Caterina Balenzano

Education and Social Inclusion: An Evaluation of a Dropout Prevention Intervention

Purpose: The article describes an evaluation study to test the effectiveness of “Storie in gioco” project (Stories in Play, Storie in gioco [SIG]), a dropout prevention intervention aimed to prevent early school leaving (ESL) in at risk students. Method: The research used a mixed-method approach: in the quantitative phase, a two-group pre-/post evaluation design involving 230 students was used to estimate SIG outcomes; in the qualitative step, stakeholders’ focus group discussions and interviews have been used to interpret results. Results: Even if SIG appears to impact scholastic self-esteem and peer relationships, no effect was found when a comparison group matched for baseline measures was used. Based on qualitative data, the article identifies mechanisms influencing SIG outcomes and provides key insights into improving it. Conclusions: The authors emphasize the priority to develop programs to reduce intergenerational transmission of educational poverty and express methodological and theoretical considerations regarding SIG effectiveness and ESL prevention interventions.

La depressione materna nella transizione alla genitorialità: attaccamento, problematiche psicopatologiche ed eventi di vita stressanti come fattori di rischio

Lo studio intende analizzare l’evoluzione della depressione materna nella transizione alla genitorialita, valutando il ruolo di alcuni fattori di rischio quali l’insicurezza dell’attaccamento, la presenza di problematiche psicopatologiche e di eventi di vita stressanti. La ricerca, condotta su un campione di 30 primipare (eta: M = 31.60; d.s. = 4.12) ha previsto un disegno longitudinale. Nella prima rilevazione, al 3° trimestre di gravidanza, sono state somministrate l’Edinburgh Depression Scale (EDDS, Cox, Holden e Sagovsky, 1987); la Mini-International Neuropsychiatric Interview (MINI, Sheehan et al., 1998); la Scala degli Eventi Stressanti (Paykel et al., 1980) e l’Attachment Style Interview (ASI: Bifulco et al., 2002). A 10 giorni e a 3 mesi dopo il parto, e stata prevista solo la somministrazione telefonica dell’EDDS. Le analisi dei dati hanno messo in luce un decremento lineare della depressione dalla gravidanza al postnatale e un’associazione significativa tra la depressione prenatale e postnatale e tutti e tre i fattori di rischio considerati; tali fattori sono, a loro volta, significativamente associati tra loro. I risultati ottenuti sottolineano la possibilita di individuare i fattori di rischio per la genitorialita gia in gravidanza e l’utilita, di conseguenza, di implementare interventi di sostegno al fine di rendere meno problematica l’assunzione del ruolo genitoriale e la strutturazione della relazione madre-bambino.

Valutare per decidere: un monitoraggio qualitativo degli investimenti pubblici

Valutare per decidere: un monitoraggio qualitativo degli investimenti pubblici - This paper suggests some considerations regarding the relationship between evaluation and making decision processes, through the description of an evaluation experience of some formative projects orientated towards unemployed young people living in Apulia Region. After the definition of evaluation question, made together with Educational Local Authority, we have preferred a qualitative research approach. Sharing a participative approach, we have chosen a multistakeholder research design as instrument to catch the representations of actors involved regarding the evolution of projects, the weak and strong aspects, through to focus group discussions and semi-structured interviews respectively administered to actuators and beneficiaries of these projects. Interviews have been analyzed first trough content analysis of relevance and in a second moment trough associations analysis between words, by the use of T-Lab software. Highlighting stakeholders’ suggestions and recommendations and giving back them to the decision maker confirms the utility of evaluation as instrument to supporting making decision processes, with the aim of improving policies. Key words: partecipate evaluation, multistakeholder research design, utilization of evaluation Process