The research project aims to expand the documentation in the INDIRE Archive, continuing the Institute’s work carried out since its foundation, with regard to teaching/learning processes, with specific focus on the experiences of methodological and didactic innovation in the Italian school system since World War II.

The research project also aims to contribute to a diachronic reconstruction of innovation processes in support of the teaching profession by stimulating the adoption of reflective practices.

The ongoing research activity focuses both on the analysis of the documentary and bibliographic materials it has – in order to contribute to the construction of historiographical programmes on the theme of the history of school and education – and on the collection of autobiographical sources on the history of didactic innovation (RS) in the latter half of the twentieth century, which will constitute a new digital collection (in progress) of memories collected from former teachers according to the Narrative Inquiry method (the “Teachers’ memories” project).

 

Objectives

To support the teaching community and the scientific community in identifying and developing in-depth knowledge of the phenomena of innovation – with all its components – which have characterised the history of Italian schools. The analysis and problematisation of these phenomena aim to suggest, in a generative way, new stimuli for innovation in today’s school.

Research questions

• What aspects emerge from the analysis of the historical sources acquired, or to be acquired, by the Institution (oral stories, autobiographies, iconographic and audio-visual sources) to reconstruct the history of teaching/learning and innovation processes in the school system?
• What new multidisciplinary points of view do atypical sources and digital archives offer to historical research?

Recipients

Researchers, students, teachers.