Research
Jesuit education is not the mere imparting of information in order to grow in knowledge and ripening in individual wisdom. It is also about the holistic formation of the individual in critical thinking, servant leadership – becoming men and women for others – leading to social transformation, benefitting the entire community.
In the spirit of Ignatian pedagogy, research at JWL focuses on two main areas, in order to inform and strengthen both current and future activities:
- The transformative impact of its blended mobile learning programmes on the lives of its students, alumni, and their community as well as on its staff around the world.
- The effectiveness of the blended mobile learning model and its robustness to serve marginalised communities.
The approach adopted by JWL is participatory, transformative and community-based, with a strong focus on the capacity-building of JWL staff, students and alumni, as well as on the integration of research efforts within its programmes and operations in order to inform and improve its academic offer.
Another key element of the JWL research approach is the collaboration and partnership with international institutions and universities to jointly develop research initiatives to serve and transform communities and to study the root causes of environmental and social degradation.
If you are interested in participating in one of JWL’s research activities, please contact Ms. Mélodie Honen-Delmar.
Research Updates
Bridging education and environmental justice
The Environmental Justice Conference hosted by the Lassalle-Institut last August brought together a diverse group of scholars, researchers and practitioners to engage in discussions on how hope can be fostered in an era of climate change and social injustice. Jason, an Indigenous youth advocate from the Philippines and JWL student, shared his experience as a forest defender and what hope looks like for marginalised communities protecting their land.
Higher Education to promote dignity, social inclusiveness and cohesion in refugee camps
Graduates and online facilitators of the Peace Leader programme shared their stories and lived experience with a global audience as part of the 2023 Migration Summit.
Leveraging Technology in Refugee Camp Education
JWL was invited to participate and speak at the Refugee & Migrant Education Network’s international conference, hosted by the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome from 26-29 September, around the theme of ‘Moving forward, diving deeper, together’.
Building the Future with Migrants and Refugees: Growing together as a society
At an international conference held on the occasion World Day of Migrants and Refugees 2022, JWL’s Dr Rega and Ms Honen-Delmar reflected on the Peace Leader programme and on the role of higher education in facilitating refugee integration in host communities.
Meet Alfred
Alfred has been focusing on two research projects: an investigation of the impact of the Diploma in Liberal Studies from the perspective of the community members whose lives were touched by the graduates, and a study on the transformative impact on the teaching practice of teachers working in Kakuma refugee camp who completed the Learning Facilitator professional programme.
Promoting Justice Through Education for Those Living at the Margins - JWL at 21st Commitment to Justice in Higher Education Conference
Dr Isabella Rega, JWL Global Research Director and Dr Martha Habash, JWL USA Academic Director, participated in the 21st Commitment to Justice in Higher Education Conference organised by the Association of Jesuit Colleges and Universities (AJCU) with a presentation titled ‘Promoting Justice Through Education for Those Living at the Margins: Jesuit Worldwide Learning’.
Transformative research from the margins
A transformative and participative approach is applied to research as we investigate and measure the extent of the impact of our programmes. It is research at the margins but conclusions would be incomplete without the participation of our graduates – making it research with, for and from the margins.
Global English Language Programme during COVID-19: Capacity building of GEL teachers
This document reports the main findings which emerged from a debriefing session with a group of GEL teachers who took the Teaching English Online course, offered by FutureLearn. Findings include teachers being more confident with the use of relevant technology, tapping into their creativity to design interactive classes and digital evaluation exercises, and increased student motivation and engagement of students.
A learning journey
How can we work with a dispersed team of research assistants, working in several countries and in challenging situations? In September, a virtual training was delivered for 11 JWL Research Assistants tasked with interviewing graduates of the Diploma in Liberal Studies about the impact the programmes had on their lives and those of their communities.
Transformative research in action
Dr Isabella Rega, JWL Global Research Director, is excited to introduce the research team investigating the impact of the Diploma in Liberal Studies on its graduates and their communities. One of the key pillars of the research efforts at JWL is that research needs to be transformative, both at personal and societal levels, as highlighted by Mertens (2017).
Research Publications
For her master’s thesis in Educational Media, Ulrike Kersten took a closer look at JWL’s blended learning setup, focusing on the usage of asynchronous discussion forums, and explored if/how the Jesuit concept of cura personalis influences social presence.
This article explores how refugees in higher education in Kakuma camp use multiple identities in their narratives of the Diploma impact study interviews, revealing diverse identity positions and transformative impact before and after graduation, including becoming community leaders, successful professionals, and empowered women challenging the status quo.
In her Doctoral thesis, Dr Roza Badritdin explores the challenges and successes of JWL’s model in facilitating refugees’ access to higher education and meeting their educational needs, and considers the implications for other stakeholders engaged in similar efforts.
This chapter unpacks how the value of altruism is rooted in the pedagogical model used by Jesuit Worldwide Learning (JWL), tracing how this value is rooted in JWL modus operandi and informs its educational practices.
How does the Learning Faciltitator programme transform participants? This paper underscores how the programme redefines the temporal horizons for its participants, enabling them to transcend established frames of reference and cultivate inclusive and conducive learning environments.
This research investigates how refugees living in camps who graduated from a blended higher education programme have described their journey in building intercultural competences, by analysing the voices of almost 100 refugee graduates of the Diploma in Liberal Studies programme, accredited by Regis University and delivered by Jesuit Worldwide Learning.
Learning Facilitator programme graduates become empowered teachers who apply student-centred and inclusive approaches in their classroom. Our latest report reveals the transformative impact of this six-month programme on graduates and their communities.
What do professional programme students do after they graduate? Our latest report on the Peace Leader, Youth Sports Facilitator and Learning Facilitator programmes reveals that 64% of graduates are currently employed and that the majority pursue a career path in the field of education.
The Peace Leader programme has empowered its graduates to embark on a journey of reconciliation with themselves and with others. Find out more in the July 2023 issue of Pax Lumina.
