Transformative Learning in Scouting: Mechanisms of Character Formation through Critical Reflection and Experience
Keywords:
mechanism-based model, transformative learning, experiential learning, positive youth development, character formation, youth developmentAbstract
Character formation among youth remains one of the most pressing yet insufficiently explained challenges in contemporary education. Despite extensive research on Positive Youth Development, experiential learning, and transformative learning, existing studies largely emphasize outcomes while overlooking the mechanisms that produce them. This study addresses this limitation by developing a mechanism-based conceptual model that explains how scouting experiences are translated into sustained character development. Drawing on theory synthesis and causal process reasoning, the model conceptualizes transformation as a sequential and iterative process involving disorienting experiences, critical reflection, meaning reconstruction, and identity transformation. Critical reflection is positioned as the central mechanism that converts experiential engagement into internalized character values. The framework further identifies social interaction, facilitation quality, and individual developmental capacity as key contextual conditions shaping the effectiveness of transformation. By shifting the analytical focus from outcomes to mechanisms, this study advances theoretical understanding of youth development and extends transformative learning theory into non-formal education contexts. The proposed model provides a robust foundation for future empirical validation and offers practical insights for designing youth programs that foster deeper and more sustainable character development.
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