Il ruolo degli studenti e delle studentesse nel Faculty Development: una ricerca partecipata sul tema dell’innovazione didattica

Several studies (Bovill et al., 2011; Fielding et al., 2012) have shown that active collaboration between students, teachers, and researchers enables students to contribute meaningfully to research activities, thereby strengthening their sense of belonging to the scientific community. In line with Walkington’s (2010) proposal, this paper presents an Undergraduate Research (UR) experience conducted within the Qualitative Research Methods course at the University of Trento. Forty undergraduate students contributed to a study on educational innovation by engaging in three qualitative methods: observations, interviews, and focus groups. Under the supervision of their instructors and adopting a learning-by-doing approach, students analysed the data, carried out a thematic analysis, and produced a research report. Overall, the course strengthened the integration of teaching and research and provided a valuable opportunity to enhance the quality of university teaching