Date of Award
6-23-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Selected Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License
Degree Name
Doctor of Education (Ed.D.) in Educational Leadership for Diverse Learning Communities
Department
Education
School
School of Education and Human Services
Abstract
Bridgebuilding programs in higher education create rare spaces where students sit with tension, listen deeply, and engage meaningfully across lines of difference. This study examines how those experiences shape student transformation. Guided by Jack Mezirow’s Transformative Learning Theory, I conducted a qualitative phenomenological study to understand how participation in structured, skills-based bridgebuilding programs shapes students’ beliefs, assumptions, and sense of identity through their lived experiences. I interviewed fourteen students who participated in leadership programming centered on Dialogue Across Differences, and their narratives consistently reflect key phases of transformative learning. Students move through discomfort, reflect on prior assumptions, and apply new perspectives in real-world contexts. They describe becoming more comfortable with difficult conversations, not because they always agree, but because they learn to stay present and engaged. Several recount moments when someone’s story challenged expectations and prompted deeper reflection. Others speak to building trust with people they never expected to connect with or to find words for beliefs they once struggled to express. Many apply what they learn through leadership, friendships, or everyday interactions. These findings suggest that dialogue supports personal growth and strengthens relational connections when rooted in structure and skill. The experience cultivates empathy, clarity, and confidence that students carry beyond the program. When designed with care and purpose, bridgebuilding is a high-impact practice that advances student development, civic formation, and pluralism. Such efforts are especially critical in a post-DEI climate as institutions seek new ways to foster belonging, mutual understanding, and community.
Related Pillar(s)
Study
Recommended Citation
Malinowski, Michael, ""I Didn't Have to Change Who I Was to Listen": A Phenomenological Action Research Study Exploring College Students' Transformative Learning Through Dialogue and Bridgebuilding Initiatives as High-Impact Practices in Higher Education" (2025). Theses & Dissertations. 223.
https://digitalcommons.molloy.edu/etd/223
