Many countries across the globe are undergoing rapid economic and social change; and there are increasing efforts to reform, revamp and revitalise education – to equip students for the ever-changing future. Education is considered to be transformative; but the area of transformative learning has been mainly theorised in the field of adult education. Comparatively, teaching approaches designed to bring about such transformation or transformative teaching has been less explored or understood. Connecting various related literature, this study places deeper learning at the centre of transformation through learning. Aiming to fill a gap within the literature, this study explores transformation through learning in a comprehensive school setting at a K-5 School in the North East of the United States by asking the following questions, ‘What are the teachers’ and students’ lived experiences of transformation through music and arts infused creative learning as practiced at an Elementary School in Northeast of USA?’ and ‘What is the role of the arts and music in this process?’. Located within the interpretive paradigm, this ethnographic case study included 7 – 14-year-old students (Grade 2 – Grade 5) and staff, aimed at investigating the phenomenon of ‘transformation through learning’ through a range of sources within its natural environment. Various data collection methods were used, including semi-structured interviews, observations (field notes, video-recordings, still images), conceptual drawing and learning walks. These provided rich, in-depth data, permitting triangulation which strengthened the findings and allowed for an illuminating understanding of the topic. An iteratively developed framework representing elements or behaviours relating to transformation was utilised as a lens to identify relevant critical incidents during the data collection process. Employing thematic analysis on the data collected resulted in eight themes that represent the lived experiences of transformation through learning. These thematic findings highlight that relevance, mindsets and placing arts at centre of the school culture are key to providing transformative learning experiences. The study connects two arguments, that fostering deeper learning enables students to meet new expectations and demands of the changing future; and that it is vital to provide students with a well-rounded curriculum with rich arts education to prepare them for success in the future. Thus, the findings of this study develop the understanding of ‘transformation through learning’ and offer a model framework from the practice at this research site from which others could create their own.

O ensino transformador de Jesus evidenciado nas bem-aventuranças é ancorado em sua ética que é ancorada em seu amor. A presente pesquisa divide-se em três capítulos respectivamente: O evangelho de Mateus e seu contexto, Bem-aventuranças e Palavração. O primeiro capítulo trata do evangelho de Mateus na tentativa de detectar, autoria, fontes, lugar, data e também a questão social na prática de Jesus. O segundo estuda as bem-aventuranças em Mateus, suas semelhanças e diferenças com Lucas e ainda, contrapõe o ensino com base no ser com a lógica capitalista do ter. O terceiro trabalha a relação existente entre a palavra e a ação na atividade pública de Jesus e tenta fazer ponte com a prática docente atual. Sob o título Bem-Aventuranças: Didaqué Querigma e Ensino Transformador, o diálogo foca no ensino a serviço do reino de Deus, em qualquer espaço ou ambiente onde quer que ele aconteça. A partir das bem-aventuranças, que visam aproximar Deus e as pessoas e concretizar a fé, fica claro o posicionamento de Jesus, é ao lado do pobre, do simples, do injustiçado, em suas muitas faces. Jesus dá ênfase ao que é fundamental, o ser humano. Portanto, a pesquisa se preocupa em trazer a dimensão prática e atual do ensino das bem-aventuranças que desejam mostrar que o reino de Deus é possível em Jesus. Ele dá novo sentido para a vida humana, apontando para o alvo onde Deus quer que cheguemos como cristãos. Muito diferente de se limitar a transferir conhecimento, Jesus mostra que a justiça e a solidariedade estão por excelência acima da lei. E que servir não se caracteriza como lei, mas como impulso a partir da graça. Nesta perspectiva, o ensino transformador terá olhos para aqueles que estão desfavorecidos e encoraja a agir contrário às estruturas injustas existentes. Move a dirigir-se a eles como a amigos, assim como Deus escolhe ser nosso amigo e quando alguém o questiona responde simplesmente EU SOU O QUE SOU. Ensinar numa perspectiva transformadora só é possível se quem ensina tiver sido transformado. Ser transformado pela Palavra de Deus é ser fiel a Jesus e ao seu ensino que convida a converter primeiro os de cima, os líderes, que precisam perceber as pessoas e ajudar. Este é o verdadeiro ensino e culto. O que fundamenta as bem-aventuranças é a ética do ser. Valores como justiça e solidariedade nascem do cristianismo, por isso o ensino numa perspectiva transformadora requer urgência em agir para mudar, melhorar situações indignas. A saber, ensinar conforme o exemplo deixado por Jesus vai além de comunicar ou transferir, implica em se importar, se preocupar com outro, com o próximo. Pois, evidentemente quanto mais próximos estivermos dos ensinos de Jesus mais humanos nos tornaremos. / The transforming teaching of Jesus demonstrated in the beatitudes is anchored in his ethics that are grounded in his love. This research is divided into three chapters: The Gospel of Matthew and its context, the Beatitudes and Jesus' attitude in harmony with his preaching. The first chapter deals with the Gospel of Matthew and seeks to detect: authorship, sources, location, date, and also the social practice of Jesus. The second studies the Beatitudes in Matthew, their similarities and differences with Luke and also confronts teaching based on being with the capitalist logic of possessing. The third chapter deals with the relationship between words and action in the public activity of Jesus and tries to relate this to the current teaching practices. Under the title, "The kerygma in transformative teaching: "ethics-teaching" of the Beatitudes, the dialogue focuses on education in the service of God's kingdom in any space or environment wherever it happens. From the Beatitudes, which aim to bring God and people closer and make faith concrete, it is clear that the position of Jesus is with the poor, the simple, the downtrodden, in their many faces: children, women, poor, sick and others. Jesus emphasizes what is essential: the human being. Therefore, this research concerned itself with bringing the practical and present dimension of the teaching of the Beatitudes that wishes to show that the kingdom of God is possible in Jesus. He gives new meaning to human life, pointing to the place where God wants Christians to come. Very different from a simple transference of knowledge, Jesus shows that justice and solidarity are completely above the law. And that service is not characterized as law but as impelled by grace. In this perspective, transformative teaching has eyes for those who are disadvantaged and encourages them to act contrary to the existing unfair structures. It moves to view them as friends just as God chooses to be our friend and when someone questions him, he answer just: "I AM THAT I AM." Teaching in a transformative perspective is only possible if the one who teaches has been transformed. Being transformed by God's Word is to be faithful to Jesus and his teaching that invites first the top leaders to be converted, those who need to understand and help people. This is true teaching and worship. What underlies the beatitudes is the ethics of being. Values such as justice and solidarity are born from Christianity, by which the transformative teaching perspective requires urgency to act for change, to improve undignified situations. Namely, teaching as the example set by Jesus goes beyond communicating or transferring, it implies caring, being concerned about others, about our neighbor. This, because obviously the closer we are to the teachings of Jesus the more human we become.

Teachers’ voices have been largely excluded from the academic and political debates regarding the aims and merits of financial literacy education. Through case study research, this project examined the beliefs, practices, and lives of 10 teachers in Québec and Ontario who teach financial literacy at the intermediate and senior levels. Specifically, the teachers in this study report taking a critical approach to financial literacy education–a subject that tends to be framed in simplistic and individualistic terms as mere personal financial decision-making. In an analysis of in-depth interviews and deliberative inquiry focus groups with self-identifying critical teachers and investigation into various documentary sources, I detail the ways in which some of these teachers adhere to mainstream understandings of financial literacy education while others work to reframe it towards more critical and economically just ends. This research results in the development of a framework for critical economic literacy education, documenting the intellectually demanding set of skills, knowledge, and pedagogical strategies a critical economic literacy requires of students and teachers. Findings also bring forth distinctions in teachers’ ideas about criticality, revealing that teachers navigate between common, critical, and transformative sense orientations in sophisticated ways to achieve their pedagogical aims. Last, I investigate how criticality emerges in teachers, narrating the ways in which their personal biographies, professional and political activities, and intellectual pursuits inform their critical teaching in relation to financial literacy. This case study is further contextualized by the current political moment in which escalating economic inequality and the widening racial wealth gap, the current financial crisis, impending climate disasters, and antidemocratic politics worldwide convey a sense of urgency and a timely relevance for a more critical and transformative financial literacy education.