85078 - Theory and Practice of Education (1) (LM)

Academic Year 2024/2025

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course students are expected to know models and theories about teaching/learning process in different institutional frameworks; to develop a personal concept about teaching and education; to identify the main method principles and teaching models in action and to define them.

Course contents

It is recommended to Students to read carefully the following notes before choosing the course

Teaching as a category of human action and its phenomenology. School and apprenticeship. Teaching models in Italian schools: the systematic teaching; programming; the inductive methods and the teaching laboratory. The quality of the teacher-effectiveness: communication, organization and assessment. Teaching strategies in the classroom management. Active listening as a general method principle. Case analysis and the relational dimension of the teacher/student relationship.

This course has specific pre-professional aims with regard to professional teachers.

In relation to these, it is necessary for all students (even and especially if not attending) to enroll and agree with the teacher on their study path and personal activities planned, by means of a direct conversation (NO MAIL).

Students (attending or non-attending) are strongly recommended to register at the beginning of the course by December 2024. Late registrations will entail a later admission to the final examinations.

The frequency is achieved through 24 hours in presence, documented by the signatures, and the exercises planned (Teaching methods).

* Registration via form to be filled in at the teacher's reception or in class if the deadline for December has not been respected. Obviously the course must be present in the study plan.

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is suggested that they get in touch as soon as possible with the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) and with the lecturer in order to seek together the most effective strategies for following the lessons and/or preparing for the examination.

Readings/Bibliography

It is recommended to Students to read carefully the entire program 

  1. Moscato M.T. , Diventare insegnanti. Verso una teoria pedagogica dell'insegnamento, Brescia, La Scuola, 2008.

  2. Moscato M.T., Premesse per una pedagogia del lavoro: l'apprendistato come forma strutturale, "Formazione, Lavoro, persona", anno VI, n. 16, pp. 52-76 (sito Unibo).

  3. Pinelli G. (a cura di), Genesi di comunità educative fra creatività e orizzonti di senso. Una ricerca con le scuole in Emilia-Romagna, Bologna, Università di Bologna, 2024 (libro open access: https://amsacta.unibo.it/id/eprint/7669/)

Recommended further reading:

  1. Caputo M., Insegnare ad insegnare. Ricerca pedagogica e normative ministeriali in Italia fra storia e prospettiva, “Professionalità studi”, 3/V 2022, pp. 42-67 (sito Unibo)
  1. Caputo M., Contro la de-formazione iniziale degli insegnanti: proposte pedagogiche in-attuali, in M. Fiorucci, E. Zizioli, La formazione degli insegnanti: problemi, prospettive e proposte per una scuola di qualità aperta a tutti e tutte. Sessioni parallele, Lecce - Rovato (BS), Pensa Multimedia Editore, 2022, pp. 165-168 (sito Unibo)

Non-attending Students are required to choose one of the following texts:

  1. Moscato M.T., Preadolescenti a scuola. Insegnare nella secondaria di primo grado, Milano, Mondadori Università, 2013.

  2. Moscato M.T., Il viaggio come metafora pedagogica, Brescia, La Scuola, 1994 (ristampa Scholé, 2019).

Teaching methods

Lectures, workshops, classroom simulations, individual work with mentorship by the lecturer

Organizational warnings:

According to the specific organization of this course, the sequence of the topics discussed during the lessons probably won’t linearly follow the exposition contained in the texts. Students are suggested to use a system of notes (a kind of "diary") that identifies each time the essential element that was the subject of lecture / discussion / reflection, with their personal observations. This tool aims to make the participation in classroom discussions more informed and precise . This Personal Diary can be showed to the lecturer during the exam and evaluated by the lecturer.

The possible classroom exercises are of two types:

a) lesson / simulated activity in the classroom (max 6 students).

b) case analysis (small group work, no more than 12 people, with the task of analyzing a didactic / educational situation and proposing possible solutions, in the light of the categories of the course) *.

* At least 3 lessons will be dedicated to the case analyzes and the small group's work will be led by the teacher or trainer. Students not directly involved in the small group will play the role of observers and draw up a report on the observed case analysis and their own assessments. For attendance, it is necessary to have drawn up at least one report (if members of the small group) or two (in the case of non-participation in the small group).

The personal work, requested from the student, must be agreed individually during the reception (NO MAIL), following the procedures indicated in the notices and instructions on the teacher's web page (home, notices and useful contents).

Assessment methods

The classroom exercises, comments or other personally assigned tasks to the student will be evaluated, and the evaluation will be included in the final mark in the interview. The Teacher can integrate the evaluation with an oral question concerning the texts indicated in the Bibliography. The assessment will cover the knowledge and the comprehension of the contents of the course and the skill to compare theories and one’ experience and practice.

At the end of the course and in view of the exam session, each student is required to have two written papers *.

The first paper, common to all, is a self-reflective relationship, with which the student analyzes his / her education / training path in the light of the theoretical-pedagogical categories proposed by the course to which it will have to refer in formal and academic terms.

The second paper will be assigned during an individual interview, usually scheduled 10 days before the delivery deadline (consult the notices and the calendar of receptions). The following types are provided:

a) report on an experience / activity / internship / voluntary service, already completed by the Student and proposed by him, and which is coherent / congruent with respect to the contents / objectives of the course.

b) analysis of a case assigned by the teacher.

The objective of the second paper is always the comparison with the proposed theoretical model (which can be confirmed or dis-confirmed), through a series of concrete data pre-existing to the study. The experiences must be described with precise references (duration, material conditions, contents used) with an initial narrative exposition, which must be followed by a scientific reflection. In any case, adherence to the agreed outline constitutes the first element of evaluation of the documents, which can also be discussed in the final interview.

*The individual documents, drawn up following the provided templates. they must always be sent by e-mail, according to the calendar on the teacher's web page "useful contents". Text length: between 6 and 10 pages (from 12,000 to 20,000 characters max, including spaces)

The exam date will be communicated directly to those who have delivered, by email, the work agreed on the day indicated by the following calendar (send only on the date indicated; write in the subject "TPF 2025 exam processed - Surname"; e-mails sent with others mode or on other dates will be ignored).

(The elaborate delivery dates will be published in February and July 2025)

Rating Descriptors:

  • The student demonstrates a thorough knowledge and a comprehensive view of the issues proposed in the course, an expressive capacity of the content required for the autonomous and appropriate use of both the specific language and the methodological tools of the discipline, knows provide an original reflection on problems and Pedagogical themes (27 - 30 e lode).

  • The student demonstrates that he possesses an appropriate but incomplete knowledge of the topics proposed in the course, with a relevant but not always specific language, uses the methodological tools of the discipline independently and correctly guides the problems and pedagogical themes (22-26).

  • The student demonstrates that he possesses a relevant but inappropriate knowledge (or appropriate with linguistic-formal errors) of the topics proposed in the course, uses, if guided, the methodological tools of the discipline and he focuses on problems and pedagogical issues (18 - 21).

  • The student demonstrates numerous gaps in the preparation, expresses non-relevant knowledge and / or conceptual errors, or with serious linguistic errors, can not use the conceptual and methodological tools, and does not know how to navigate among the themes and issues of the discipline (examinations not passed).

Students with SLD or temporary or permanent disabilities. It is necessary to contact the relevant University office (https://site.unibo.it/studenti-con-disabilita-e-dsa/en) with ample time in advance: the office will propose some adjustments, which must in any case be submitted 15 days in advance to the lecturer, who will assess the appropriateness of these in relation to the teaching objectives.

Office hours

See the website of Michele Caputo

SDGs

Good health and well-being Quality education Gender equality Peace, justice and strong institutions

This teaching activity contributes to the achievement of the Sustainable Development Goals of the UN 2030 Agenda.