Purpose-Guided Education

Purpose-guided education prioritizes intrinsic motivation and helps students to become more engaged in learning experiences through connecting their beliefs and life goals to curricular requirements. Jerry Pattengale first coined the phrase “purpose-guided education”, and began its application at Indiana Wesleyan University in 1997. The graduation rates increased over 20% during the next ten years, and ensuing publications, collaborative research projects, and other scholarly activities gained national attention. The Center for Life Calling and Leadership is perhaps the most visible manifestation of this educational philosophy. Key books include Why I Teach, The Purpose-Guided Student, The Explorer’s Guide, and the basic thesis of Educating Students Purposefully. Pattengale began questioning aspects of the prevailing approach to student success, as noted in “Student Success or Student Non-Dissatisfaction." Through surveying over 400 institutions he discovered that over 90% of them based their student success approach on student satisfaction surveys and external issues instead of intrinsic motivation. The original application of this student success approach is found in The Purpose-Guided Student.