Zambian Civic Education Teacher Students in Norway for a Year—How Do They Describe Their Transformative Learning?

Through 10 years of cooperation between the University of Zambia and the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, 24 students of Civic Education (Social Sciences) from the University of Zambia had an opportunity to travel to Norway to have a different learning experience of Civic Education. In this study, we sought through qualitative questionnaires and interviews to understand how the former Civic Education teacher students describe their experiences and received benefits during the 10 months they spent at the Western Norway University of Applied Sciences. The study established that transformative learning takes time, but of paramount importance was that the students were able to critically reflect and act as change-makers at an individual, school, and/or society level. The study also noted that international student mobility can increase students’ transformative learning under certain conditions. Therefore, our study concludes that crucial factors for transformative learning consist of the combination of cultural mentoring, teaching practice, critical discussions, and critical theories. Additionally, the study notes that reframing our perspectives as learners, teachers, and researchers can lead to increased awareness of moral imperatives for satisfying human needs, ensuring social justice and respecting environmental limits as citizens in a global world.