THEORIES AND RESEARCH IN ENVIRONMENTAL EDUCATION

This course is one of the educational activities in elective and supplementary disciplines (in the 12 ECTS Environmental Cultures track) of the Master's Degree Course in Environmental Humanities. It takes place during the second semester.
The course aims to introduce students to the approaches and methods of environmental educational research and education for sustainable development. Among the various research approaches, this course will delve especially and specifically into participatory research with children.
The course is divided into three parts:
- the first part is devoted to the introduction of participatory research with children in environmental education and sustainable development. This part includes: Children's developing capacity to participate, Organizational principles of participation and new model for involving children.
- The second part is devoted to developing the basic knowledge and skills to design both conventional and participatory educational research. This part includes the following topics: types of research; research paradigm; research literature and questions; population and sample; variables and hypothesis; Instruments.
- The third part is devoted to applying the knowledge and skills acquired in the first and second parts of the course through the analysis of participatory research methods with children in the field of environmental education and sustainable education. The third part includes group work on these topics.

Knowledge and understanding: Knowing and understanding participatory research with children; Children's developing capacity to participate; Organizational principles of participation and new model for involving children; Types of research; Research paradigm; Research literature and questions; Population and sample; Variables and hypothesis; Instruments; research methods with children.
Applying knowledge and understanding: Knowing how to design conventional and participatory research with children.
Making judgements: Show the ability to evaluate research stages through hypothesis testing and comparison with other research in the field; be able to reflect, discuss and evaluate when faced with divergent theoretical perspectives in the interpretation of the same phenomenon.
Communication skills: Demonstrate mastery of the specialized vocabulary typical of the discipline in order to communicate findings clearly and unambiguously to specialist and non-specialist interlocutors.

This course is a required/elective course offered to students enrolled in the Master Degree in the Environmental Humanities. No prior background in the subject is required.

Partecipatory research with children; children's developing capacity to participate; organizational principles of participation and new model for involving children in participatory research; types of research; research paradigm; research literature and questions; population and sample; variables and hypothesis; Instruments; participatory methods with children.

Mandatory: Course lessons + research papers made available in MOODLE (for all students)

Optional: Other books, research papers and resources will be communicated during the course.

Assessment of learning will take place through a written exam composed of multiple-choice questions and questions with a short open answer. These questions concern both theoretical knowledge learned during the course and the skills of reasoning and application on case studies.
The evaluation criteria of the short answer questions on theoretical knowledge and reasoning skills are:
(a) the accuracy of the information reported in relation to the theoretical knowledge learned
(b) the appropriate use of the language proper to the discipline;
(c) the validity of the argument;
(d) the effectiveness of communication and presentation.

Blended learning (face-to-face classes and online classes). Five lessons are delivered on-line and ten in presence. The students will be required to participate actively in the classroom activities in person and/or online (moodle.unive.it).

English

written

This subject deals with topics related to the macro-area "Human capital, health, education" and contributes to the achievement of one or more goals of U. N. Agenda for Sustainable Development