The existence of South Tyrol’s formal educational institutions can be documented over a time period up to thousand years. The present focus analyses the genesis of educational institutions at all three action levels (conception, adaptation and implementation on site) centring on relevant aspects regarding the organization, the addressing and reception of educational offers and their respective historical and ideological contexts.
Some of the topics relating to the chronological genesis of South Tyrol’s institutionalised education the Centre has already elaborated on are:
Cathedral schools, monastery- and convent schools since the turn of the first millennium; Latin- and German schools organised by cities and village towns between the Late Middle Ages and the Early Modern Times; first regional regulations at the macro level between the 16th and the 18th century; emerging national interest in schools and introduction of compulsory school during the 18th century; national regulations during the 19th century; school during war times; school and totalitarian regimes; resistance against the prohibition of mother-tongue teaching; construction and anchoring of the schooling system in all three official languages after 1945; implementation of the Italian school laws of the post-war period (introduction of the unified middle school, dissolution of special-needs schools and creation of an inclusive school system); achievement and expansion of autonomous regulations regarding South Tyrol’s school at a national level and its implementation.
In addition to the research, EduSpace FDZ organises international conferences in order to evaluate the aspects of regional school history through an interregional perspective.
Die Einführung der Schulpflicht (1774) und ihre Auswirkung auf die Alphabetisierung
Partner: Ferdinandeum Innsbruck, Archivio della Scrittura Popolare di Trento, public and private archives such as Andres Baur, Katherina Gasser and Christoph Hartung von Hartungen
Research issues: How was Empress Maria Theresa’s reform Allgemeine Schulordnung implemented in the historical region of Tyrol? Were there any territorial differences regarding the reform’s implementation? To what extent did the introduction of compulsory schooling have an effect on the literacy rate of the poorest classes?
Sie Schule unter nationalistischer Vereinnahmung
Focus: the nationalist instrumentalisation of school before and after the First World War, especially focalising on Fascist and National socialist school politics; implementation of school laws at the meso and micro level in South Tyrol; collective memory of school repression politics in local historiography; the German-speaking and Ladin-speaking population’s resistance against the school’s italianisation and its significance regarding the current collective memory; school at war.
Die Implementierung der staatlichen Mittelschulreform (1962) in der Provinz Bozen-Südtirol
Research issues: which acceptance or non-acceptance of the middle school reform‘s social and ideological vision could be found analysing the actors at the meso and micro level (regional politics, school districts, school supervisors on site, teachers, pupils and parents)? Did the linguistic groups have different interpretations of the law? Which organizational challenges were brought by the school reform and how were they mastered in urban and peripheral areas?
Mädchen als Adressaten von Bildungsangeboten
Focus: analysis of ideological and organisational conceptions of education in the genesis of school regarding gender specific self-understanding and alignments.
This research focus analyses ideological and historical forms of exclusion regarding the context of educational experiences. The terms “inclusion“ and “exclusion“ are to be intended more broadly, using a systemic understanding (Luhmann, 2008, Inklusion und Exklusion) and illuminating the different conditioning factors of exclusion. At the same time, the concepts of integration and inclusion are taken from the educational discourse to inspire the analysis of the ideas and their implementation in South Tyrol.
Schule und Fremdheitserfahrung
(Forschungsprojekt “Arbeitsmigration in Südtirol”); Wissenschaftsfonds Autonome Provinz Bozen; Partner: Institut für Zeitgeschichte der Universität Innsbruck, 2014-2017; Focus: When school speaks another language: experiences of foreignness made by pupils with migration background and experience of foreignness made by former pupils in the Italianised school during Fascist times.
Online exhibition „Alphabetisierung in der Fremdsprache“ /„Alphabetisation in a foreign language"
Die Implementierung des nationalen Gesetzes zur Integration von Kindern mit Behinderung in Südtirol
Focus: effects of integration and inclusion in schools, or exclusion of children with disabilities on society’s fundamental understandings using the examples of South Tyrol and the Canton of Zurich.
Ländliche Kindheiten an besonderen Erziehungs- und Bildungsorten im historischen Tirol
Euregio Mobility Fonds; Partner: Institut für Erziehungswissenschaften der Universität Innsbruck, autorisiert 2018.
Focus: organisational concepts for defined “precarious educational necessities“ during the 20th century in the historic region of Tyrol using the examples of remote mountain schools and educational institutions for children with disabilities and “educational deficits”.
A European comparison of teaching material - criteria for its development and evaluation
Erasmus+KA 2-3, 2018-2019; Partner: Universität Bielefeld (D); Umea University (SWE), University of Luxenbourg (LUX), Deutschsprachiger Schulsprengel Bozen;
Focus: teaching materials for inclusive teaching in compulsory schools.
Mehrsprachigkeit und Schulbuch/Multilingualism and school books, iin cooperation with Universität Augsburg und der Internationalen Gesellschaft für Schulbuchforschung, 22.-24.09.2011; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano.
Kindheit, Schule und Krieg//Childhood, school and war,in cooperation with Universität Augsburg, 15.12.2014; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
Geschichte(n) der Migration seit dem Zweiten Autonomiestatut/ History(s) of the Migration since the Second Statute of Autonomy in South Tyrol, in cooperation with Institut für Zeitgeschichte der Universität Innsbruck (A), 03.-05.04.2017; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano
This focus analyses learning- and educational biographies relating to special historic and geographic conditions in South Tyrol during the 20th century. Besides the analysis of formal educational contexts and its accessibility for the individuals, the Centre researches about informal learning processes and the social and individual meaning attributed to informally obtained abilities and skills.
Transgenerationale Übermittlung von Einstellungen zu Bildung
Partner: Universität Bielefeld, in cooperation with students enrolled in the teacher-training program of both universities. Focus: formal and informal parts in learning- and educational biographies; transgenerational transfer of attitudes towards formal and informal learning for the individual.
Kindheits- und Lerngeschichten im historischen Tirol
Storie di infanzia e di apprendimento nel Tirolo storico, Partner: Universität Innsbruck, Archivio della Scrittura Popolare di Trento.
Focus: childhood and learning during the 20th century in the historic region of Tyrol
Bildungsbiographische Verläufe in peripheren Gebieten
(Education biography patterns in periferal areas), project: University of Monash (AU), University of Wellington (NZ), University of New Foundland (CA); Focus: development of educational biographies in remote, thinly populated and poorly structured areas all around the world.
From speechlessness to speaking. Educational paths of three generations in European minority areas with alphabetization-limitations due to historical events
preparazione per progetto HERA: Partner: Universidad del País Vasco (ES); University of Dublin (IE); University of Klagenfurt (AT) Focus: Transgenerational effects of nationalistic educational policies on linguistic minorities.
Imagining the World
preparation for the submission as EU-project; Project leader: Research Library of the History of Education in Berlin (DE), Partner: University of Würzburg (DE); Danish school of Education (DEN); Musée national de l´Education (F); Onderwijs National Museum of Education (NED). Focus: wall maps, book illustrations, geographic maps as visual aid for teachin during the 19th century and the beginning of the 20th century and the understanding of the world and of the other contained in them.
Kindheit am Berg/ Childhood in the mountains, 14.-16.01.2010; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano. e Tiers.
Expedition in die Kindheit/Exploration into childhood 14th International Symposium for School Life and School History Museums & Collections, 29.6.-3.7.2011; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano..
BIWI meets BIB 2013: Lesefertigkeiten und Strategien entwickeln/Development of reading skills and strategies, in cooperation with Dienststelle Innovation und Beratung der Deutschen Bildungsdirektion der Autonomen Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, 11.-22.03.2013; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano..
BIWI meets BIB 2013: Aktiv entdeckender Mathematikunterricht/Active discovery during mathematic lessons, in cooperation with Dienststelle Innovation und Beratung der Deutschen Bildungsdirektion der Autonomen Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, 06.-17.05.2014; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano..
BIWI meets BIB 2014: Kreativ-expressiver Bereich für die Kindergärten, Grund-und Mittelschule (Musik, Kunst, kreative Techniken)/Creative-expressive area for kindergarten, primary and lower secondary schools (music, art, creative techniques), in cooperation with Dienststelle Innovation und Beratung der Deutschen Bildungsdirektion der Autonomen Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, 12. -21.03.2014; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano..
BIWI meets BIB 2014: Naturwissenschaften und Technik im Kindergarten, in der Grund- und Mittelschule/ Science and technology in kindergarten, primary and lower secondary schools, in cooperation with Dienststelle Innovation und Beratung der Deutschen Bildungsdirektion der Autonomen Provinz Bozen-Südtirol, 6.-16.05.2014; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano..
Biografisch relevante Bildungsorte: Zur Bedeutung non-formaler Lernprozesse und –kontexte für Persönlichkeitsbildung und individuellen Werdegang - Gli ambienti formativi nella loro rilevanza biografica. Sull´importanza dei contesti e processi di formazione non-formali nello sviluppo della propria individualità e personalità/Educational spaces and their biographic relevance: on the importance of non-formal learning processes for individuality and personality creation, 12.12.2016; Free University of Bozen-Bolzano..
Small schools are educational realities found in South Tyrol, as well as in many other sparsely populated areas in the world. This focus analyses small schools as living-, learning- and working realities for pupils and teachers. The research centres both on historic conditions and current challenges.
In addition to the research, EduSpace FDZ periodically organises international conferences in order to foster the international exchange between researchers and actors at all organisational levels.
Kleinschulen im alpinen Raum INTERREG I-CH (2000-2015);
Partner: PH-Wallis and PH-Graubünden (CH); voted as “Progetto Significativo” /significant project, December 2015; Focus: small schools in the alpine area, their historical genesis and their current relevance as educational spaces for children and the whole village community; organisational and didactic challenges and potentials of small school communities across age groups.
Das Schulhaus, Lebens-, Lern- und Arbeitsort, UNIBZ 2010-2014;
Team: Annemarie Augschöll Blasbichler, Hans-Karl Peterlini.
Focus: small, abandoned schools in South Tyrol; analysis of “small learning niches“ in the interaction of systems and actors, time and space. Kleine, aufgelassen Schulen in Südtirol; Analysen „kleiner Nischen des Lernens“ im Wechselspiel von Systemen und Akteuren, Zeit und Raum.
Akteure auf der Mikroebene: Herausforderung Lehrer*in sein in kleinen Schulen 2013-2020;
Partner: PH-W; PH-GB; this project was created in cooperation with trainee teachers, current students at the Faculty of Education at the Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, PH Graubünden and PH Wallis.
Focus: analysis with living-, learning- and work biographies of persons employed as teachers 70 to 20 years ago, the same job the students are currently been prepared for; transgenerational transmission of stereotypes about small schools; social and cultural relevance of small schools for remote, small areas; the teacher’s role.
Kleine Schulen in der Welt; 2017-2022;
Partner: small schools of all continents. Team: Annemarie Augschöll Blasbichler, Sarah Zannini, Elisabetta Tomazzolli (PhD project: “COMMUNITY EDUCATION” La piccola scuola motore per lo sviluppo della comunità, unibz, 2016-2020) Focus: Analysis and overall view of relevant aspects around small schools.
Governance Education Network in the Alpine Space,
Partner: University of Aosta (IT), PH Wallis and PH Graubünden (CH)
Focus: sustainability and cooperation of educational work at the meso and micro level in the alpine area; educational sceneries in interregional mergers.
Rural schools and rural communities in times of centralization and rural-urban migration,
preparation for submission as EU-project; Project leader: University of Oslo (NO), Partner: Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU) Trondheim (NO) Department of Teacher Education, NTNU (NO), Nordland Research Institute (NRI), Bodø (NO), School of Education at Durham University (UK), Gävle University College, (SW), Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge (UK), University of Iceland (ISL) Institute of Philosophy and Sociology, University of Latvia (LAT), Norwegian Institute of Urban and Regional Research, Oslo (NO) Akershus University College of Applied Science, NIBR, University of Oslo (NO)
Focus: Small schools and their relevance for the cultural, social and economic development of rural areas.