Transformative learning theory combined with ethical decision-making frameworks as the design basis for GenAI professional development¶

Design · All designs
Evidence · 2 claims (1 for, 1 mixed) · 1 study (1 causal), q2 · 1 of 1 report an effect size · 2 claims rest on one study

Description¶

The article grounds its professional development design in Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory together with "established ethical decision-making frameworks in educational technology." This combined framework positions ethical reasoning as something educators develop through structured transformation rather than as a bolt-on compliance topic, and it guided how the study designed, implemented, and evaluated a program that "embeds ethical reasoning within a multicultural Global South institution."

Design Implications¶

Context¶

Requirements¶

Professional development activities must be structured so that ethical reasoning is embedded within technical GenAI training rather than separated from it

Constraints¶

The framework was applied in one multicultural Global South higher education institution; the article states the model's adaptability to other contexts and its scalability remain to be investigated

Target Learners¶

Higher education English for Academic Purposes educators

Learning Goals¶

Ethical awareness of generative AI use
Digital andragogical competence
Academic integrity, transparency, and equity in AI-supported teaching

Claims¶

A GenAI-integrated professional development program produced significant pre-to-post gains in EAP educators' ethical awareness (d = 0.93) and digital andragogical competence [+M] — the programme this framework guided
Most higher education institutions report faculty use of generative AI in teaching, but fewer than 15% have formal ethical guidelines [~M] — the policy gap the programme responds to

Patterns Used¶

Professional Development: the framework shapes a PD programme for EAP educators
Five adult learning theories as a design framework: transformational learning is one of the five

GenAI-integrated EAP professional development program — the programme designed on this basis

Examples¶

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Key Sources¶

Alharbi, W., Hamid, S., Abbas, S., & Salieva, Z. (2026). Ethical Generative AI Integration in English for Academic Purposes within Higher Education: A Mixed-Methods Study. Journal of University Teaching and Learning Practice. https://doi.org/10.53761/xwb6h668

Page metadata

Field	Value
`type`	`design`
`id`	`mezirow-transformative-learning-ethical-decision-frameworks-genai-pd`
`title`	`Transformative learning theory combined with ethical decision-making frameworks as the design basis for GenAI professional development`
`description`	`The article grounds its professional development design in Mezirow's Transformative Learning Theory together with "established ethical decision-making frameworks in educational technology." This combined framework pos...`
`status`	`review`
`generated`	by `process:settle-candidates` on `2026-10-10`
`trust`	unverified — no one has confirmed this page's content
`sources`	1 — `alharbi-2026`

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