B2141 - STORIA DELLA SCUOLA, DELLA DIDATTICA DELLE SCIENZE E DELL'EDITORIA SCOLASTICA

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: (a) knows the evolution of the Italian school system from the Unit to today; (b) knows and understands the historical dimension of scientific teaching tools such as school manuals and pioneering and commercial scientific collections, often still present today in school archives as a historical-educational heritage; (c) knows and understands the history of the teaching profession, especially of secondary school; (d) knows how to structure didactic paths in a critical and historically founded way.

Course contents

Teaching involves the study of the essential historical coordinates of the Italian school system from the nineteenth century to the present in its normative-institutional, cultural and pedagogical-didactic aspects, with particular attention to the development of science teaching in the Italian school, especially for the secondary school, and of the science teacher/professor area. Therefore, the structure and evolution of science curricula in different school orders will be examined, identifying continuities and discontinuities.

Another part of the Course will focus on the historical-critical deconstruction of the 'black box of schooling' that is, that complex teaching device used by teachers between past and present and which is sedimented in teaching practices, often unconsciously, even today. In particular. we will reason about the specific school manuals, which have played an indispensable didactic mediating role between academic culture and the school world. Key texts, publishers, authors and moments in the history of the secondary school teaching profession will be identified in the history of science education between positivism, pedagogical activism and post-World War II renewal, up to the birth and development of a more modern science and environmental education both technological and open air. Specific space will be devoted to the history of open-air schools and educational innovation.

Further attention will be paid to the birth and development of educational tools that arose for the development of specific scientific school culture. Specifically, we will look at some pioneering museums for science teaching in schools that arose in the second half of the nineteenth century in Italy and Europe, as well as at scientific collections of a commercial nature found in publishing catalogs for schools, now the historical-educational heritage of the oldest secondary schools, on which comparative research is being undertaken internationally.

Readings/Bibliography

Required reading and study

- M. D'Ascenzo, R. Vignoli (eds.), School, education and museums between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. Il Museo didattico 'Luigi Bombicci' di Bologna, Bologna, CLUEB, 2008.

- M. D'Ascenzo, Educational museums between the nineteenth and twentieth centuries in Italy as a source for school history and historical educational heritage, in A. Ascenzi, C. Covato, J. Meda (eds.), Educational practice. History, memory and heritage. Proceedings of the 1st National Congress of the Italian Society for the Study of Historical-Educational Heritage (Palma de Mallorca, November 20-23, 2018), Macerata, Eum Edizioni, 2020, pp. 171-190.

- M. D'Ascenzo, Maestri, maestre and didactics in outdoor schools, what professionalism?, in M. Ferrari, M. Morandi (eds.), Maestri e pratiche educative dall'Ottocento a oggi. Contributions for a history of didactics, Brescia, Morcelliana, 2020, pp.189-210.

- M. D'Ascenzo, The pedagogical and didactic innovation of outdoor schools from special schools to schools for all, in A. Ascenzi, R. Sani (eds.), L'innovazione pedagogica e didattica nel sistema formativo italiano dall'Unità al secondo dopoguerra, Rome, Studium edizioni, 202, pp. 315-332.

Further variations of the texts will be reportedon this page.

Teaching methods

The Course will be conducted through face-to-face lectures, in Italian, aimed at promoting student participation.

Power points, films and analysis of texts will be used. If possible, depending on the pandemic trend, guided tours to museums, schools and meetings with privileged witnesses from the world of education who are protagonists in the renewal of science education are planned.

Assessment methods

Assessment of learning will be through oral examinations with individual interviews. The interview is designed to test content knowledge, the ability to express oneself with conceptual clarity and linguistic correctness, including using the specific language of the discipline, the ability to organize answers in a way that is relevant to the questions, concise and comprehensive.

The final grade will be in thirtieths.

In case of failure to pass the exam, there is no appeal skip.

Registration through Almaexams is required to take the exam.

Teaching tools

Teaching materials will be uploaded to the Virtual.

Office hours

See the website of Mirella D'Ascenzo