves, M., & Wals, A. (2018) . Chapter 5. The Nature of Transformative Learning for Social-Ecological Sustainability. In M. Krasny (Ed.), Grassroots to Global: Broader Impacts of Civic Ecology (pp. 105–123). Cornell University Press.

https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501714993-008

European Association for the Education of Adults (EAEA). (2022). Transformative learning and values: Background paper. https://eaea.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/EAEA-Background-paper_Transformative-Learning-and-Values-2022.pdf

Eicker, J., Eis, A., Holfelder, A.-K., Jacobs, S., Yume, S., & Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie (Eds.). (2020). Education shapes the future. Learning for social-ecological transformation?. Wochenschau.

Berlin University of Applied Sciences (n.d.). House of Transformation. https://projekte.htw-berlin.de/transfer/haus-der-transformation/

Klafki, W. (1993). General education today – Fundamentals of international education. Pädagogisches Forum, 1(1), 21–28.

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative adult education. Fundamentals of vocational and adult education: Vol. 10. Schneider.

Mezirow, J. (ed.). (2000). Learning as transformation: Critical perspectives on a theory in progress. Jossey-Bass.

Mezirow, J. (2003). Transformative Learning as Discourse. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(1), 58–63.

Novy, A., Bärnthaler, R., & Heimerl, V. (2020). Sustainable Business. Beltz Juventa.

O’Sullivan, E. (2002). The Project and Vision of Transformative Education. In E. O’Sullivan, A. Morrell & M. A. O’Connor (Eds.), Expanding the Boundaries of Transformative Learning (pp. 1–12). Palgrave Macmillan US.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-63550-4_1

Rieckmann, M. (2021). Reflection on education for sustainable development from an educational theory perspective. Religionspädagogische Beiträge. Journal for Religion in Education, 44(2), 5–16. https://doi.org/10.20377/rpb-153

Schneidewind, U., & Singer-Brodowski, M. (2013). Transformative Science: Climate Change in the German Science and Higher Education System. Metropolis.

Singer-Brodowski, M. (2016). Transformative education through transformative learning. On the necessity of an educational science foundation for a new idea. Waxmann.

Wals, A. (2024, October 24). A whole university approach to creating hopeful futures in times of urgency. [Online lecture]. Salzburg University of Education Stefan Zweig. Symposium Transformative Education in the Higher Education Context: Potential – Conditions for Success – Action Strategies, Salzburg, Austria.

Wintersteiner, W. (2021). Learning to rethink the world – A plea for planetary politics: Lessons from Corona and other existential crises. transcript.

About the journal

The ZFHE is a peer-reviewed online journal for scientific articles with practical relevance to current issues in higher education development. The focus is on didactic, structural, and cultural developments in teaching and learning. In particular, the journal addresses topics that can be described as innovative and still open in terms of their design options.

The ZFHE is published by a consortium of European scholars. Further information: https://www.zfhe.at.

Information on submission

Contributions can be submitted in three different formats in German or English:

A research contribution should meet the following criteria:

addresses a systematic question in trans-, inter- or multidisciplinary contexts;
has a research gap as its starting point;
is extensively embedded in scientific discourse;
has a robust methodological approach;
includes a reflection on the author's own work;
presents the research methodology;
uses a method that is well suited to answering the research question;
presents the scientific discourse in a reflective manner;
offers clearly recognizable added value or contribution to answering the research question or to the research discussion;
consistently follows relevant citation rules (APA style, current edition);
comprises between 20,000 and 33,000 characters (including spaces and cover page) and
bibliography and author information.

A research-led development contribution should meet the following criteria:

offers a university development perspective with a sound research basis;
Discusses and differentiates a systematic problem of teaching development;
Is a scientifically reflective “institutional research” contribution;
Is supported by a literature review;
Clearly addresses the communication between science and practice and/or the connection between the two poles of “research and development”;
consistently follows relevant citation rules (APA style, current edition);
comprises between 20,000 and 33,000 characters (including spaces and cover page);
literature and author references.

A development contribution should meet the following criteria:

addresses a specific problem of university development in the (own) university;
practical desideratum;
is embedded in scientific discussion and literature (but without claiming to provide an overview of the literature);
offers suggestions for teaching and university development, with recommendations for action where appropriate;
follows a systematic and transparent presentation (e.g., no incomprehensible references to specifics and details in a field of practice);
elaborates on generalizable aspects and factors in the sense of theory formation;
clear transfer considerations;
research desiderata are named;
consistently follows relevant citation rules (APA style, current edition);
comprises between 20,000 and 33,000 characters (including spaces and cover page;
literature and author references.

Schedule

August 20, 2025 – Deadline for submission of the complete article: Upload your articles in anonymized form to the ZFHE journal system (https://www.zfhe.at) under the appropriate heading (research article, research-led development article, development article) of issue 21/1; to do this, you must first register as an “author” in the system.

September/October 2025 – Feedback/reviews: All contributions will be evaluated in a double-blind process (see below).

December 2025 – Deadline for revisions: If necessary, contributions can be revised by the authors by this date in accordance with the criticism and recommendations from the reviews.

March 2026 – Publication: In March 2026, the finalized contributions will be published at https://www.zfhe.at and will also be available as a print publication.

Review process

All submitted contributions will be reviewed for scientific quality in a double-blind peer review process. The editors of each issue will propose reviewers for the respective thematic focus and assign the individual contributions to the reviewers; they will also decide on the acceptance of the contributions. The selection of reviewers and the review process for each issue are supervised by a member of the editorial board.

Formatting and submission

In order to save valuable time when formatting articles, we would like to ask all authors to use the style template available for download on the ZFHE website from the outset:

https://www.zfhe.at/userupload/ ZFHE_20-3_TEMPLATE_en.docx

https://www.zfhe.at/userupload/ZFHE_20-3_TEMPLATE_en.docx

Texts must be editable and available in formats such as Microsoft Word (.doc), Office Open XML (.docx), Open Document Text (.odt), or plain text (.txt); please do not submit PDF files. The contributions are initially required in anonymized form to ensure the double-blind review process. To do this, please remove all references to the authors from the document (including in the document properties!). Once the review has been approved, this information will be reinserted.

Any questions?

If you have any questions regarding content, please contact

Dr. Ingrid Geier (ingrid.geier@phsalzburg.at),

MMag. Robert Hummer (robert.hummer@phsalzburg.at),

Dr. Sandra Milz (sandra.milz@phsalzburg.at)

and

Dr. Alessandro Barberi (office@zfhe.at)

We look forward to receiving your submission!

Ingrid Geier, Robert Hummer, Sandra Milz, and Alessandro Barberi (Eds.)

______________________________________________________________________________

Call for Papers for issue 21/1 (English version)

Special Issue: Transformative Learning in Higher Education

Editors: Ingrid Geier, Robert Hummer, Sandra Milz (Salzburg University of Education)

Publication date: March 2026

Main Topic

Inequality, environmental degradation, and climate change are increasingly urgent challenges, and institutions of higher education bear a particular responsibility to help solve these pressing issues. Especially in times of crisis—when new paths must be charted—universities must empower students to critically and independently anticipate future developments. In teacher education, this means equipping future educators with the skills, mindsets, and readiness to initiate change toward a sustainable and just future (see, most recently, Ammerer et al., 2024).

Such challenges may be conceptually framed as epoch-typical key problems (Klafki, 1993; Novy et al., 2020). The concept of transformative learning (TL) is central to critically and reflectively engaging with these challenges within higher education and thereby enabling transformative responses (e.g., Singer-Brodowski, 2016). TL is considered a means of contributing to the socio-ecological transformation of society—one that seeks to promote a “good life” for all (Eicker et al., 2020; Wintersteiner, 2021).

At the same time, it must be acknowledged that transformative learning has become something of an academic buzzword (EAEA, 2022), often used with varying interpretations. One of the most influential theoretical frameworks is that of Jack Mezirow (1997, 2000, 2003), who conceptualizes TL as a process primarily focused on the transformation of individual meaning perspectives. In this view, TL involves a critical reassessment and reconfiguration of fundamental assumptions, values, and worldviews.

In related discussions, TL is also seen as a pathway for addressing social and ecological issues—by intentionally “letting go” of outdated mental models and engaging in processes of unlearning (O'Sullivan, 2002). As Chaves and Wals (2018, p. 105) put it, this type of learning “asks us to continuously reflect on [...] our assumptions, values, and ways of seeing the world.” It seeks to shift deeply socialized perspectives and entrenched routines through critical reflection and active engagement (Schneidewind & Singer-Brodowski, 2013, p. 229) . Within the framework of Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), this raises important questions about how such normative demands can be professionally and productively addressed within teaching and learning processes (Rieckmann, 2021).

As the recent debate on the Whole Institution Approach (Wals, 2024) demonstrates, transformative learning (TL) has become an established topic at numerous higher education institutions—such as the “House of Transformation” initiative at HTW Berlin. This growing visibility underscores the need for a shared discourse that clarifies key terms, goals, expected impacts, theoretical frameworks, practical projects, and lived experiences—particularly with regard to what implications can be drawn for initial teacher education, as well as continuing and in-service professional development.

This is where the present call for contributions to the ZFHE special issue comes in. The goal of this issue is to illuminate the potential of transformative learning within higher education settings, examine the conditions that support its successful implementation, and present actionable strategies for reflection and further discussion. Contributions from all disciplines are welcome, provided they engage meaningfully with the overarching theme. Without aiming to be exhaustive, possible guiding questions include:

What is the current state of discourse on transformative learning (TL), both in general and specifically within higher education?
How can TL be theoretically conceptualized? What diverse approaches exist, and how do they relate to one another? How can concepts from adjacent fields—such as Education for Sustainable Development (ESD), democratic education, active citizenship education, or global learning—be connected to or distinguished from TL?
What are the structural and institutional conditions that support or hinder TL in higher education?
In particular, what room for maneuvering exists within the university as an institution? How can teacher professionalism be defined and systematized within the context of TL? What forms of concretization—e.g., in terms of types of knowledge or relevant aspects of professional competence—are necessary to effectively design, facilitate, and evaluate transformative teaching and learning processes? Which factors serve as enablers or barriers to professional practice in the context of TL? What implications can be drawn for the initial and continuing education of teachers?
What conditions for success—such as structural frameworks, enabling conditions, or guiding principles—can be identified for the implementation of TL at the university level?
Which specific teaching and learning methods, or didactic models, have proven particularly effective for fostering TL? What do good practice—or next practice—examples look like?

References

Ammerer, H., Anglmayer-Geelhaar, M., Hummer, R., & Oppolzer, M. (Eds.). (2024). Utopias in the classroom. Theoretical locations—subject perspectives—practical examples. Salzburg contributions to teacher education: Vol. 14. Waxmann.

Chaves, M., & Wals, A. (2018). Chapter 5. The Nature of Transformative Learning for Social-Ecological Sustainability. In M. Krasny (Ed.), Grassroots to Global: Broader Impacts of Civic Ecology (pp. 105–123). Cornell University Press.

https://doi.org/10.7591/9781501714993-008

Eicker, J., Eis, A., Holfelder, A.-K., Jacobs, S., Yume, S., & Konzeptwerk Neue Ökonomie (Eds.). (2020). Education shapes the future. Learning for social and ecological transformation?. Wochenschau.

Berlin University of Applied Sciences (n.d.). House of Transformation. https://projekte.htw-berlin.de/transfer/haus-der-transformation/

Klafki, W. (1993). General education today – Fundamentals of international education. Pädagogisches Forum, 1(1), 21–28.

Mezirow, J. (1997). Transformative Adult Education. Fundamentals of Vocational and Adult Education: Vol. 10. Schneider.

Mezirow, J. (Ed.). (2000). Learning as Transformation: Critical Perspectives on a Theory in Progress. Jossey-Bass.

Mezirow, J. (2003). Transformative Learning as Discourse. Journal of Transformative Education, 1(1), 58–63.

Novy, A., Bärnthaler, R., & Heimerl, V. (2020). Sustainable Business. Beltz Juventa.

https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-349-63550-4_1

Schneidewind, U., & Singer-Brodowski, M. (2013). Transformative Science: Climate Change in the German Science and Higher Education System. Metropolis.

Singer-Brodowski, M. (2016). Transformative Education through Transformative Learning. On the Necessity of an Educational Science Foundation for a New Idea. Waxmann.

Wintersteiner, W. (2021). Learning to rethink the world – A plea for planetary politics: Lessons from Corona and other existential crises. transcript.

Notes on the Journal

ZFHE – Journal for Research in Higher Education is a peer-reviewed, open-access online journal that publishes scholarly articles with practical relevance to current challenges in higher education development. The journal focuses on didactic, structural, and cultural innovations in teaching and learning. It particularly welcomes contributions that address forward-looking topics with open-ended or experimental design possibilities.

ZFHE is published by a consortium of European scholars.

Further information is available at: https://www.zfhe.at

Information on Submission

Manuscripts may be submitted in either German or English and in one of the following three formats:

1. Research Contribution

A research contribution should meet the following criteria:

Addresses a systematic question within transdisciplinary, interdisciplinary, or discipline-specific contexts;
Begins with a clearly defined research gap;
Is thoroughly embedded in the relevant academic discourse;
Applies a sound methodological approach;
Reflects on the author’s own research process;
Clearly presents the research design and methodology;
Utilizes methods that are well suited to answering the research question;
Engages critically with the academic discourse;
Offers a clear added value or contribution to the scholarly discussion;
Adheres consistently to APA style (current edition);

Has a length of 20,000–33,000 characters (including spaces, cover page, references, and author information).

2. Research-Led Development Contribution

A research-led development contribution should meet the following criteria:

Offers a perspective on higher education development grounded in solid research;
Examines a clearly defined issue in teaching development;
Represents a scientifically grounded form of institutional research;
Includes a literature-based foundation;
Demonstrates a clear connection between theory and practice and/or research and development;
Adheres consistently to APA style (current edition);
Has a length of 20,000–33,000 characters (including spaces, cover page, references, and author information).

3. Development Contribution

A development contribution should meet the following criteria:

Addresses a specific issue related to higher education development within the contributor’s own institution;
Responds to a practical need;
Is embedded in relevant academic discourse, though without the expectation of a full literature review;
Provides practical recommendations for teaching and institutional development where appropriate;
Follows a systematic and transparent structure (e.g., avoids vague references to internal specifics);
Identifies generalizable elements that contribute to theory-building;
Includes clear considerations for transferability;
Identifies research gaps;
Adheres consistently to APA style (current edition);
Has a length of 20,000–33,000 characters (including spaces, cover page, references, and author information).

Schedule

August 20, 2025 – Submission deadline: Please upload your anonymized full article via the ZFHE online journal system at https://www.zfhe.at, selecting the appropriate section (Research Contribution, Research-Led Development Contribution, or Development Contribution) for issue 21/1. Prior to submission, authors must register in the system as an “Author:in.”
September–October 2025 – Peer review process: All submissions will be evaluated through a double-blind peer review process (see below).
December 15, 2025 – Revision deadline: If applicable, authors may revise their submissions in response to reviewer comments by this date.
March 2026 – Publication: Finalized contributions will be published online at https://www.zfhe.at and will also be available in print.

Review Process

All submitted manuscripts undergo a double-blind peer review to assess their academic quality. The editors of the respective issue will propose reviewers for the thematic focus and assign individual contributions accordingly. Final decisions regarding acceptance are made by the editorial team. The review process is overseen by a member of the ZFHE Editorial Board to ensure quality and transparency.

Formatting and Submission Guidelines

To streamline the editing and publication process, we kindly ask all authors to use the official ZFHE formatting template from the outset. Templates are available for download here:

https://www.zfhe.at/userupload/ZFHE_20-3_TEMPLATE_de.docx

https://www.zfhe.at/userupload/ZFHE_20-3_TEMPLATE_en.docx

Submissions must be provided in an editable file format: Microsoft Word (.doc or .docx), Open Document Text (.odt), or Plain Text (.txt). PDF files will not be accepted.

Please ensure that your manuscript is fully anonymized before submission to maintain the integrity of the double-blind review process. This includes removing author names and affiliations from both the manuscript text and the document properties. Author details will be reinserted following acceptance.

Questions?

For questions related to content, feel free to contact the guest editors:

Dr. Ingrid Geier (ingrid.geier@phsalzburg.at),

Robert Hummer (robert.hummer@phsalzburg.at),

Dr. Sandra Milz (sandra.milz@phsalzburg.at)

and

Dr. Alessandro Barberi (office@zfhe.at)

We look forward to receiving your contribution!

Ingrid Geier, Robert Hummer, Sandra Milz and Alessandro Barberi (Eds.)