FS525 - METHODOLOGY OF EDUCATIVE RESEARCH

The course addresses the theoretical, epistemological and methodological foundations of educational research, with particular attention to the qualitative approach and the phenomenological perspective. The first part will examine the nature and purpose of educational research, its scientific status and the relationship between theory and practice. The main research paradigms in educational sciences will be analysed, with reference to the differences between quantitative, qualitative and mixed approaches, and the criteria of validity and rigour specific to each.
Ample space will be devoted to qualitative research, research design and the conscious use of data collection and analysis tools, such as observation, interviews and content analysis. Particular attention will be paid to the ethical and reflective dimension of research, understood as a practice of epistemic and moral responsibility.
Starting from the thinking of Luigina Mortari, phenomenological approaches and virtue ethics will be explored as a horizon of meaning for educational research, exploring research as a form of care, attention and awareness towards educational processes. The course thus aims to provide students with theoretical and operational tools to understand educational research as a transformative and reflective practice, capable of combining methodological rigour and ethical depth.