Civic and social disengagement is an educational emergency that arises from the lack of a sense of community and responsibility for the common good. To counteract the spread of this attitude, there is a pressing need to appreciate the decisive role played by educational institutions of all types and at all levels and the educational strategies that they do or might adopt, on their own or in collaboration with civil society.
WP1 involves two research actions.
This action is an educational research initiative, i.e. a project that proposes activities designed with a dual objective: educational, encouraging children and young people to reflect on issues of civic and social engagement on the basis of their own experiences; and heuristic, collecting data on their ethical thinking and evaluating the educational effectiveness of the tools employed in this project. In particular, the proposed educational pathway focuses on friendship as a virtue underlying the construction of a sense of citizenship.
This is an empirical study aimed at conducting an in-depth analysis of the role educational institutions at all levels play in combating civic and social disengagement through their relationship with the local area and civil society. The research also seeks to build a sense of belonging and recognition among students, including those from migrant backgrounds, young people and adults.
How can children and young people be guided to appreciate the virtue of friendship in order to establish good practices of civil and democratic coexistence?
Setting out from this pedagogical question, we are conducting an investigation that begins by formulating an educational project suitable for different age groups, for use in schools, to pursue the dual objectives of understanding the ethical thinking of the children and young people involved, and validating the project’s educational proposals.
Are educational institutions’ practices of interaction with the local area and civic society related to civic and social commitment, and how so?
The research, guided by this question, develops a fuller understanding of the types of practices educational institutions employ in interacting with the outside world. It investigates what third parties are involved and how these practices are experienced and imbued with meaning by the actors who design and/or implement them as well as the (young and adult) students involved in such interactions.
The research is aimed at children in kindergartens (5 years old), primary schools (4th grade, 9-10 years old) and secondary schools (2nd year, 11-12 years old).
The research involves 8 educational institutions at all levels in the Municipality of Verona – from Comprehensive Institutions to Centers for Adult Education (CPIA) – and the local and civil society actors with whom these educational institutions collaborate.
Two different lines of action have been planned.
With regard to the design of educational activities:
As for purely heuristic activities, the WP involves:
Empirical research activities include carrying out a multi-case study using document analysis, interviews with managers, teachers, students and school educational workers in the local area, observing moments in the life of the school and administering questionnaires to students. The empirical research is preceded by a systematic analysis of the literature concerning collaboration between schools and communities in the promotion of civic-social engagement.
An expected outcome is the enhancement of ethical thinking among the participating children and young people, particularly in understanding and reflecting on issues of civic-social engagement. At the same time, we anticipate validating the educational project carried out as part of this WP so it can be made available to all schools by providing grants for teachers.
The project intends to produce a detailed understanding of the most effective ways that educational institutions at all levels can work together with the local community and civil society to foster civic-social engagement among young and adult students alike. The knowledge produced will be made available both to the institutions that have participated in the research and to wider audiences, including through the university’ activities for community engagement.
Research area WP1 Civic and Social Engagement is coordinated by the University of Verona
To understand how curricular and extra-curricular activities promote the social-civic engagement of students of all levels through educational and research pathways.
Educational frailty and antisocial, aggressive and violent behavior among adolescents. A participatory research-action carried out with educators and teachers in Naples and Irpinia.
Social and economic exclusion of young people. Pilot study to assess the potential of MOOCs to support young people neither studying nor working (NEET) with training and labor market integration.
A psychoeducational analysis of the adaptation process using a multi-method approach.
© Re-serves
"REsearch at the SERVice of Educational FragilitieS", is a Project of Significant National Interest (PRIN) financed by the Ministry of Education, University and Research (MIUR) and approved under the SH (Social Sciences and Humanities) category, SH3 (Environment, Space and Population) sector through Convention No. 2017XPN3W9. The project is scheduled to last 3 years (2019-2022).
For more information, write to: re-serves@ateneo.univr.it
