The Observatory on School Textbooks (OMAS) is a research centre set up to study the ways in which the teaching and learning of disciplines in school textbooks is proposed, especially in relation to the complex educational, cultural and social dynamics present in schools.
The need to set up an observatory on school textbooks stems from the awareness of the historic changes that have been taking place in schools for a few decades now, which are called upon to deal on the one hand with the phenomena induced by globalisation and on the other hand with the pervasive use of new technologies. These phenomena create new educational needs and new teaching requirements that directly affect a fundamental teaching tool such as school textbooks. On the other hand, textbooks have a major impact on teaching practices, being in fact the most significant teacher training tool.
Never before have such different points of view and cognitive styles, the expressions of distant cultural models, been encountered in our schools. New themes and new needs are crossing institutions such as the family, and they call for a problematisation of the concepts of identity encountered in society until now. This means that the educational and cultural proposals of schools are confronted with topics that have become 'sensitive', and that require great attention to overt or covert forms of ethnic and/or gender stereotypes. Textbooks are the terrain on which these issues must be most carefully addressed, and where, at the same time, open and inclusive didactic paths can best be presented, these being respectful of everyone's rights and sensitivities, even if these are prejudices. Research on these issues can bring to light possible problems and test pathways to promote solutions.
School textbooks are the terrain on which the epistemological problems of the disciplines meet and dialogue with the didactic perspectives and with the more general needs for dissemination, which is why their study is significant for analysing and assessing the adequacy of the responses to the complex changes taking place in schools and to the new educational needs.
The centre intends to conduct research on school textbooks and their evolution in the various phases of the history of Italian school, as well as on the ways in which they are used. It also intends to study the didactics of the disciplines, especially with a view to forging a dialogue between epistemological aspects and didactic perspectives and with a reference to the use of the new technologies in teaching.
It aims to offer consultancy services to public training organisations, foundations and publishing houses on the topics of its research activities. And to carry out training activities for teachers, trainers and publishing operators, with a preference for action-research activities.