The Doctoral Programme in Education in Italy: scenarios, transformations, perspectives

Abstract

In recent years, the needs of the knowledge economy and the global transformations of Higher Education have induced substantial changes in the Italian doctoral programme. From a ‘traditional’, mono-disciplinary model, aimed at training future researchers and aimed at a few candidates who learnt with the help of a teacher, there has been a shift towards a more ‘modern’, interdisciplinary model, connected with productive and service realities, aimed at several candidates and focused on training that cares for employability, also in non-academic contexts. The desk analysis of the 62 doctoral programmes in the Education area shows a situation that is still very heterogeneous; professionalisation is gaining in relevance and space, but the strategies for pursuing it are very diversified and localized.