University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Phone number: 026448 6061
Susanna Mantovani is full professor of general and social pedagogy at the University of Milan-Bicocca, where she teaches Pedagogy and Cultures of Education and Pedagogy and School Organization. Currently, she is Deputy Rector of the University of Milan-Bicocca (since 2007). In the past, she taught at the Free University in Berlin (1979-80 – early childhood education and care and developmental psychology), acted as consultant for the OCSE Early Childhood Project in 1976-79, as Review Team member in the Project Starting Strong (2001-2003), as consultant for many international projects for the Bernard Van Leer Foundation (1977-1985), and as member of the Board of Unicef Italia (2009-2011). Her research interests concern early childhood education and care, adult-child relationships, peer relationships, child and family policies, home-school relationships, professional development, intercultural education, qualitative research methods.
She has participated and coordinated several national and international research projects, among them, in recent years: (2004-2008) Director of the Italian Unit involved in the international ‘Children Crossing Borders’ project (Bernard Van Leer Foundation); (2012) director of the Italian Unit involved in the SIRIUS-European Policy Network on the Education of Children and Young People with a Migrant Background (European Commission); (2012-2013) director of the project “Digital devolution in School. Innovative Perspectives for the Professional Development of Teachers to-be”, Financed by Regione Lombardia (2010-2012) Director for Qua si (co-principal investigator with Tullia Musatti, ISTC-CNR di Roma) Italian extension of Project “Together. Centres for children and adults (University of Milan-Bicocca ISTC, Rome). She has many publications in national and international journals and books, and she is on the Editorial Committee for several national and international journals.
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Phone number: 026448 4921
Giulia Pastori has a PhD in pedagogy and education science (University of Milan Bicocca, 2008). She is a senior researcher and lecturer at the University of Milan Bicocca, where she teaches ‘Teaching and evaluating approaches’ and ‘Intercultural Education’. Her research interests and expertise deal with Intercultural Education in ECEC and in other school levels, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in education, software-supported data analysis and coding, teacher education and professional development, and evaluation of school quality. She has been involved, and currently is, in national and International research projects. Among others: ‘Children Crossing Borders. Immigrant Children in Five Countries. A study on parent and staff believes (Bernard van Leer Foundation); SIRIUS- European Policy Network on the education of children and young people with a migrant background (EEC); ‘Professional Profile of Tutors for supporting quality of school’ (Ministry of Education, INDIRE). She has published in international and national journals.
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Phone number: +390264484904
Chiara Bove is a senior researcher and lecturer at the University of Milan-Bicocca where she currently teaches “Research methods in Education”. Her research interests and expertise deal with Research Methods in Education (with a specific focus on observation methods), early childhood education and pre-primary pedagogy, parent-teacher relationships and professional development. She has been involved, and currently is, in several national and international research projects; among them: (2004-2008) she has been co-coordinator of the Italian team involved in the study ‘Children Crossing Borders. Immigrant Children in Five Countries (Bernard Van Leer Foundation); (2009-2013) ‘Teacher's Behaviour Analysis in Infant Toddler Center. Instruments and methods for training within a cross national research project’ (University of Milan-University of Knoxville, Tennesee; 2009-on going); (on going) she is a component of the Italian Unit of the research: Together. Centres for children and adults (University of Milan-Bicocca ISTC, Rome). She has published articles and chapters in international and national journals and books.
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Silvia Cescato is postdoctoral research assistant (since January 2014) at the University of Milan Bicocca (Department of Human Sciences for Education “R. Massa”) where she conducts her research activities. In 2012 she has obtained her PhD in Sciences of Communication and Education (Curriculum: Theories of education and models of research in pedagogy and didactics) at University of Milan-Bicocca, Dep. Human Sciences for Education (see publications).
Her research interests concern: qualitative and quantitative research methods in Education, video-research; early childhood education and care; professional development in ECEC’s settings; non-verbal communication, body interactions and communications among peers and adult/children; microanalyses of interactions in educational contexts.
Among her previous research experiences as assistant are:
- Immigrant children in early childhood settings. A Study of Parents and Staff Beliefs (Bernard Van Leer Foundation 222-2004-039 – 2nd Phase. Coordinator Prof. Joseph Tobin: Università di Phoenix, USA – National Coordinator: Prof. Susanna Mantovani: University of Milano – Bicocca);
- Teachers’ behavior Analysis in Infant Toddler Centers. Instruments and Methods for Training (Coordinators: Prof. Susanna Mantovani: University of Milan-Bicocca; Prof. Mary Jane Moran: University of Knoxville-Tennessee).
She has presented and co-presented at national and international conferences: among them are, EECERA (Tallinn, 2013), INET (Philadelphia, 2014), ESREA (Athens, 2014).
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Gaia Banzi has just achieved a PhD in Education, March 2015. A qualitative inquiry that involved ECEC teachers on topics of autonomy development and rules awareness in two to three year old children attending ECEC. The research was also focused on new professional development approaches.
She collaborate in didactis activities at the post-graduate curriculum of Antropological Sciences (Human Sciences Dipartment of Milano-Bicocca University).
She was a member of the national team of international project “Teachers Behaviour and Pratices in Infant-Toddler Centers: Instruments and Methods for Training.” S. Mantovani e M.J.Moran (Principal Investigators); Piera Braga, Chiara Bove, Silvia Cescato (Italian Team); Robyn Brookshire (US team).
She has partecipated and presented at national and international conferences, as AERA Conference, Vancouver, Canada: “Non Satis Scire: To Know Is Not Enough” (April 2012) and EECERA Conference, Tallinn, Estonia: “Values, Culture and Context” (Tallinn, Augost 2013).
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Tiziana Morgandi is a PhD student in Educational Sciences and Communication, curriculum "Theory of Education and Research Models in Educational Theory and Teaching Methodology".
She is a researcher assistant at the University of Milan-Bicocca where she collaborates as lecture in the courses “Methods in educational research” and “General Pedagogy”. She teaches also the Laboratory Course: “Observation on Education Contexts"
Her research interests deal whit early childhood education and professional development; visual and narrative observation for research and professional development, spaces and materials; educational and pedagogical projects of ECEC services.
She has participated to several research projects, in recent years to the following projects:
She has presented at several national and international conferences. Among them in recent years are: EECERA (Tallin, 2013); CNR: Center for Children and Family, Together (Rome, 2013).
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Valentina Pagani is a doctoral student at the University of Milan-Bicocca, Department of Human Sciences for Education “R. Massa”.
She is assistant lecturer at the University of Milan-Bicocca where she teaches the laboratory part of the class of ‘General Pedagogy and School Organization’ at the under-graduate curriculum in Education and Psychology and ‘Methodology of Pedagogical Research’ at the under-graduate curriculum in Pedagogical Sciences.
Her research interests deal with Intercultural Education in ECEC and in other school levels, qualitative and quantitative research methodologies in education, evaluation of school quality and student voice studies.
Currently she is dealing with topics related to quality assessment measures in ECEC.
She has collaborated with the research group coordinated by Prof. Susanna Mantovani since 2011. She worked in quality of research-assistant in a Regional project studying the impact of the National Evaluation System in Italian School – INVALSI (Promoting a culture of evaluation. The experience of INVALSI tests in school; Coordinators: Prof. Susanna Mantovani & Prof. Elisabetta Nigris, University of Milan-Bicocca).
She presented at several international conference, as IAIE (Zagreb, 2013), International Congress of Educational Sciences and Development (Granada, 2014).
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Francesca Linda Zaninelli is researcher at the University of Milan-Bicocca where she has teached Psicopedagogia (Psycopedagogy), Metodologia della ricerca pedagogica (Methodology of pedagogical research) and the next year teaches Pedagogia Interculturale (Intercultural pedagogy) as part of the degree in Scienze della Formazione Primaria (Early Childhood Education Sciences). In the past she also taught Pedagogia dell’Infanzia (Childhood Pedagogy), as part of the degree in Scienze dell’Educazione (Science of Education).
PhD in Human Sciences – Education Theories and Research Models in Pedagogy (2009) at the University of Milan-Bicocca with a dissertation thesis on “Childhood Bilingualism: words, ideas and theories of Educators” (see publications).
She has worked for many years as supervisor, consultant and project leader for several Italian cities (among others Milano, Trento, Parma). Her expertise and research interests cover preprimary teacher education, adult/child interaction in ECEC services (with a special focus on language and bilingualism) relationship and ECEC services, intercultural education, planning and project work in ECEC.
She has been member of the Italian team of the international research "Children Crossing Borders" coordinated by Joseph Tobin (Arizona State University,U.S.) and at national level by S. Mantovani. She has been member of the research team of the project "Immigrant children and parents in ECEC: educational models and methodological issues" (2005-2008). In the last years she has collaborated in several research projects: in 2004 the research "Immagine di bambino nelle educatrici di scuola materna" (Child's Image of preschool's teachers), co-project of the Municipality of Milan and the University of Milan - Bicocca; in 1997, the research "Modelli familiari, tempo lavorativo, sviluppo infantile e organizzazione scolastica. Uno studio degli effetti dei nuovi stili di vita familiari sui bambini in cinque grandi città d'Europa" (Family Models, working times, children development and school organization. A study on the effects of new family styles on children in five big Europeans cities", funded by EEC.
Since 2009 she has been the coordinator of the project "Infanzia Insieme" and since 2012 the project “MilanoBambini” directed by Susanna Mantovani aimed at the professional development of caregivers, teachers and coordinators of the city of Milano. She has been the coordinator of the collaborations between University of Milano Bicocca - by Susanna Mantovani - and Reggio Children (Carlina Rinaldi, Claudia Giudici) on project related to childhood and the educational curriculum.
She has presented at national conference as ECCERA (Ginevra, 2011).
University of Milan-Bicocca
Department of Human Sciences for Education
Piera Braga is researcher at the Università Degli Studi Di Milano-Bicocca where she teaches "Methods in educational research” “Organization and Coordination of Educational Services".
Since September 2005, she has been responsible for the pedagogical coordination of the Infant-Toddler Center "Bambini Bicocca". Prior to this, she worked providing training, updating and supervision for teachers, coordinators and directors for diverse organizations on the themes of observing children, the professional role of the educator and the coordinator, educational planning, the school/family relationship and 0/6 continuity in ECEC services. She was a psychopedagogical consultant for the Tempo per le Famiglie service for the City of Milan from 1991 to 2002 and for the ECEC services in Bergamo from 1996 to 2002. Since 1999 she has been a member of the Board for the Associazione Gruppo Nazionale Nidi Infanzia.
She has participated in many national and international studies.
She was a member of the research project promoted by the Università degli Studi di Milano and the Bernard Van Leer Foundation, for the evaluation of the "Project Van Leer for Infancy" 1987/1989).
She coordinated the action research projects promoted by the Province of Trento/Preschool Service- Scientific Director Susanna Mantovani: "The Observation of Children in ECEC " (1990-1992), "Cognitive and Affective Patterns of Play: From Discovery to Symbolic Play" (1993-1995). She was also involved in the studies "Training Guidelines for Directors/Coordinators of Early Childhood Services- Leonardo/IEDPE project, project leader Tullia Musatti (CNR- National Center for Resarch; "Children Crossing Borders" coordinated by Joseph J. Tobin (Arizona State University) and for Italy Prof.ssa Susanna Mantovani, as well as "Immigrant Children and Parents in ECEC:Educational Models and Methodological Issues" (PRIN, 2005/Susanna Mantovani).
Since 2008 she has been part of the research team for the project "Teachers Behaviour Analysis in Infant-Toddler Centres: Instruments and Methods for Training. A Cross National Research Project", in collaboration with the University of Knoxville-Tennessee (Scientific Director: Susanna Mantovani) as coordinator for the Italian research group.
Since 2009 she has been the coordinator and supervisor for the project "Infanzia Insieme", Prof.ssa Susanna Mantovani (Università degli Studi di Milano-Bicocca), Prof. Piercesare Rivoltella, (Università Cattolica del Sacro Cuore) and the City of Milan - Settore Servizi per l'Infanzia, aimed at training teachers in ECEC services. Since 2010 she has been part of the research team for the project “Insieme. I Centri per bambini e genitori in Italia e la loro funzione sociale” (Dipartimento QUA_SI/Universiscuola dell’Università di Milano-Bicocca in collaboration with Istituto di Scienze e Tecnologie della Cognizione, CNR, Roma): project leader prof. Susanna Mantovani (Università di Milano Bicocca) and dott. Tullia Musatti (CNR, Roma).