Foreword. In Pesquisas em Educação: a produção do Núcleo de Etnografia em Educação (NetEDU)

Foreword Valentina  Grion   University  of  Padua  (IT)     Pre-­‐print   In  C.L.,  de  Mattos,  L.P.,  Cruz  Borges,  P.,  Almeida  de  Castro,  T.,  Bezerra  Fagundes  (Eds).   Pesquisas  em  Educação:  a  produção  do  Núcleo  de  Etnografia  em  Educação  (NetEDU).  Rio  de   Janeiro:  UERJ/ProPEd.   In  times  in  which  research  seems  to  be  one  of  the  most  effective  tools  for  innovation  and  the   prosperity  of  nations,  and  therefore  a  necessary  means  for  the  welfare  of  citizens  and  of  the   entire   society   (European   Commission,   2014;   Momery,   2004),   the   training   and   formation   of   young  scholars  starting  to  undertake  careers  in  research  represents  a  central  aim  of  education   policies,   especially   of   formation   organisms,   such   as   Universities   and   Doctoral   schools   and   post-­‐doc  envinroments  (Åkerlind,  2005;  Levine,  2007;  Young,  2001).     This  is  one  of  the  main  purposes  of  the  NetEDU  –  Nucleo  de  Etnografia  em  Educação  -­‐,  founded   and  coordinated  by  Carmen  De  Mattos  and  which  the  authors  of  this  book  are  part  of.  NetEDU   represents   for   the   educational   area   of   Universidade   do   Estado   do   Rio   de   Janeiro   (UERJ),   not   only  a  precious  development  space  for  qualitative  research  in  education  and  in  particular  with   regard   to   ethonographic   research.   It   is   also   a   space   where   professors,   researchers,   intenrational   academics   find   opportunities   and   initiatives   aimed   at   discussing   and   sharing   materials,   articles   and   research   projects.   In   addition   it   represents   a   fertile   terrain   for   the   formation  of  young  scholars  towards  research.   The  laboratory  is  a  place  where  students  can  take  part  in  meetings  and  collaborative  research   projects   from   the   start   of   their   University   years,   initially   with   secondary   roles   and   then   gradually   taking   on   roles   with   greater   levels   of   autonomy   and   centrality,   while   carrying   out   independent  studies  with  the  support  and/or  under  the  supervision  of  senior  researchers.     Besides  the  usual  physical  meetings  spaces,  used  by  students  and  by  the  staff  of  Programa  de   Pós-­‐Graduação  em  Educação  (ProPEd),  which  NetEDU  is  part  of,  the  laboratory  is  structured   as   a   virtual   space   within   a   website.   Here,   research   materials   are   shared   and   available,   in   particular  with  regard  to  ethnographic  work,  in  order  to  stimulate  the  sharing  and  exchange   of   knowledge,   of   research   results   and   of   reflections   developed   both   at   a   national   and   international  level.  

 

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The  products  of  this  lively  “research  laboratory”-­‐  which  was  founded  in  2004  and  which  since   then   offers   weekly   meetings   besides   seminars   and   both   national   and   international   conferences-­‐  make  up  the  scheleton  of  this  monograph.     More   specifically,   this   work   is   made   up   of   a   series   of   contributions   by   researchers   with   different  levels  of  experience,  some  who  have  only  just  started  to  enter  the  field  and  others   who  are  considered  experts.  These  contributions  have  been  designed  and  planned  according   to   two   main   aims,   which   in   education   research   are   considered   strongly   intertwined   and   necessary  one  for  the  other.     The  first  aim  is  related  to  scientific  research:  the  idea  of  providing  a  systematic  picture  of  a  set   of  investigations  carried  out  during  the  years  of  NedEDU,  with  the  double  aim  of  preserving   the   memory   of   the   development   of   ethnographic   research   within   the   laboratory   and   of   reflecting  on  this  kind  of  path,  with  a  particular  view  towards  those  who  are  just  starting  to  do   ethnographic  research.     The  second  aim  relates  to  teaching  and  learning  practices:  it  aims  at  contributing  towards  the   formation   of   future   and   current   teachers,   by   means   of   a   thorough   investigation   of   themes   which   are   particularly   important   in   the   context   of   Brazilian   schools,   such   as   those   of   inclusion/exclusion,  of  gender  differences,  of  violence,  of  failure  and  of  school  dropout  rates.   Besides   these   themes   there   are   also   other   topics   which   are   at   the   centre   of   interest   in   international   research,   such   as   the   positioning   of   children   within   the   research   processes   which   investigate   children   (i.e.   Cook-­‐Sather,   2014;   Fine et al., 2007; Grion,   2015;   Groundwather-Smit. Dockett, Bottrell, 2015)   and   the   role   of   technologies   as   engines   of   innovation-­‐   or   as   a   way   of   preserving   a   traditional   education   model?-­‐   in   education   contexts   (Cecchinato,  Aimi,  Papa,  2014;  Grion,  De  Mattos,  2013;  Morgado,  Manjón,  Gütl,  2015). However,   what   I   believe   is   the   greatest   potential   of   NetEDU,   and   of   this   monograph,   is   the   ability  of  keeping  the  ties  between  objects   and  research  methods  in  education  research  and   the  needs  and  problems  of  these  contexts  of  everyday  life  alive,  in  particular  with  regard  to   Brazilian  schooling.     In  line  with  Young  (2001,  p.  3)  according  to  whom  in  the  field  of  education  research  it  is  the   broad   context   «in   which   we   conduct   education   inquiry   presents   its   own   demands»,   the   authors   offer   not   only   a   reflection   on   “what”,   “how”   and   “with   who”   ethnographic   research   should  be  carried  out,  accompanied  by  ample  methodological  suggestions.  They  also  discuss   which  kinds  of  knowledge  ethnographic  research  should  be  oriented  towards  in  this  specific   and  particular  context,  so  that  it  can  take  the  form  of  a  meaningful  investigation.      

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As   a   matter   of   fact,   education   is   a   research   area   which   provides   results   which   affect   our   everyday   lives,   society   and   our   policies.   In   this   sense,   institutions   which   deal   with   the   formation  of  researchers  in  the  field  of  education  studies  have  the  duty  to  prepare  beginners   towards   forms   of   research   aimed   at   improving   education   and   educational   opportunities   in   real   and   concrete   life   contexts.   This   seems   to   be   the   final   aim   of   the   monograph   edited   by   Carmen   De   Mattos,   Luiz   Cruz   Borges,   Paula   de   Castro   and   Tatiana   Fagundes:   to   develop   research  and  formation  towards  research  in  order  to  achieve  improvements  in  both  social  and   school  life,  in  particular  with  regard  to  “the  last  ones  of  society”,  the  “oprimido”  (Freire,  1970)   in  Brazil,  thanks  to  their  participation  in  the  pursuit  of  such  improvements.       References Åkerlind G.S. (2005). Postdoctoral researchers: roles, functions and career prospects. Higher Education Research & Development, 24,1, p.21-40. Cecchinato G., Aimi B., Papa R. (2014). Flipped classroom: intervento in un liceo della provincia di Parma, Qwerty, 9, 2, p. 15-29. Commissione Europea (2014). Le politiche dell’Unione europea: Ricerca e innovazione, Lussemburgo: Unione Europea. Cook-Sather A. (2014). The trajectory of student voice in educational research. New Zealand Journal of Educational Studies, 49, 2, 131-148. Fine M., Torre M. E., Burns A., and Payne, Y. (2007). Youth research/participatory methods for reform. In D. Thiessen & A. Cook-Sather (Eds.), International handbook of student experience in elementary and secondary school (pp. 805-828). Dordrecht, The Netherlands: Springer. Freire P. (1970), Pedagogia do Oprimido. Rio de Janeiro: Paz e Terra. Grion V. (2015). Fare ricerca in ottica Student Voice, in Gemma C., Grion V. (a cura di) Student Voice. Pratiche di partecipazione degli studenti e nuove implicazioni educative (pp. 263 269). Barletta: Cafagna. Grion V., De Mattos C. (2013). Technolgy, research and education. Qwerty, 8,2, p. 5-16. Groundwater-Smith S., Dockett S., Bottrell D. (2015), Participatory Research with Children and Young People, Sage, Los Angeles. Levine A. (2007). Educating Researchers. Washington: The Education Schools Project. Momery D. (2004). Universities in National Innovation Systems. Proceedings of the the First Globelics Academy, Ph.D. School on National Systems of Innovation and Economic Development, Lisbon, Portugal 25 May - 4 June 2004 [Reperibile in: http://hdl.handle.net/1853/43173, 8.06.2015] Morgado L., Manjón B. F., Gütl C. (2015). Guest Editorial: Overcoming the Technological Hurdles Facing Virtual Worlds in Education: The Road to Widespread Deployment. Educational Technology & Society, 18 (1), p. 1-2. Young L. J. (2001). Border Crossings and Other Journeys: Re-Envisioning the Doctoral Preparation of Education Researchers. Educational Researcher, 30, 5, p. 3-5.

 

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