Abstract

The attachment theory of John Bowlby has had an enduring impact on our understanding of child development. But these ideas are a neglected and forgotten discourse in adult education. In this paper secure and insecure attachments, internal working models, the strange situation along with the more contemporary concept of mind-mindedness are explored. The paper also explores the implications for how adults deal with new situations and new ideas; how adult learners and teachers are influenced by their own attachment styles and internal working models. These models are interpreted as strategies for dealing with stress, anxiety, change and the challenges of working with people in learning environments. In addition the implications of these concepts for understanding transformative learning are identified and changing internal working models are proposed as a form of transformative learning.