Analyzing the UST-IR signature pedagogy (DoT-ED framework) vis-à-vis the constructivist and thomistic philosophies of education

This paper explores the Dominican Thomistic Education by Design (DoT-ED) Framework, the signature pedagogy of the University of Santo Tomas–Institute of Religion. Rooted in Dominican charism and Catholic Social Teaching, the framework seeks to address contemporary challenges by integrating study, reflection, and action. This research compares the DoT-ED Framework with Constructivist and Thomistic educational philosophies, focusing on teaching goals, human agency, meaning-making, and the pursuit of truth. Constructivism emphasises learner-centered, socially embedded learning, while Thomism stresses the teacher's role in guiding students toward objective truth. Through philosophical analysis and comparative synthesis, the study examines whether the DoT-ED Framework leans solely on the Thomistic tradition or harmonises both approaches. The goal is to identify points of convergence and divergence and to assess whether the framework offers a balanced, interdisciplinary, and dialogical model of religious education that promotes holistic human formation in today’s pluralistic world.