Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 1

Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today

Alvarez, Roella
Castro, Reizhel Anne R.
Reyes, Eden Romaine C.
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 2

Abstract

Through centuries of tradition and moral principles, Jesuit educational institutions have
developed a unique curriculum that is founded on religious and humanistic beliefs. This
paper aims to provide a holistic view of Jesuit curriculum and education by studying and
discussing the different facets of Jesuit educational philosophies, learning approaches,
and curricular paradigm. The paper also aims to provide a general view of the current
status of Jesuit educational pedagogy, and how traditional principles are applied to the
circumstances of modern-day education. An in-depth look of the foundations of Jesuit
pedagogy could provide a better understanding of their current educational principles,
and how these principles are incorporated in various educational settings, especially the
school curriculum.

Objective: To describe the foundation of Ignatian education and identify the factors
considered in the designing of their curriculum
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 3

Review of Literature

I. Educational Philosophy of Jesuit Schools

A carefully nurtured institution such as the Jesuit education is one that has sticked to its
roots and foundation even if it evolves and adapts to the adjustments of time. Like an
old tree that has grown to shelter many things, the 400 years of tradition and experience
has made the institution mature enough to cater to the needs of various learners as well
as educators.

In the 1540s, Jesuit schools started as seminaries with Jesuit priests as teachers. After
some time, they started employing non-Jesuit faculties and had schools beside their
parishes. Despite many hindrances, like the suppression of Clement XIV in 1773 or the
confiscation of their resources by the government of Catholic nations like Spain, France,
Portugal, Poland and Austria, they continued their work in the education field. (Jesuit
Education, p. 4)

An extensive historiography of Jesuit education and the educational archives that the
Society of Jesus has generated in the 1540s. In 1599, the Ratio Studiorum emerged, a
key educational document drawing on earlier traditions, and a source of later
reformulations and scholarship in many parts of the world. St. Ignatius was largely
responsible in the benchmarking of the Ratio, a regulation for school officials and
teachers. He insisted on careful school planning and he set the “master ideal before the
members of the society that is, to be sure, simply the full register of the Christian ideal
but to a considerable extent each Jesuit was formed to this Christian pattern by making
the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises and by his daily life in that distinctive social milieu, the
Society of Jesus, whose Constitutions were also substantially the work of Ignatius.
Those Constitutions make it very clear that the Society of Jesus is impelled to the work
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 4

of education from an Apostolic motive since it believes that sound schooling can help
conduct men to salvation” (Jesuit Education, p. 8)

a. Mission-Vision
A group of Jesuits from the British Province established the Jesuit Institute and
wrote about the characteristics of Jesuit education. In the abridged version,
“Jesuit education affirms the radical goodness of the world ‘charged with the
grandeur of God’, and it regards every element of creation as worthy of study and
contemplation, capable of endless exploration” (The Jesuit Institute, 1986, p. 1).
They believe that the ultimate goal a person should be to become like Jesus. And
who or how was Jesus in his days, he was a man who made many sacrifices for
other people. And this does not only apply to the learners, but the educators as
well. Jesus taught well and that was one of the ways he was able to be a man for
others. Jesuits believe that all the things students learn from their Jesuit
education should eventually be used not just or the benefit of oneself but for
others. “Jesuit education is also concerned with the ways in which students will
make use of their formation in the service of others” (The Jesuit Institute, 1986, p.
2).

The Characteristics of Jesuit Education offers a description which has been

amplified by Fr. General Kolvenbach: The pursuit of each student's intellectual
development to the full measure of God-given talents rightly remains a prominent
goal of Jesuit education. Its aim, however, has never been simply to amass a
store of information or preparation for a profession, though these are important in
themselves and useful to emerging Christian leaders. The ultimate aim of Jesuit
education is, rather, that full growth of the person which leads to action - action,
especially, that is suffused with the spirit and presence of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God, the Man-for-Others. This goal of action, based on sound understanding
and enlivened by contemplation, urges students to self-discipline and initiative, to
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 5

integrity and accuracy. At the same time, it judges slip-shod or superficial ways of
thinking unworthy of the individual and, more important, dangerous to the world
he or she is called to serve.

The mission of the Society of Jesus today as a religious order in the Catholic
Church is the service of faith of which the promotion of justice is an essential
element. It is a mission rooted in the belief that a new world community of justice,
love and peace needs educated persons of competence, conscience and
compassion, men and women who are ready to embrace and promote all that is
fully human, who are committed to working for the freedom and dignity of all
peoples, and who are willing to do so in cooperation with others equally
dedicated to the reform of society and its structures. Renewal of our social,
economic and political systems so that they nourish and preserve our common
humanity and free people to be generous in their love and care for others
requires resilient and resourceful persons. It calls for persons, educated in faith
and justice, who have a powerful and ever growing sense of how they can be
effective advocates, agents and models of God's justice, love and peace within
as well as beyond the ordinary opportunities of daily life and work.

Furthermore, in the published work of the International Commission on the

Apostolate of Jesuit Education, they discussed:

“St. Ignatius of Loyola habitually insisted on the Magis. Latin for the more, the
concept of the magis was originally understood by St. Ignatius as a call to be of
increasingly greater service to God and closer imitation of Jesus. Chicago
Jesuit Academy understands the magis as a call to fully develop each person’s
individual capacities at each stage of life in the service of others.
Excellence—like all Ignatian criteria—is determined by “circumstances of place
and persons”… To seek the magis, therefore, is to provide the type and level of
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education for the type and age​-group of students that best responds to the needs
of the community in which a school is located.” Seeking the magis is yet towards
honing a person in the example of Christ.

As Jesuit education and Ignatian pedagogy encompasses time, its mission-vision

has evolved to cater 21st century learners and teachers especially. “Ignatian
pedagogy enables teachers to enrich the content and structure of what they are
teaching. It gives teachers additional means of encouraging learner initiative. It
allows teachers to expect more of students, to call upon them to take greater
responsibility for and be more active in their own learning. It helps teachers to
motivate learners by providing the occasion and rationale for them to relate what
is being studied to their own world experiences.” (Kolvenbach, Realizing the
Jesuit Mission, 2013, p. 62) It is the belief of Jesuits that teachers must be shown
and trained how they can share knowledge to others and become facilitators of
learning for the benefit of their students and colleagues, truly like men for others.

b. Learning Theories

Fr. Arrupe wrote that “today our prime educational objective must be to form
men-for-others; men who will live not for themselves but for God and his Christ”
(Men for Others, Valencia, 1973). “Men and women for others and with others is
considered a contemporary expression of the humanism that Jesuit education has
embraced from the beginnings. It captures, in a nutshell, the ultimate goal of our
educational efforts and our current emphasis in a faith that does justice” (Secretariat
for Education of the Society of Jesus, 2015, p. 1). From the mission-vision, comes
the approach of the whole Jesuit educational system.

Father Ross Jones, S.J., a rector of St. Ignatius College wrote in their college
newsletter about the Jesuit education being a humanistic education. In that article he
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 7

stated that “early Jesuit educators readily included in their curriculum the Greek and
Roman classics as well (of course) as Scripture. We were criticised by some for
using such ‘pagan’ texts. But it was because those so-called ‘pagan’ histories,
speeches and poetry invariably treated the perennial human issues of morality, of
choices, the nature of good and evil, and so on. Students were learning what it was
to be human, what is expected of one, how to lead the best life. What is our duty to
others, to our family, to our nation? For what reasons, if any, should I be willing to
die? Why is there suffering? Is there a God, and, if so, how can I know him? These
are ‘the big questions’ in life.

Long before such things as school mottos came into being, those early Jesuits
universally put before their charges in the colleges, a line from the great orator,
Cicero, non nobis solum nati sumus (‘we do not exist for ourselves alone’). Yes, he
was yet another pagan. But already we can observe here something universal: a
sense of social responsibility, of duty and outreach, being inculcated. It is a fostering
a sense of urgency, of agency — what we call today the moral imperative” (Jones,
The humanistic tradition in Jesuit Education, p. 1)

Jesuits think that the true value of education shouldn’t be solely focused on financial
success as it can lead to competitiveness and selfishness. “This can easily obscure
the true values and aims of humanistic education. To avoid such distortion, teachers
in Jesuit schools present academic subjects out of a human centeredness, with
stress on uncovering and exploring the patterns, relationships, facts, questions,
insights, conclusions, problems, solutions, and implications which a particular
discipline brings to light about what it means to be a human being” (Duminuco,
Ignation Pedagogy, p. 4).

Jesuits genuinely wanted Jesuit education to be a model of personal education and

transformation through Examen where reflective thinking is practiced. The Examen
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 8

allows for someone to recall and make sense of experiences. This approach is a
way of analyzing one’s own experiences and deepening one’s understandings.
(Jesuit Higher Education, 2016, p. 74)

II. Jesuit Educational Curriculum

a. Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP)

Jesuit educational institutions had developed a method of learning and teaching that
follows the reflective principles of the spiritual exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola.
Since the goal of Jesuit schools is to transform how the youth perceive themselves
and other human beings, social systems, societal structures, humankind and the
whole of natural creation, they aim for a “radical transformation” of the way students
from the institution habitually think and act. Hence, the Ignatian Pedagogical
Paradigm emphasizes an individual’s purpose and existence as men and women of
competence, conscience, and compassion, who seeks the greater good in terms of
what can be done out of a faithful commitment to justice and to serving God's poor,
oppressed and neglected (Korth, 2008).

The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm calls students to engage in a constant process

of self-reflection. However, despite the paradigm’s roots from faith and religion, it
does not encourage nor imply that all students and teachers share the same faith. It
simply emphasizes a way of living that focuses on service and reflection. (Weber,
2008)

Early Jesuits were aware of the limits of the humanistic approach, hence, many
efforts were focused on incorporating professional training and service into student
experiences. In 1599, Jesuit educators published the Ratio Studorium in an attempt
to articulate the practice and principles of Jesuit education. This guide outlined all
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 9

aspects of instructional methods and regulations for teachers and school officials,
and to this day, the guideline remains to be an important guide to modern-day
educational institutions. (O’Malley, 2000)

The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm emphasizes that holistic education is “a process

of moral and intellectual formation. This “formation” is the result of pedagogical
practices that are presented as a continuous cycle of experience, reflection, action
and evaluation” (Traub, 2008).

According to the International Commission on the Apostolate of Jesuit Education,

the three principal elements are Experience, Reflection, and Action, with a
pre-learning element, Context, and a post-learning element, Evaluation. All five
elements are necessary for the method's success. The Ignatian pedagogy uses this
dynamic five-step method along with an Ignatian vision of the human and the world
to "accompany the learner in their growth and development."

Imperative to the paradigm is students’ personal context of education and their

perception of the social environment. This includes previous learning experiences
and opportunities for serving others and practicing self-reflection. (Traub, 2008)

The three main elements were described by Traub as follows:

“Experience is defined as a learning activity in which students increase their

understanding of a concept through a variety of interactive exercises. These
may include active learning activities in the classroom or experiential learning
activities in the community.

Reflection is a process in which a student thoughtfully considers an

experience in order to find meaning and gain deeper insight. Through this
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 10

reflection or discernment, the student is asked to identify his or her own

internal motivations and consider how their actions affect others. Regular,
deliberate, ongoing reflective practice is essential in the formation of future
professionals. This may be accomplished through the use of reflective
journaling or group discussion.

Action refers to the choices that students make after they have reflected on
their experiences. Action may be taken through the form of a final or
“capstone” project that allows students to meet learning outcomes while
addressing real world problems. Taking action is an opportunity for students
to use their knowledge to promote social justice or workplace change.”

The last element, evaluation, is characterized by periodic assessment of a learner’s

growth. The paradigm aims to measure more than intellectual, artistic, or athletic
success, but to gauge a more holistic understanding of a student’s awareness of his
own personal and moral growth. (Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach, 1993)

Despite the many changes brought about by modern day developments on

educational practices, the underlying values of the Ignatian Paradigm remains the
same: to educate “the whole person, head and heart, intellect and feelings” resulting
in “a person who exhibits precision of thought, eloquence of speech, moral
excellence, and social responsibility” (Kovenbach, 1986). This emphasizes the idea
of Cura personalis: mind body and spirit. Jesuit educators should encourage and
challenge students to “reflect on their learning” and to assess “how their learning
impacts them as individuals and how it defines their relationship to the world.”

In his 1973 address, Fr. Pedro Arrupe calls educators to reinforce learning for justice
and service so students could develop values as agents for change. He emphasizes
the need for a “resonance of an imperious call of the living God asking his Church
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 11

and all men of good to adopt certain attitudes and undertake certain types of action
which will enable them effectively to come to the aid of mankind oppressed and in
agony.” This includes respect for all people, not profiting from a position of privilege,
and working to dismantle unjust social structures (Arrupe, 1973).

b. Implemented Curriculum

In today’s modern world where students reside in a virtually-enhanced environment,

where communication and interaction is done over long distances through mobile
and electronic devices, and where information is essentially accessible anywhere,
learning and education is facilitated better through quick dissemination of information
and ideals, but it also poses significant barriers for Jesuit educational principles.
Despite this, jesuit institutions remain adamant to retain its roots of self-reflection
and service.

Social media is one factor that rapidly influences today’s learning. Former Superior
General Adolfo Nicolas asserts “the nature of social media has a numbing effect on
our students that makes it easy to “slip in to the lazy superficiality of relativism or
mere tolerance of others and their views, rather than engaging in the hard work of
facing communities of dialogue in the search of truth and understanding.” This then
poses limitations to the “fullness of [students] flourishing as human persons and
limiting their responses to a world in need of healing intellectually, morally, and
spiritually.”

Jesuit educators are then challenged to incorporate Ignatian principles to instill

“depth of thought and imagination that encompasses engagement with the reality of
the world and the human condition” (Nicolas, 2010). Technological advancements
should then be used to promote engagement and to facilitate better learning without
compromising the core values of Jesuit education and Ignatian pedagogy.
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 12

A study conducted by Joseph Anthony DeFeo of Fordham University measured the

extent to which school administrators foster education through Ignatian pedagogy
through an online quantitative survey. This study aimed to examine whether schools
appropriate their programs in higher education to Ignatian principles and how it
influences literature in institutions of Jesuit higher education. The study affirmed the
authority of the age-old notions and principles of Jesuit education and tradition.

The study garnered the following results:

“Results indicate the majority of administrators are very familiar with, and
offer programs on, Ignatian pedagogy. They unanimously care for the
Jesuit mission and nearly all believe in providing pedagogical resources
that foster the Jesuit mission. The literature review identified connections
between Ignatian pedagogy and several pedagogical approaches while
administrators’ made the majority of connections between Ignatian
pedagogy and Service-Learning and Adult Learning. More than
three-fourths administrators promote three Ignatian teaching
methodological elements, Context, Experience, and Reflection, while more
than one half promote the element Action. Greater than two-thirds provide
programs that foster the development of the whole person, service to
others, and social justice--core Jesuit values. Further, more than
three-fourths of Center administrators believe Ignatian pedagogy is viable
for higher education.”

Jesuit institutions also now incorporate various learning practices and principles in
order to accommodate the unique learning needs of the youth today. In a study done
by Robert Pampel, he incorporated L. Dee Fink’s principles of Significant Learning to
measure how Jesuit pedagogy can enrich a learning honors program in various
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 13

Jesuit universities. The study leaned on a positive correlation between Jesuit

pedagogy and Fink’s model. The entire study is described as follows:

“This qualitative, multisite case study used Dee Fink's taxonomy of

significant learning as a lens through which to examine the curricular
structure, academic practices, and graduate outcomes for honors
programs at Jesuit colleges and universities in the United States. Special
attention was given to the distinctive quality of Ignatian pedagogy and
Jesuit mission to determine if these elements served as complementary or
confounding variables in the application of Fink's model. This research
identified various themes related to Jesuit honors programs' curricular
structure and graduate outcomes and concludes that Fink's model
provides an appropriate model to frame an honors curriculum. The
researcher concludes that a program's Jesuit mission enriches Fink's
model by conflating his understanding of the human dimension with other
elements of the taxonomy in distinctly Jesuit ways related to the
educational apostolate and the Ignatian model of critical self-reflection.”

Further implementation of Jesuit educational principles in schools today were

reinforced in another paper done by Joan VanHise, John Keplin and Michael Whitty
which was aimed to address the various concerns on the “current approaches of
education for ethical leadership.” The paper seeks to study an alternative model for
educating future business leaders” that draws on “religion, philosophy and the
formation of conscience and consciousness.” The paper chronicled the Jesuit
approach to ethical leadership “by introducing business students to values based
leadership principles, and formation of conscience with an eye toward strengthening
honesty and ethics in business.”
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 14

The encompassing characteristics of the Ignatian Pedagogical Principles were also

shown in an article written by Joan Van Hise and Dawn W. Massey that sought to”
explain how and why the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP), a 450-year-old
approach to education, can serve as a framework for a modern principles-based
ethics course in accounting.” In the paper, they describe how “the IPP takes a
holistic view of the world, combining five elements: context, experience, reflection,
action, and evaluation.” Furthermore, the article presents “the components of the
IPP” and discusses how it aligns to “principle-based ethics instruction in accounting.”
The article also describes how IPP was used “as a framework to create a
graduate-level accounting ethics course.”
Jesuit Education and Ignatian Pedagogy in Schools Today 15

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