Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm

A 500-year old Jesuit teaching model that is supported by present-day higher education research

  1. Testing123
  2. David
  3. Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm

Photo of Scandinavian-style circular lamp

“The Ignatian pedagogical paradigm [IPP] is a practical teaching framework that is consistent with and effective in communicating the Ignatian values and world view. Faculty, regardless of discipline, can utilize this approach so that their teaching is academically sound and at the same time formative of persons for others” (Korth, 1993).

Scroll down to find:

  • A brief overview of the IPP
  • An explanation of each element of the IPP
  • Examples of how you might engage with the IPP elements in class
  • Connections of the IPP elements to evidence-based frameworks and pedagogies

An overview of the IPP

Ignatian Pedagogy is rooted in the Spiritual Exercises devised in the 16th century by Saint Ignatius of Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus. It is founded on the belief that Jesuit education goes beyond the mere transmission of information from professor to student toward an experience that affects the student on all levels—cognitive, certainly, but also emotional and behavioral. The IPP views education as a collaborative process that transforms students and teachers, preparing them for moral and ethical action in the world, with an invitation to reflect on and apply their learning to their lived experiences and develop a clear sense of purpose (Tilghman-Havens et al., 2026). The idea in this paradigm is not to limit this kind of learning to special “Ignatian courses” but to consider the possibility that it might be relevant across a wide range of disciplines and classes.

The IPP consists of five elements shown in the figure below, in which everyday terms have specific meanings. The section that follows explains each element (context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation) and provides examples of how you might engage with each in the classroom. In addition, connections to frameworks and pedagogies in higher education that support student learning and success are provided with each element.

Visual representation of the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm - Context and Evaluation as outer components and Experience, Reflection, and Action as three central interlocking circles

 

Context

Abstract image of concentric circles

Summary explanation

In planning their courses, faculty reflect on the current context of the world, community, and campus as the backdrop for the students’ learning.  They also reflect on the context of their students’ lives. Cura personalis—personal care and concern for the individual—invites teachers to become conversant with the life experience of the learner and to pay careful attention to the dynamics of the classroom environment.

Find out who your students are, perhaps through in-class surveys or required office hours meetings or just through informal conversation at the beginning and end of class—not just their academic performance in the class, but their larger interests and life situations—and invite their previous experiences into class.

Culturally relevant pedagogy (Ladson-Billings, 1995) and culturally responsive teaching (Gay, 2018) support that learning cannot be separated from the context and environment in which it occurs; effective teaching must engage with students' social, cultural, and personal backgrounds.

Experience

Abstract image of interlocking shapes in different shapes and warm colors

Summary explanation

Whether students are doing community-based learning, completing a math problem set, or analyzing a text, they are meant to do more than absorb the facts; they are meant to actively engage the material in a holistic way.  The process (how) of the learning becomes as relevant as the content (what) of learning.

Make class experiential by promoting active learning and also by asking students to engage with the material on an emotional, personal, and societal level, asking how they feel about what they’re learning and how it might be relevant to them and to the world.

The scholarship around active learning (Freeman et al., 2014) and experiential learning (Kolb, 1984; Kuh, 2008) demonstrate that teaching and learning practices centering students in engaged and holistic experiences enhance academic success.

Reflection

Abstract image showing a series of curves and their reflection

Summary explanation

Students engage in a process of reflection and meaning-making on their integration of new ideas and concepts. This is an opportunity for deeper insight to arise, and for the students to grapple with their affective response to what they have learned and how it moves them to act.

Build opportunities for reflection into the course, whether through student journals, mid-semester course and self-evaluations, reflective papers, group discussions and debriefs, or any other method that asks students to think about what they’ve learned and what it means to them.

Transformative learning (Mezirow, 1991) and metacognition (Flavell, 1979) are models that promote that critical reflection and opportunities to examine the personal meaning of a learning experience to boost deeper learning.

Action

Abstract image of multiple arrows in warm colors pointing to the right

Summary explanation

This step involves discernment about a variety of domains: the learning experience itself (e.g., picking an essay topic, taking on an issue to study further), the student’s personal life (e.g., implementing a solution for a personal problem, taking up an extracurricular activity), the student’s professional future (e.g., signing up for a related class, applying for a particular internship, seeking out information about one career or another), and, ideally—this is crucial in Ignatian pedagogy—the larger world (e.g., opportunities for advocacy, embodying a new consciousness, working for the greater good of society and humanity).

Allow students to articulate possibilities for action based on course material or even to take actions in class, including community engagements, designing projects, guiding discussions, and advocating for change.

Theories of self-determination (Ryan & Deci, 2017) and student agency (Klemenčič, 2017) suggest that pedagogies providing students with ownership of their actions and choices can enhance student motivation and achievement of academic outcomes.

Evaluation

Image of concentric images in warm colors

Summary explanation

Ignatian pedagogy aims at evaluation which includes but goes beyond academic mastery to the learners’ well-rounded growth as persons.  It may involve students’ evaluation of their own learning, or inviting students to reflect on the growth they’ve seen in one another. It invites the faculty member to reflect on how the learning process is unfolding for both teacher and student.

Find opportunities to gauge how well you are engaging learners in your course, how well they are developing their skills and knowledge base, as well as their behaviors and attitudes. Take time to evaluate your own learning and development, too. Create circumstances that promote a developmental attitude among all and focus on the goals of formation and continual growth.

Teaching practices using formative feedback and assessments (Black & William, 1998) are regular opportunities to evaluate both instructor teaching and student learning, creating a learning environment that supports improvement and growth.

References

Black, P., & Wiliam, D. (1998). Inside the black box: Raising standards through classroom assessment. Phi Delta Kappan, 80(2), 139–148. 

Flavell, J. H. (1979). Metacognition and cognitive monitoring: A New area of cognitive-developmental inquiry. American Psychologist, 34(10), 906–911. 

Freeman, S., Eddy, S. L., McDonough, M., Smith, M. K., Okoroafor, N., Jordt, H., & Wenderoth, M. P. (2014). Active learning increases student performance in science, engineering, and mathematics. Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PNAS), 111(23), 8410–8415. 

Gay, G. (2018). Culturally responsive teaching: Theory, research, and practice (3rd ed.). Teachers College Press. 

Klemenčič, M. (2017). From student engagement to student agency: Conceptual considerations of European policies on student-centered learning in higher education. Higher Education Policy, 30(1), 69–85.  

Kolb, D. A. (1984). Experiential learning: Experience as the source of learning and development. Pearson Education Inc. 

Korth, S. J. (1993). Precis of Ignatian pedagogy: A practical approach. In G. W. Traub (Ed.), A Jesuit education reader: Contemporary writings on the Jesuit mission in education, principles, the issue of catholic identity, practical applications of the Ignatian way, and more (pp. 144–162). Loyola Press. 

Kuh, G. D. (2008). High-impact educational practices: What they are, who has access to them, and why they matter (p. 44). Association of American Colleges and Universities. 

Ladson-Billings, G. (1995). Toward a theory of culturally relevant pedagogy. American Educational Research Journal, 32(3), 465–491. 

Mezirow, J. (1991). Transformative dimensions of adult learning. Jossey-Bass. 

Ryan, R. M., & Deci, E. L. (2017). Self-determination theory: Basic psychological needs in motivation, development, and wellness. Guilford Publishing. 

Tilghman-Havens, J., Loertscher, J., Green, D. A., & Von Esch, K. S. (2026). Ignatian pedagogy for engaged, reflective, and inclusive learning: New insights on a treasured tradition. Jesuit Higher Education: A Journal, 15(1), 72–85 

Check out ourIgnatian Pedagogy Series topics