Transformative learning is a process that can permanently change our view of the world and how we act within it. The aim of this Master’s thesis was to examine how voluntary work with migrants and non-formal training for volunteers organised by Slovenska filantropija promote transformative learning among volunteers. In particular, the study sought to identify the outcomes of transformative learning experienced by volunteers during the organisation’s in-house training sessions and while working directly with migrants.
The theoretical part of the thesis draws primarily on Hoggan’s typology of transformative learning outcomes (Hoggan, 2016a, 2016b, 2022) in relation to migration and the role of volunteering in supporting the majority population’s adaptation to a multicultural and migrant society through the process of two-way integration. The empirical part is based on a qualitative case study in which semi-structured interviews were conducted with nine volunteers and two staff members at Slovenska filantropija in Ljubljana. The data were analysed using qualitative content analysis.
The findings show that the organisation supports volunteers in three ways: through induction training, additional in-house training, and both group and individual mentoring sessions. The results indicate that direct contact with migrants plays a key role in volunteers’ transformative learning. To a lesser extent, transformative learning is also fostered through induction training, additional internal training, and mentoring sessions, where volunteers have the opportunity to reflect on their own values and perspectives with the support of a mentor. Transformative learning occurred among the majority of volunteers, and across the full range of experiences, all the transformative learning outcomes described by Hoggan were identified, namely changes in worldview, self, epistemology, ontology, behaviour, and capacity. Nevertheless, these outcomes were not evident in all the volunteers interviewed, as they also depend on individual circumstances, prior life experiences and related learning, as well as participants’ willingness to engage in in-depth self-reflection.
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