Kathleen P. King
Hall of Fame Class of 2011
Kathleen P. King is a professor in the Department of Adult, Career, and Higher Education at the University of South Florida, president of Transformation Education, and a certified professional life coach.
As of 2011, she is the author of 19 books and more than 175 published articles and research papers. Her books and Web-based audio materials are used as course materials in universities around the world. King was the founding editor-in-chief of Perspectives, The New York Journal of Adult Learning in partnership with the New York State Association of Education. This partnership affords a vibrant platform for research and theory to intersect.
She is also an editorial board member for several national and international academic journals and has twice served on the executive committee of the Commission of Professors and Adult Education. Her co-edited book about distance education, Harnessing Innovation Technologies in Higher Education, received both the American Educational Research Association’s Outstanding Research Publication Award in 2009 and the Frandson Book Award from the University Continuing Education Association in 2007.
She has led the development of numerous local and global innovative educational projects, including a podcast series that reaches more than 6.4 million learners. The podcast has brought educators together from around the world in an innovative approach to teaching and learning, creating access to “personal development on demand.”
In 1997, King designed, piloted, and published the LAS (Learning Activities Survey) Instrument. This instrument has been the basis of mixed methods research and has been used nationally and internationally by more than 50 professionals. The LAS is unusual in providing a research method and yet is adaptable for investigating the transformative learning experience in many contexts. Building upon her prior work, her 2009 book, Handbook of the Evolving Research of Transformative Learning, describes how this instrument has developed and has been used by her and many others to research and better understand adult learners across the world.
Her leadership in mentoring faculty and students in the adult education field is a highlight of her career. Her passion to foster a community of support is central to her vision and commitment in her work with academic professionals and has guided many scholars toward publication and tenure.
King is frequently asked to be keynote speaker nationally and internationally because of her compelling presentations on the topics of 21st century learning needs, societal trends, and instructional strategies related to instructional technology, distance education, digital media, faculty development, and transformative learning.
King integrates her research across the interdisciplinary contexts and content areas of adult education, higher education, K-12, career and technical education-vocational, and human resources. She has been consistently leading the field in research discussions of transformative learning among scholars in many venues, supporting and facilitating diverse perspectives.