(ANS – Rome) – “How is the Salesian educational and pastoral heritage experienced today in the world’s various cultural contexts?” This is the fundamental question underlying the international research project “Rethinking Salesian Education”, promoted by the Pontifical Salesian University and the Pontifical Faculty of Educational Sciences Auxilium, in collaboration with the Youth Ministry Sector of the Salesians of Don Bosco (SDB) and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians (FMA).
Following the planning and data collection phases, the project has now entered the third and final phase of the research, dedicated to the analysis, interpretation and presentation of the results.
The study involves educators and young people through two coordinated questionnaires, supplemented by qualitative methods and the analysis of educational and pastoral documents.
The collection of questionnaire responses has taken on a very broad international scope: a total of 30,000 responses from young people and 9,000 responses from educators from Africa, the Americas, Asia and Europe have been gathered. The research has involved 124 countries and 160 provinces (SDB and FMA), gathering a significant wealth of information on the various Salesian experiences around the world.
For the forthcoming comparative analyses, the data will be organised into different levels of analysis: 13 sub-groups are planned for the continental analysis, to be carried out by teams of researchers from the various continents, thereby enabling a comparison between different cultural and geographical contexts.
A comparison of the Salesian educational experience
At the heart of the research are four questions that appear in parallel in the questionnaires for educators and young people. Through 66 variables, four fundamental dimensions of Salesian education are explored in depth.
The first concerns the daily presence of the educator, that is, the style of the educational relationship: closeness, listening, availability, and the ability to accompany and value young people.
The second concerns recognised loving kindness, expressed through actions that give concrete form to educational love: trust, acceptance, encouragement, personal knowledge, the ability to correct with respect and to offer new opportunities.
The third area explores the aims of Salesian education, linked to the formation of ‘good Christians and honest citizens’: spiritual growth, solidarity, responsibility, concern for others and care for the common good.
The fourth concerns the effectiveness of the educator, through characteristics such as witness, dialogue, educational competence, the ability to support young people through difficulties, and the heart of a good shepherd.
A comparison between the educators’ responses and those of the young people will enable us to identify similarities and differences between the educational profile intended to be conveyed and that which is actually perceived.
A Comparison of Values and Perceptions
An important element of the research concerns the comparison of the personal values of educators and young people using Schwartz’s “Portrait Values Questionnaire – Revised” (PVQ-RR), completed by both groups.
The instrument measures 19 values, organised into four broad areas: openness to change, self-affirmation, conservation and self-transcendence.
The data from educators and young people will be analysed primarily through the PVQ-RR and the 66 common Salesian variables. This will enable us to study the relationship between personal values, organisational culture, characteristics attributed to the educator and the experiences of young people, linking educational perceptions to aspects such as life satisfaction, spirituality, support from family and friends, socio-economic conditions and the use of digital tools.
The contribution of focus groups and provincial documents
The research complements the quantitative data with a qualitative and documentary component. Through intercultural focus groups with the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, certain central themes of Salesian education are explored in depth, whilst the analysis of the Salesian Provincial Educative and Pastoral Plans (SEPP), the Overall Provincial Plans (OPP) and other provincial documents enables an examination of the educative and pastoral priorities expressed by the various communities.
The integration of these different sources will make it possible to correlate the questionnaire results with the findings from the focus groups and the documentary analysis, comparing stated values, educators’ perceptions, young people’s experiences and educational practices.
Towards the presentation of the results
The research will accompany Salesian educational communities towards the final phase of the process, with the publication of the final report and the sharing of the findings. The process will conclude with the International Congress at the Pontifical Salesian University from 9 to 11 April 2027, an opportunity to present and discuss the results of the international research on Salesian education.
