Abstract

The purpose of this study is to examine the transformation in prospective primary school teachers’ perspectives on the teaching profession through learning activities designed based on the Transformative Learning Theory (TLT). The study was conducted with 16 pre-service teachers who held the view that the competencies required for the elementary teaching profession are not inherently challenging and that these competencies can be acquired through experience within the profession. In line with the needs analysis conducted for the participants, action plans aligned with the TLT were developed. Within the framework of these plans, efforts were made to transform the prospective teachers’ professional competencies and perspectives through critical reflection processes. Structured according to an action research design, this study utilized multiple data collection tools. The results of the research revealed that a transformation occurred in the perspectives of 15 participants regarding the teaching profession. It was demonstrated that there was a bidirectional interaction between professional competencies and professional perspectives throughout the process; prospective teachers who acquired competencies restructured their perspectives, and as a result of these changing perspectives, they became more motivated to develop their professional competencies. The findings indicate that TLT-based practices enhance the internal motivation of prospective teachers to discover new roles, pathways, and relationships. The study highlights that critical reflection is a fundamental skill for transformation and that activities supporting reflection and critique—which involve intensive interpersonal interaction—are necessary to develop this skill.

Keywords: Transformative learning, Perspective transformation, Teacher competencies, Professional perspective, Prospective primary school teachers

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Copyright © 2026 The Author(s). This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format, provided the original work is properly cited.

How to cite

Kalender, B., & İflazoğlu Saban, A. (2026). The transformation of prospective primary school teachers’ perspectives on the teaching profession through activities based on transformative learning theory in the context of the life studies course. Education and Science, 1-27. https://doi.org/10.15390/ES.2025.2693