Teachers could provide an activating event that induces students to think critically. For example, you can expose students to books or films that offer a different perspective and make students examine their beliefs. Expose students to challenges, in the form of difficult coursework, for instance, that make them to go beyond their comfort zone.
Students typically come to the classroom with certain assumptions based on their life experiences and upbringing. Teachers can get students to examine their own assumptions so that they become aware of this sort of thought process. Asking students to predict an outcome for an event, for example, is one way to examine their assumptions. Ask students to write down their predictions about the outcome of elections, for example, and the basis for the predictions. You can then discuss the actual outcome and compare it with the predictions so that students become aware of any assumptions they made.
Another transformational learning technique is to get students to be open to alternative perspectives. You can do this by getting students to play a role that does not match the perspectives they hold. Teachers could also ask students to debate a topic and defend a view that is opposite to the one they hold.
When students engage in discourse, they get a chance to listen to others’ points of view. This too helps them reflect on their prior assumptions. For example, when you teach a new concept to a class, you could ask students to discuss it and compare it with their prior assumptions on the topic.