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Analysis of the movie, My Fair Lady

Analysis of the movie, My Fair Lady, using transformative and andragogy adult learning theories Analysis of the movie, My Fair Lady

Introduction
In my Fair Lady, a movie, a linguistic professor taught proper speech and manners to a
Cockney street flower girl, Eliza Doolittle. The movie was set in the 1910s London. In the
movie, there are examples of different orientations to learning such as behaviorism, humanism,
cognitivism, social cognitivism and constructivism. This paper will analyze Eliza’s learning, and
what caused her to learn through the perspectives of Mezirow’s transformative learning theory
and Knowles’ andragogy.
Mezirow’s transformative learning theory
Mezirow’s transformative learning questions individual's assumptions, beliefs, feelings,
and perspectives so that one can develop personally and intellectually (Herod, 2002). At the
essence of transformative learning theory, is the process of "Perspective Transformation."
(Transformative learning, Wikipedia). According to Tsao, Takahashi, Olusesu & Jain, 2006, the
process of perspective transformation happens according to Mezirow's ten phases:
“…a disorienting dilemma; self-examination with feelings of guilt or shame; a
critical assessment of assumptions; recognition that one's discontent and process
of transformation are shared and that others have negotiated a similar change;
exploration of options for new roles, relationships, and actions; planning of a
course of action; acquisition of knowledge and skills for implementing one's
plans; provisionally trying out new roles; building of competence and self-
confidence in new roles and relationships; a reintegration of the new assumptions
into one's life based on conditions dictated by one's new perspective” para. 5).
In my Fair Lady, Eliza’s process of transformation followed Mezirow’s ten phases.
At first, Eliza faced a disorienting dilemma when the professor told her that she did not speak