Ignatian Pedagogy for Engaged, Reflective, and Inclusive Learning: New Insights on a Treasured Tradition

Ignatian pedagogy is the philosophy and methodology for teaching and learning that evolved from the wisdom accumulated from 500 years of Jesuit education. The Ignatian approach views education as a collaborative process that transforms students and teachers, preparing them for moral and ethical action in the world. While the core values of Jesuit education have remained constant, the changing demographics within our Jesuit communities and among the faculty and staff of our institutions offer an opportunity to celebrate its many intersections with peer-reviewed research on effective pedagogical approaches that center students and foster justice, diversity, equity, and inclusion. In this article, we describe the five elements of the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP) - context, experience, reflection, action, and evaluation - and how they can be accessed and expressed in a variety of disciplines, with a particular lens on the intersections between the Ignatian paradigm and critical pedagogies of social and racial justice, whole-person education, and teaching that fosters psychological and spiritual development. At the end of each section are suggestions for instructional strategies that exemplify an Ignatian Pedagogical approach that is engaged, reflective, and inclusive.