Prove Invalsi e azione didattica: quali riflessioni sulla progettazione per competenze

This research explores the changes that educational institutions have faced in the last decade. Systemic evaluation, which considers the school as a set of interrelated elements to be evaluated in a transparent and systematic way, is the perspective adopted. In spite of many legislative actions (Autonomy Law n.59 of 1997) issued on and of many pressures on the international overview regarding accountability and improvement surveys, schools still don’t have the instruments and the methodologies needed to fulfil these needs (Capperucci, 2011; Maccario 2006). Even the creation of a National Evaluation System (INVALSI) is not supported by reflections in the educational institution and for this reason it has faced resistance and scepticism. Moreover it is important to remember the introduction of the theoretical construct of competence in the educational overview, as a consequence of 2006 Parliament and the Council of the European Union’ recommendations. The competence leads school in re-designing its educational practices globally (Perrenoud, 2003; Baldacci, 2005; Pellerey, 2004; Maccario, 2006; Castoldi 2009). This work is aim at supporting teachers’work, in re-planning educational actions, starting form a new idea of evaluation. This research verify the theory that a systematic evaluation of students and systems, promotes the investigation of teaching- learning processes in a flexible and authentic way (Mariani, 2010). Moreover INVALSI represents not just an useful survey instrument for the research about schools, but can be also a chance to start a critical consideration about processes and methods of teaching-learning and evaluation models in schools. The work tries to demonstrate if it is possible to plan educational actions related to a logic of competence promotion, starting from the results of INVALSI tests. The paradigm chosen is an ecological one. In order to achieve the aims reported, the research follows the strategies of an instrumental case study (Stake, 1995; Merriam, 2001). Five teachers and the researcher realize a collective case study (Yin, 1999) focusing on a comparative analysis between the different educational actions in reflective practices workshops. The evolution of each case study is not defined in advance, but the high ecological validity of the individual studies, however, allows to obtain the guidelines for teaching for competences. The present work provides effective action guidances which can be considered a repository of best practices to guide other teachers in this changing context. The qualitative approach adopted allows a better understanding about how the INVALSI tests experience can be reinterpreted through the 7 innovative teaching for competences. Data from the five case study are consistent with the teaching for competence construct documented in literature (Perrenoud, 2003; Baldacci, 2005; Pellerey, 2004; Maccario, 2006; Castoldi 2009). A further outcome regards the placement of the evaluation event in a systemic and procedural viewpoint, integrating an external evaluation, results of the INVALSI tests, with self-evaluation and interpretative processes of students and teachers. The present work offers therefore a formative evaluation (Mariani, 2009), which includes an accurate reflection on the planning of the educational action.