The “Conduct of the Christian Schools”: a milestone in the emergence of modern pedagogy

Abstract

This paper deals with the emergence of modern pedagogy in the 17th century, assuming that the The Conduct of the Christian Schools, a pedagogical text by John the Baptist De La Salle, is a work that opens a new paradigm: that of an education that follows the methodological standards of science. It discusses the “Conduct” as the main reference work for modern pedagogy. It is considered that the pedagogical experiences of the first Christian Schools, institute founded by De La Salle, are reference for the elaboration of “The Conduct of Schools”. Based on the educational experience, De La Salle organized schools using a pedagogical method. De La Salle can be considered a reformer of modern education and his educational work has a great weight in the formation of modern pedagogy. This research concludes that the scientific model adopted by De La Salle in “The Conduct of the Christian Schools” influenced the whole elaboration of the educational processes after its century and even the contemporary education.