The Experience–Shift–Act (ESA) Model: A Conceptual Framework for Surfacing Affective Progression in Adult Learning

Adult learning environments often seek outcomes that extend beyond knowledge acquisition to include shifts in beliefs, values, and professional conduct. Although experiential and transformative learning traditions explain how powerful experiences can reshape meaning perspectives, fewer frameworks address how learning environments can be intentionally structured to make affective progression observable. This article introduces the Experience–Shift–Act (ESA) model, a design-oriented conceptual framework for examining affective progression within adult learning experiences. The model proposes that emotionally salient learning encounters, reflective reconsideration of beliefs, and articulated behavioral orientations represent observable indicators of affective engagement and emerging value integration. By integrating insights from experiential and transformative learning theories and affective domain taxonomy ESA offers a structured architecture for designing and evaluating learning environments where affective progression becomes visible through learner language. The article advances theoretical propositions and outlines directions for research investigating value-relevant affective progression and its relationship to behavioral orientation across adult learning contexts.