(ANS – Rome) – “How is the Salesian educational and pastoral heritage experienced today in the world’s diverse cultural contexts?” This is the central question driving 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 its third and final stage, dedicated to analyzing, interpreting, and presenting the findings.
The study engages both educators and young people through two coordinated surveys, supplemented by qualitative research methods and an analysis of educational and pastoral documents.
The survey has reached a broad international audience. Researchers collected approximately 30,000 responses from young people and 9,000 from educators across Africa, the Americas, Asia, and Europe. The research includes participants from 124 countries and 160 SDB and FMA provinces, creating a substantial body of information on Salesian educational experiences around the world.
For the upcoming comparative analyses, the data will be organized into multiple levels of study. Thirteen subgroups have been established for continental analysis, with teams of researchers from each region comparing findings across different cultural and geographic contexts.
Comparing the Salesian Educational Experience
At the heart of the study are four questions that appear in parallel in the surveys completed by educators and young people. Together with 66 related variables, they explore four fundamental dimensions of Salesian education.
The first examines the educator’s daily presence, focusing on the style of the educational relationship, including closeness, attentive listening, availability, and the ability to accompany and encourage young people.
The second explores the experience of loving kindness as expressed through concrete educational actions, including trust, acceptance, encouragement, personal attention, respectful correction, and offering new opportunities.
The third dimension examines the goals of Salesian education, rooted in the formation of “good Christians and honest citizens.” It considers spiritual growth, solidarity, responsibility, concern for others, and care for the common good.
The fourth evaluates educator effectiveness through qualities such as personal witness, dialogue, educational competence, the ability to support young people through difficulties, and possessing the heart of a good shepherd.
Comparing educators’ responses with those of young people will help identify both the similarities and the differences between the educational approach educators seek to communicate and the one that young people actually experience.
Comparing Values and Perceptions
Another important aspect of the study is the comparison of the personal values of educators and young people using Schwartz’s Portrait Values Questionnaire–Revised (PVQ-RR), which was completed by both groups.
The instrument measures 19 values organized into four broad categories: openness to change, self-enhancement, conservation, and self-transcendence.
Researchers will analyze the responses using both the PVQ-RR and the 66 Salesian educational variables. This will make it possible to examine the relationship between personal values, organizational culture, educators’ characteristics, and young people’s experiences, while also connecting educational perceptions with factors such as life satisfaction, spirituality, family and peer support, socioeconomic conditions, and the use of digital technologies.
The Contribution of Focus Groups and Provincial Documents
The research complements its quantitative findings with qualitative and documentary analysis. Through intercultural focus groups involving the Salesians of Don Bosco and the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians, researchers are exploring key themes of Salesian education in greater depth. At the same time, an analysis of Salesian Provincial Educative and Pastoral Plans (SEPPs), Overall Provincial Plans (OPPs), and other provincial documents examines the educational and pastoral priorities identified by the various communities.
Integrating these different sources will allow researchers to compare survey findings with insights from the focus groups and document analysis, relating stated values, educators’ perspectives, young people’s experiences, and educational practices.
Toward the Presentation of the Results
The research will accompany Salesian educational communities through the final phase of the project, culminating in the publication of the final report and the sharing of its findings.
The project will conclude with an International Congress at the Pontifical Salesian University, April 9–11, 2027, where the results of this international research on Salesian education will be presented and discussed.