Research Summary: A mukha-mukha sampradaya inspired proto-mentorship model for cultivating critical thinking in ayurveda education

A study published in Frontiers in Education outlines the conceptualization of a proto-mentorship model derived from the Mukha-Mukha Sampradaya (face-to-face learning tradition) to foster critical thinking in Ayurvedic higher education. While contemporary curricular reforms have introduced biostatistics and modern research methodologies, classical foundational texts continue to be treated as unquestionable axioms rather than subjects of rigorous internal critique, contextual interpretation, and epistemological scrutiny.

Why it matters

Integrating modern empirical methods into traditional knowledge systems is insufficient if foundational pedagogical frameworks do not encourage internal critical inquiry. Developing disciplined mentorship structures ensures that graduates can critically evaluate traditional doctrines alongside contemporary science rather than treating classical texts as inviolable axioms. This balance is critical for the scientific credibility, evolution, and global integration of traditional medicine disciplines.

Key insights

• Ayurvedic educational reforms have integrated modern research methodologies and biostatistics to cultivate critical inquiry.
• Pedagogical engagement with classical texts remains constrained, with literature often treated as unquestioned dogma requiring empirical validation rather than analytical critique.
• Curricula frequently lack mechanisms for rigorous internal critique, contextual interpretation, and epistemological examination of traditional texts.
• A proto-mentorship framework based on the Mukha-Mukha (face-to-face learning) tradition is proposed as a narrative conceptual intervention to address these critical thinking deficits.

Source

Frontiers in Education — https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/feduc.2026.1952137