Gianluca Argentin

Digital skills of internet natives: Different forms of digital literacy in a random sample of northern Italian high school students

This article outlines the main results and methodological challenges of a large-scale survey on actual digital skills. A test covering three main dimensions of digital literacy (theoretical, operational and evaluation skills) was administered to a random sample of 65 third-year high school classes, producing data on 980 students. Items include knowledge questions, situation-based questions and tasks to be performed online. A Rasch-type model was used to score the results. In agreement with the literature, the sample performed better in operational skills, while showing a particularly poor performance regarding evaluation skills (although for this dimension the test shows reliability issues). Through a robust regression analysis we investigate if a skills divide based on ascriptive differences, gender and family cultural background, exists among the students. It emerges that cultural background has a significant effect, which is stronger on operational skills, while gender shows a more definite impact on theoretical knowledge.

Trying to Raise (Low) Math Achievement and to Promote (Rigorous) Policy Evaluation in Italy: Evidence From a Large-Scale Randomized Trial.

Background: Italy is a country showing low math achievement, especially in the Southern regions. Moreover, national student assessments are recent and rigorous policy evaluation is lacking. This study presents the results of one of the first randomized controlled trials implemented in Italian schools in order to measure the effects of a professional development (PD) program for teachers on student math achievement. The program was already at scale when it was being evaluated. Objective: Assessing the effects of a PD program for math teachers on their students’ achievement and making suggestions for future policy evaluations. Design: A large-scale clustered randomized control trial has been conducted. It involves 175 lower secondary schools (sixth - eighth grade) in four among the Italian lowest performing regions. Alongside national standard math assessments, the project collected a wide amount of information. Subjects: Math in lower secondary schools. Measures: Math achievement as measured by standardized tests provided by the National Education Assessment Institute (Istituto Nazionale per la Valutazione del Sistema di Istruzione e Formazione); teacher and student practices and attitudes collected through questionnaires. Results: Findings suggest that the program had no significant impact on math scores during the first year (when the program was held). Nonetheless some heterogeneity was detected, as the treatment does seem “to work” with middle-aged teachers. Moreover, effects on teaching practice and student attitudes appear. Conclusion: Some effects attributable to the intervention have been detected. Moreover, this project shows that a rigorous approach to evaluation is feasible also in a context lacking attention towards evidence-based policies, such the Italian school system.

Come cambia la forza lavoro nel sistema scolastico. Le tendenze demografiche degli insegnanti italiani, 1990-2010

L’articolo analizza in chiave di sociologia del lavoro il mutamento demografico degli insegnanti italiani, dal 1990 fino al 2010. Per questa occupazione si sono osservati processi di femminilizzazione e invecchiamento. Solo quest’ultimo e pero peculiare degli insegnanti, mentre la femminilizzazione ha riguardato tutto il corrispondente segmento di mercato del lavoro. Il piu rapido invecchiamento della popolazione degli insegnanti italiani e la contemporanea crescita del loro svantaggio in termini di maggiore instabilita occupazionale mettono in luce la rilevanza dei processi di reclutamento, modellati soprattutto dalla mano pubblica. Coerentemente con questo aspetto, la recente crisi economica non sembra aver influenzato l’instabilita occupazionale degli insegnanti, perlomeno sino al 2010. Nelle conclusioni si traggono le implicazioni derivanti da questo studio per i sociologi economici e per il disegno delle future politiche di reclutamento degli insegnanti.

Social origins, relative risk aversion and track choice: A field experiment on the role of information biases

This study develops and tests the hypothesis that information biases concerning the perceived extent of risk of educational options fuel social inequalities in track choice. In particular, it is argued that low-educated families are more concerned than college-educated families with the risks of dropout in the academic track, even when their children perform well at school. Moreover, they overestimate the risks of low occupational outcomes associated with academic diplomas. These information biases enhance their propensity to select vocational tracks, which are perceived as safer options, even when their children have the potential to succeed in the academic path. Survey data from Italy were used to assess these misperceptions and experimental evidence is presented concerning their causal effect on track choices. To correct these misperceptions, we designed a light information intervention, which was nested in a longitudinal survey to assess the impact of this intervention on students’ track choices. Both survey and experimental results corroborated our hypothesis that information biases contribute to social inequalities in track choice.

Gli esiti occupazionali dei laureati in Sociologia

L’articolo analizza i laureati triennali in Sociologia negli anni a cavallo della crisi economica. Si mostrano le difficoltà nel trovare un impiego e il peggioramento per le ultime coorti. Si osserva la diffusione massiccia di posizioni contrattuali instabili e si mostra inoltre che spesso, anche in presenza di un impiego, i laureati continuano a cercare un nuovo lavoro. Trova conferma l’usuale maggior difficoltà del Mezzogiorno, mentre laureate e laureati mostrano performance occupazionali molto simili.

Ricomincio da tre. Lezioni da tre esperienze italiane di analisi controfattuale in ambito educativo

The article reviews three evaluations of interventions in education. All the programmes have been implemented recently in the Italian schools and were aimed to improve student maths achievement. The three programmes differ regarding their logic framework and contents, but have been evaluated adopting counterfactual methods. The authors focus on this point, showing that it is possible to implement counterfactual evaluations in the Italian education system. More precisely, it is argued that randomized control trials are viable. Nonetheless, it is also shown that rigorous estimates could also be gained using other methods, taking advantage of pre-existing administrative data. The three evaluation experiences are used here to stress pros and cons of counterfactual evaluation and to provide advice for its improvement in Italy.

Male routes to a teaching career: motivations, market constraints and gender inequalities

The aim of this paper is to contribute to our understanding of the gender influence on teaching choice. We analyze a large-scale national representative sample of Italian teachers. The choice to teach seems to be more a long-term pathway for women, following their personal values and interest in the intrinsic and altruistic values of teaching. Men, instead, show a more adaptable pattern of choice: chance and switching career played a relevant role in determining their ending up in teaching. ‘Males in a feminized environment’ present an intermediate profile, characterized by stronger constraints due to previous studies and consequent weak labor market opportunities. Our analyses support the idea that men found their pathways to gaining satisfaction from the occupation of teaching, thanks to its flexibility. This is an ambiguous result from a gender perspective: reassuring but also worrying, considering that the adaptation could contribute to the reproduction of gender inequalities within the teaching profession.

Accesso ed esiti occupazionali a breve del dottorato di ricerca in Italia. Un’analisi dei dati Istat e Stella

Negli anni recenti il numero di dottori di ricerca e cresciuto molto. Si mostra che tale processo non ha ridotto le disuguaglianze sociali e di genere nell’accesso al dottorato; le evidenze empiriche portate supportano poi l’ipotesi di un eccesso di offerta di dottori di ricerca nel mercato accademico.