PEDAGOGIA GENERALE E SOCIALE 2

The course in General and Social Pedagogy aims to provide students with the fundamental theoretical and conceptual knowledge required to understand educational and formative processes across different contexts and stages of life. Particular attention will be devoted to the educational relationship; the categories of care, support and dialogue; the emotional, communicative, bodily and social dimensions of educational experience; group dynamics; educational settings; and selected issues related to distress, marginalisation, identity construction and socialisation. From an interdisciplinary perspective, the course aims to foster dialogue between pedagogical and psychological knowledge, developing students’ ability to analyse and interpret educational and relational processes that will be useful both for the continuation of their studies and for their future professional practice in psychology. The course also contributes to raising students’ awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda, with particular reference to Goal 4 – Quality Education, Goal 3 – Good Health and Well-being, Goal 10 – Reduced Inequalities, and, in relation to the educational interpretation of spaces and urban contexts, Goal 11 – Sustainable Cities and Communities.

DD1 – Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• know the main theoretical and conceptual foundations of general and social pedagogy;
• understand the relationship between education, training, theory and practice;
• know the main characteristics of the educational relationship and the categories of care, support and dialogue;
• understand the role of emotions, communication, group dynamics, embodiment and space in educational processes;
• know selected educational issues relating to distress, maladjustment, deviance and marginalisation;
• understand processes of self-construction and socialisation from a pedagogical perspective;
• know the characteristics of educational relationships in different contexts and at different stages of life;
• understand the educational value of experience, observation and interaction with contexts.

DD2 – Applying Knowledge and Understanding

By the end of the course, students will be able to:

• use pedagogical concepts and categories to interpret educational situations and contexts;
• analyse relational, communicative and emotional dynamics from a pedagogical perspective;
• connect pedagogical and psychological knowledge when interpreting educational and formative situations;
• recognise the role played by context, space and embodiment in educational processes;
• connect observation and experience with theoretical categories;
• use reflective and narrative tools to critically process experiences and situations.

DD3 – Making Judgements

Students will develop the ability to critically analyse educational and formative processes and to recognise their ethical, relational, social and cultural implications.

They will be able to formulate independent interpretations of complex educational situations, with particular attention to relational dynamics, conditions of distress and vulnerability, processes of identity construction, and the responsibilities associated with relationships with others.

DD4 – Communication Skills

Students will be able to use pedagogical terminology appropriately and to communicate knowledge, interpretations and arguments effectively in both written and oral form.

They will also be able to establish connections between different topics and disciplinary perspectives, communicating clearly and coherently with both specialist and non-specialist audiences.

DD5 – Learning Skills

Students will develop the ability to independently explore the topics addressed during the course, critically engage with scientific texts and pedagogical categories, and integrate theoretical knowledge with reflective experience.

The course combines Instructor-led Teaching (DE) and Interactive Teaching (DI) activities.

Lectures will be devoted to presenting, theoretically framing and discussing the main concepts, categories and perspectives addressed during the course.

Interactive Teaching will include guided discussions, analyses of educational situations, practical exercises, reflective activities, small-group work and seminars. These activities are designed to foster students’ active participation and to connect theoretical knowledge with the interpretation of educational contexts.

Walking Lab – Experience Map-Diary

As part of the course activities devoted to walking as an educational practice, attending students will take part in a Walking Lab, conceived as a laboratory activity focused on observing and reflecting upon an urban or non-urban context. During the walk, students will be invited to observe places, spaces, situations and practices of everyday life, paying particular attention to the spatial, bodily, perceptual, relational and emotional dimensions of experience. Students will create an experience map-diary through which they will document the route using notes, keywords, observations and brief reflections, progressively connecting what they observe with the pedagogical concepts and categories addressed during the course. The map-diary will serve as a tool for documenting and reflectively processing the experience and will provide the basis for a subsequent session of discussion and exchange in class. The Walking Lab does not constitute a separate examination or assessment.

For non-attending students, the topics concerning walking as an educational practice will be studied through the open-access readings indicated in the course programme. 

Should the course be delivered in blended or distance-learning mode, the necessary adjustments may be made to the arrangements described above in order to ensure compliance with the programme set out in this syllabus.

No specific prior disciplinary knowledge is required. Students should be willing to read and critically discuss theoretical texts and, in the case of attending students, to actively participate in the interactive, seminar-based and laboratory activities offered as part of the course.

Attendance is not compulsory but is strongly recommended, given the interactive nature of the course and the inclusion of discussion, practical exercises, collaborative activities and laboratory work. Regular participation facilitates connections between theoretical knowledge, analysis of contexts and reflective processing. The Walking Lab and the preparation of the map-diary are intended for attending students. Non-attending students will be able to achieve the same learning outcomes through the study of the texts and materials indicated in the syllabus.

The course addresses the foundations of general and social pedagogy and their contribution to understanding educational, formative and relational processes, with particular attention to topics relevant to education and training in the field of psychology.

Education, Pedagogy, Theory and Practice. Meanings of education and the complexity of the concept of education. Relationship between theory and practice. The distinctive nature of pedagogical knowledge and its relationship with the educational sciences.

Education in Contemporary Society. Transformations in educational experience and unresolved issues in contemporary education. The plurality of individuals, needs and educational contexts.

Education in Formal Contexts. The school as an educational and formative context. The institutional dimension of education and the constitutional principles underpinning the school experience.

The Educational Relationship and Shared Responsibility. Meanings and characteristics of the educational relationship. Intentionality, responsibility and recognition of the other. Shared educational responsibility and the educational partnership between school and family.

Emotions, Communication and Group Dynamics.Emotional competence and the affective dimension of relationships. Communication in educational contexts. The classroom group and relational dynamics.

Space, Body and Educational Experience. Space as a pedagogical dimension. Organisation and meanings of educational environments. Embodiment, perception, movement and lived experience.

Walking as an Educational Practice. Walking as an educational experience and as a form of situated learning. Observation and interpretation of places and everyday life. Relationships between movement, embodiment, perception, space and experience. Connections between experience, theoretical categories and reflection. Documentation and narration of experience.

Education in Early Childhood Services. Cultures of childhood. Characteristics of early childhood educational services. Contexts, relationships and professional roles.

Categories of the Educational Relationship Care, support and dialogue as pedagogical categories. Care of oneself and others, support in educational and developmental processes, dialogue, reciprocity and recognition.

Distress, Maladjustment, Deviance and Marginalisation. A pedagogical interpretation of conditions of distress, maladjustment, deviance and marginalisation. The preventive dimension of education and attention to the complexity of individual and social trajectories.

Self-Awareness, Identity and Socialisation. Development of the individual, self-awareness, identity construction, self-directed learning and processes of socialisation.

The Educational Relationship Across the Lifespan. Specific characteristics and transformations of the educational relationship during childhood, adolescence, youth, adulthood and old age.

Body, Emotions, Conflict and Intersubjectivity. The formative dimension of embodiment. Educating for relationships involving emotions, wounds and conflicts. Communication, affective competence, orality and intersubjectivity.

Pedagogical Vocabulary for Interpreting Educational and Psychological Contexts. A cross-cutting exploration of selected pedagogical categories relevant to understanding educational contexts and the professionals working within them: Communication; Pedagogical Counselling; Educational Distress; Educator; Educational Work; Reflexivity; Emotional Life.

Chapter 4, Lavorare insieme per educare: il valore del gruppo [Working together to educate: the value of the group], and Chapter 12, Le altre scuole [Other schools], are not included in the course programme.

2. Mariani, A. (ed.) (2021; latest reprint 2024), La relazione educativa. Prospettive contemporanee, Rome, Carocci.
3. Bufalino, G. (ed.) (2025), Creare legami. Percorsi progettuali per educare alle relazioni, Lecce, Pensa MultiMedia, pp. 23–92. The volume is available in open access.

4. Simeone, D. (ed.) (2024), Dizionario di Pedagogia generale e sociale, Brescia, Morcelliana Scholé.

Only the following entries are required:

Communication; Pedagogical Counselling; Educational Distress; Educator; Educational Work; Reflexivity; Emotional Life.

Final assessment takes the form of an oral examination.

The oral examination is designed to assess:

• knowledge and understanding of the course content;
• terminological accuracy and command of pedagogical vocabulary;
• analytical and critical reflection skills;
• ability to establish connections between different topics, concepts and perspectives;
• ability to use pedagogical categories to interpret educational situations and contexts;
• independent judgement;
• clarity, coherence and appropriateness of argumentation.

In-Course Assessment

Both attending and non-attending students will take an in-course written assessment consisting of a multiple-choice test. The test is graded on a 30-point scale and is passed with a minimum grade of 18/30. The result of the in-course assessment contributes to the final grade, taking into account the overall quality of the knowledge and skills demonstrated by the student. The map-diary produced as part of the Walking Lab has a formative and reflective purpose and does not constitute an assessment task.

Grading Criteria

Examination Not Passed: Insufficient or fragmented knowledge, or knowledge characterised by significant errors; inadequate use of disciplinary terminology; difficulty in analysing and connecting the topics covered.

18–21/30:Basic knowledge of the content; limited ability to analyse and establish connections; sufficiently clear presentation and generally adequate use of disciplinary terminology.

22–25/30: Fair knowledge and understanding of the content; adequate ability to analyse and establish connections; clear presentation and appropriate use of disciplinary terminology.

26–28/30: Good knowledge and understanding of the content; ability to critically analyse, synthesise and establish connections; appropriate application of theoretical categories and good command of pedagogical terminology.

29–30/30 with Honours:In-depth and well-structured knowledge; excellent ability to analyse, synthesise, establish connections and independently rework the material; ability to critically apply theoretical categories; rigorous argumentation and full command of disciplinary terminology.

In order to guarantee equal opportunities and in compliance with current legislation, students concerned may request an individual meeting to arrange any compensatory and/or exemption measures, in accordance with the learning objectives and their specific needs. Students may also contact the Department of Education Sciences lecturer responsible for CInAP.