Action research methodology Clinical interview and interview in organisational contexts

A researcher working at INVALSI, since 2019 she has been Head of the School Evaluation Area, which supports the National Evaluation System in the self-evaluation and external evaluation activities provided for by Presidential Decree no. 80 of 2013.

PhD in Evaluation of educational processes and systems, her main research activity focuses on social research methodology, evaluation, action research, participation in decision-making processes.

She is a member of the Executive Board of the Italian Evaluation Association and secretary of the Participation, Organizational Democracy and Self-Management Research Committee of the International Sociological Association. For a long time, she has collaborated with public bodies and educational institutions on training and action research projects.

She has written several articles on social research methodology, evaluation and action research. She is coauthor with Serafina Pastore of the book “Per una valutazione delle scuole oltre l’adempimento. Riflessioni e pratiche sui processi valutativi“, published in 2018 by Franco Angeli.

TABLE AND DEFINITION OF CONTENTS

The 12 ECT course focuses on action research methodology, clinical interviewing and interviewing in organisations, and is divided into four modules aimed at providing the epistemological, theoretical and methodological aspects of action research and essential knowledge about clinical interviewing and interviewing techniques and how these research tools can be used in organisational contexts.

Module 1 – Action Research Methodology

• • Action research (definition, purpose and functions)
  • Action research method and tools
  • Participation in action research: the role of the researcher and participants
  • Action research in organisational contexts

Module 2 – The Clinical Interview

• • Differences between interview and conversation
  • The clinical interview (definition, purpose and functions)
  • Conducting the clinical interview: methodological aspects and practical implications
  • The interview in educational contexts

Module 3 – The interview

• The interview and the coversation in organisational contexts (definition, purpose and functions)
• Types of individual and group interviews
• Conducting interviews: methodological aspects and practical implications
• The question technique

Module 4 – Evaluation in Organisational Contexts

• • The interview and conversation for the assessment in organisational contexts
  • Performance evaluation in public administration: method and tools

The 12 ECT course focuses on the methodology of action research, clinical interview and interview in organisations. It is divided into four modules aimed at providing the epistemological, theoretical and methodological aspects of action research and the essential knowledge about clinical interview and interview techniques and how these research tools can be used for training and evaluating in organisation.

The aims are:

• Learning the essential theoretical-methodological knowledge of action research, clinical interview and interview into the organisational contexts.
• Acquisition of skills to collaborate in the development of action research methodology aimed at generating change in organisations.
• Acquisition of skills to collaborate in selection and training in organisational contexts.
• Acquisition of skills to support evaluation processes in organisations

• Learning the essential theoretical-methodological knowledge of action research, clinical interviewing and interviewing in organisational contexts.
• To acquire the skills to collaborate in the development of action research activities aimed at generating change in organisations.
• Acquire skills to collaborate in selection and training interventions in organisational contexts.
• Acquire skills to support evaluation processes in organisations.

A. Knowledge and understanding
To know the essential theoretical and methodological aspects of action research, clinical interviewing and interviewing in organisational contexts.

B. Applied knowledge and understanding
To understand how to apply action research methodology to generate change in organisational contexts. Understand how to use clinical interviewing and interviewing techniques in organisational contexts.
C. Autonomy of judgement
Knowing how to define the phases of an action research project. Understand how to use the clinical interview. Know how to choose between different interview techniques.

D. Communication skills
To use the technical language of the discipline. To know the relational implications of action research methodology and the interview setting.

E. Learning ability
Ability to explore the topics covered independently, including through a multidisciplinary and transversal approach in the methodological disciplines.

A. To know the main functions of action research methodology, clinical interviewing and interviewing in organisational contexts.

B. To know what are the basic elements to structure the phases of an action research and to conduct a clinical interview in organisational contexts.

C. Knowing how to set up an action research and how to choose appropriate research instruments

D. To know how to use the technical language of the discipline, to know how to manage relational dynamics in action research contexts and in interview situations.

E. To be able to use the knowledge learned in a multidisciplinary and transversal approach.

DIDACTICS PROVISION

• 12 hours of recorded video lessons available on the platform
• 4 synchronous meetings on the platform
• Podcasts of all the above-mentioned video lessons.

INTERACTIVE DIDACTICS

• 1 course orientation forum;
• 4 in-depth thematic forums (1 per module);
• Group work is possible.
• 4 structured e-activities (as described in the section “in itinere assessment methods”).

SELF-LEARNING

Teaching materials are provided for each module: in-depth thematic studies, articles and slides by the lecturer, open access readings, online resources, reference bibliography, etc.

The course includes the study of the chapters of the following texts, the topics of which will be described in the slides of the lectures of the lecturer, to be considered as study material. In addition, each module includes in-depth study materials chosen by the student.

Recommended textbooks

• Kaneklin C., Piccardo C., Scaratti G.. (2010), (ed.) La ricerca azione. Cambiare per conoscere nei contesti organizzativi, Cortina Editore, Milan.
• Zucchi E. (2004) (ed.), Il colloquio e l’intervista. Parlare con le persone nelle organizzazioni, Franco Angeli, Milan.
• Bastianoni, P., Simonelli, A., & Taurino, A. (2010), Il colloquio psicologico, Carocci, Milan.

Access to the final examination is subject to the following 4 e-activities:

1. For Module 1

Reasoned research of action-research cases on a theme chosen by the student.

2. For Module 2

Definition and articulation by the student (individually or in groups) of an action research project.

3. For Module 3

Identification and structuring of a clinical interview or interview technique.

4. For Module 4

Presentation of the activities carried out and the contents produced in modules 1, 2 and 3 by means of a paper (ppt presentation, mind maps, posters, videos). The presentation will be discussed in the final exam.

The assessment of learning will take the form of an oral interview on the course contents and on the final report submitted, if any. The grade (min 18, max 30 with possible honours) is determined by the level of performance for each of the following dimensions of the oral interview: mastery of contents, appropriateness of definitions and theoretical references, clarity of argument, command of specialist language.

Italian