81870 - Empirical and Evaluation Research Methodology

Academic Year 2021/2022

Learning outcomes

At the end of the course the student: - knows the methodological approaches of empirical research in education; - critically analyzes the different qualitative and quantitative approaches of educational research and highlights their main features; - will know the fundamental phases of an quantitative and qualitative research process within educational contexts; -  analyze the characteristics of the main research tools and procedures that can be used in kindergarten and primary schools; -  know the main models and characteristics of the educational evaluation research and be able to analyze the effects on the kindergarten and primary school: - analyze and understand the data of the main evaluation researches on school systems at international level, also in order to evaluate the curriculum and instructional practices in classroom; - knows how to analyze the hypotheses and results of empirical research on teachers and on teaching-learning processes and evaluate their results also in relation to their impact on school innovation.

Course contents

Methods of the quantitative and qualitative educational research: definition of theoretical frameworks, construction of hypotheses, definition of research designs, analysis of data collection tools, data interpretation.

Assessment and evaluation in the school, from the point of view of the theories and of the technical procedures: - skills' assessment of the students (analysis of formative and summative assessment in classroom); - educational evaluation of the the school: micro system (evaluation of teaching in the classroom), meso (self- and hetero-evaluation of schools) and macro (evaluation of school systems).

We will be analyzed in specific issues, case studies and research related to the kindergarten and primary school.

Readings/Bibliography

1. C.COGGI, P. RICCHIARDI (2005). Progettare la ricerca empirica in educazione. Roma: Carocci

2. B. VERTECCHI, G. AGRUSTI, B. LOSITO (2010). Origini e sviluppi della ricerca valutativa. Milano. Angeli

3. R. D'UGO,I. VANNINI (2015). PraDISI. La valutazione formativa delle prassi didattiche dell'insegnante di scuola dell'infanzia: osservare per riprogettare. Milano: Angeli.

4. G. ASQUINI (a cura di) (2018). La Ricerca-Formazione. Temi, esperienze, prospettive. Milano: Angeli.

(Vannini, La Qualità nella didattica -chapters IV and V)

Teaching methods

Frontal lessons; Discussions in classroom; Analysis of research data and specific tools

Peer and self assessment

Assessment methods

Oral exam

Exams will be graded from 1 to 30. The minimum required vote is 18/3, oon the basis of a specific evaluation schema that takes into account the mastery of the contents, the use of specific terminology and the ability to apply knowledge to secific cases and to critically argue.

Inscription to the exam on Almaesami website.

Teaching tools

Using slides for frontal lessons; Use of empirical research results at national and international level; Examples of research and analysis of data; Analysis of indirect detection tools and systematic observation tools.

Case analysis in peer tutoring

Office hours

See the website of Ira Vannini