La ricerca didattica può diventare rilevante per la pratica? Se sì, in che modo?

Abstract

To improve school learning through effective and sustainable approaches has always been the main aspiration of educational research. However, history shows how this goal remained mostly unattainable. This work first recalls the models of educational research that in recent decades have prevailed in order to improve teaching practices (Action Research and Design-Research) showing the criticalities of these orientations in relation to the objective indicated above. Are other ways possible? A different road is envisaged that makes use of a more systematic use of the resources offered by evidence-based orientation, either in terms of didactic frameworks, programs or theoretical frameworks that have already proven effective (Evidence-Based Improvement Design – EBID). This requires a uniform and explicitly defined experimental program to be applied on a large scale, but also makes use of contributions that come from practical wisdom in the phases of the preparation and contextualization and of the improvement after experimentation. Two cases applied in Italy inspired by this orientation and their results are recalled.