Fr Johnny Go SJ discusses Learning by Refraction at the Mater Dei School in Bangkok, March 2018

A Thai translation of Learning by Refraction: A Practitioner’s Guide to 21st-Century Ignatian Pedagogy has been published by the Catholic Education Council of Thailand, and is now being used by Catholic schools across the country.

Written by Filipino authors Fr Johnny Go SJ and Rita J Atienza, and published by the Ateneo de Manila University Press and the Jesuit Basic Education Commission, the book was first released in 2018 on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the publication of the document, Ignatian Pedagogy: A Practical Approach, which introduced the global education community to the Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm (IPP).

IPP is a model for teaching and learning in a Jesuit school that identifies three key components of Jesuit teaching and learning: (a) drawing on experience, (b) reflecting on that experience, and (c) the action that follows from learning. It also highlights understanding the context in which teaching and learning take place, and evaluating the impact and effectiveness of education.

“The Church offers many documents to offer us direction, but we needed something more like a handbook that we could rely upon. The Ignatian Pedagogical Paradigm helps guide us through the learning process and in running a Catholic school,” said Fr Decha Arpornrat, Secretary General of the Catholic Educational Council of Thailand.

“I had no hesitation in translating Learning by Refraction once it was kindly permitted,” he said. “[It] will help us make a difference in our schools.”

The council’s head trainer, Dr Anupan Kitnitchi, who has been conducting training seminars on IPP for teachers, religious, and clergy since 2014, said Fr Go and Atienza’s workbook helps bring IPP to a more practical level. “It is a wonderful tool to help teachers revisit and revitalise the learning process that IPP introduced,” he said.

His colleague Pongnarin Ratanarangsikul translated the workbook into Thai. Pongnarin became excited about the book when he read it in 2019. “Learning by Refraction puts IPP into present-day teaching and learning. Not only is it faithful to the essence of IPP, but it also includes new learning theories and practical experiences of teachers,” he said.

In fact, Fr Go and Atienza’s intention when they wrote the book was to review and reflect on the original document in light of changes in education theory and practice that have emerged since the first introduction of Ignatian Pedagogy in 1993. Learning by Refraction: A Practitioner’s Guide gathers the insights of IPP practitioners over these last 25 years, and offers a reimagined approach that integrates contemporary teaching practices with Ignatian Pedagogy.

The Thai edition was originally set for distribution at the annual seminar of the Catholic Educational Council in August, but has been postponed to 2021 due to the Covid crisis.

Spanish and Chinese editions of the book will also be available next year. [JCAP Education]