Faculty Orientation Programme on the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm

Dr. Charlotte Simpson-Veigas, Associate Professor, Department of Education, St. Xavier’s College (Autonomous), Kolkata, conducted an orientation programme for 14 faculty members of Loreto College, Kolkata on April 19, 2024. The session sought to acquaint the attendees with the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP), which has its roots in Jesuit education and which remains integral to the Loreto educational movement in India and beyond.

Dr. Simpson-Veigas began by tracing the origins of the IPP back to Spiritual Exercises, the journal of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which outlined his thoughts on the education and spiritual retreats of scholastics. She elaborated on how the IPP was later developed and formalised by Jesuit priests as a comprehensive educational method. She also emphasised that the IPP does not entail the addition of extra courses to the curriculum. Rather, it infuses the principles of value learning and holistic growth within existing curricula. Embedded in the system is the idea of the teacher as a role model who facilitates the relationship between the learner and the subject.

The attendees were introduced to the five-part dynamics that constitute the IPP: Context, Experience, Reflection, Action, and Evaluation. Dr. Simpson-Veigas used case studies and examples to illustrate each component of the method and demonstrate its efficacy in promoting not just academic excellence but also critical consciousness and ethical leadership among students. At the end of the session, faculty members engaged in group activities and discussions to explore how IPP methodologies could be effectively integrated into their teaching practices across disciplines.