Learning objectives

Knowledge and understanding
1.The students should be able to know and understand the essence of the epistemology of the qualitative research in educative contexts.
2.The students should be able to know and understand the specificity of the qualitative research in its paradigmatic, epistemological, philosophical and methodological aspects.
3.The student must be able to assume the posture of research as a fundamental competence of the pedagogical profession, in order to build heuristic practices capable of understanding the contexts and improving the quality of services.

Applying knowledge and understanding
1.The students should be able to project experiences of qualitative research contextualized in educative contexts.
2.The students should be able to create an interconnection between theoretical elements and empirical data.
3.The students must be able to take the results of the research in order to implement the quality of the services.

Prerequisites and basic notions

tudents will be requested to have the following pre-requisite:
• the knowledge of paradigms and methods of the research, in particular those that are framed in an ecological paradigm.

Program

The aim of the course is to equip the students with the necessary epistemological skills to design and carry out research with a deep awareness of the meanings of heuristic action.
The conviction on which the course is based refers to a profile of the pedagogist as understood by theoretical reflection and international policy documents: a professional equipped with heuristic and reflective skills. Within the horizon of pragmatistic philosophy, it will be proposed ta training that can promote the acquisition of research methods applicable in the world of education, and a learning context aimed at the development of reflective practice. The systematization of these contents can be found in the text "Ricercare e riflettere" by L. Mortari.
We will then delve into the theoretical assumptions that ground the epistemology of qualitative research, an approach to research that is considered the most coherent with pedagogical practice:
- Knowledge of the main orientations of qualitative research;
- Knowledge of the paradigmatic junctures, philosophies, methods and strategies of research;
- Knowledge of the dynamics necessary to develop qualitative research in educational contexts;
- An understanding of the specificity of research that identifies itself as educational;
- An understanding of the role of qualitative research in the development of innovative processes in educational contexts;
- An understanding of the ethical issues inherent in research.
A systematization of these contents can be found in L. Mortari's book "Cultura della ricerca e pedagogia".
The innovative empirical phenomenological method developed by Mortari, which is the specific subject of the text "Fenomenologia empirica", is then explored in depth. With reference to this, in laboratory moments, students will be guided to collect and analyze phenomenological data through individual and group learning by doing.

Bibliography

Didactic methods

During the course the students will be involved in laboratorial activities, so that they will be allowed to practice the analysis of qualitative data. This will allow them to face, in a direct or simulated way, all the epistemological, methodological and ethical aspects of the educative research.
Also case studies (taken from the professional context) will be presented to students.

Learning assessment procedures

Evaluation will be realized through a written presentation concerning the texts studied and the practices examined.

Evaluation criteria

Students should prove that they:
• have understood the relevant elements underlying qualitative research;
• know how to critically analyze a research project;
• be able to present the specificities of phenomenological research with precision and ability to summarize.

Criteria for the composition of the final grade

The texts will be evaluated taking into consideration the correctness of contents, the capacity to communicate in an efficient way and the quality of written composition.

Exam language

Italiano

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