02935 - Laboratory (Lab24)

Learning outcomes

Through a laboratory activity chosen from those activated during the year, the student develops transversal skills in practically elaborating the knowledge acquired in the course. They will be able to collect, organise, and analyse complex information and present the results of their analysis orally and in writing.

Course contents

The laboratory provides students with a practical opportunity to apply the methodological knowledge gained during their undergraduate studies, focusing on the analysis of phenomena related to education and cultural practices. The work will utilise secondary data, particularly emphasising open-access datasets, and will be conducted with continuous guidance from the instructor.
Throughout the course, students will engage in key stages of applied quantitative analysis, from formulating research questions to selecting and processing variables found in existing datasets. This will culminate in producing descriptive and multivariate analyses. Students will conduct exercises using Excel, exploring its basic and intermediate analytical functionalities. Developing operational skills in Excel is intended not only to support students' academic progress but also to provide them with valuable, transferable competencies for professional settings.
Activities will guide students in examining topics such as educational participation, cultural consumption, access to resources, and social inequalities, with a particular focus on the educational domain as a space where social relations are both reproduced and transformed.
Through a hands-on and participatory approach, the laboratory aims to enhance students' methodological and analytical competencies, improving their ability to interpret educational and cultural phenomena through a data-driven lens critically. The course is designed to promote greater autonomy in using statistical sources and to foster a deeper understanding of the role of education and culture in shaping contemporary societies.

Readings/Bibliography

Recommended reading for the course:

P. CORBETTA (2014), Metodologia e tecniche della ricerca sociale, Bologna, Il Mulino.

Teaching methods

The course is an attendance-based course, comprising lectures, practical exercises led by the teacher, and group work. Participants are required to bring their own laptops for the workshop exercises.

Assessment methods

Participation in class

Presentation (group or individual) of a topic covered during the course.

Teaching tools

Open access databases

Datasets provided by the lecturer

Excel

Tools for creating presentations (Power Point, Canva)

Zotero open access bibliography management software

Office hours

See the website of Marialuisa Villani