The use of social network analysis in the schools’ self-evaluation: reflections from an empirical experience

Journal title RIV Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione
Author/s Andrea Salvini, Dania Cordaz
Publishing Year 2017 Issue 2016/64
Language Italian Pages 22 P. 73-94 File size 1069 KB
DOI 10.3280/RIV2016-064005
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The article aims to discuss an experience of research as part of the self-evaluation processes of a group of schools in the province of Lucca, in which social network analysis has been applied to study collaboration networks between teachers and friendship networks among students. This research approach represent an innovation in the panorama of approaches currently in use for schools’ self-evaluation: alongside the more established methods, such as satisfaction surveys or the analysis of organizational climate, social network analysis (sna) is proposed by the authors as an effective theoretical and methodological approach that is capable to grasp the relational dynamics in the school environment. The results that are described in the article confirm that the quality of intra-school networks significantly affects the quality of school life. After presenting the main results of their research, the authors critically discuss the role of sna in school self-evaluation processes and some methodological issues to be taken into account by those who wish to adopt this methodology in the analysis of school contexts.

Keywords: school self-evaluation; social network analysis; collaborative networks; teachers’ networks; friendship networks; students’ networks

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Andrea Salvini, Dania Cordaz, L’uso dell’analisi delle reti sociali nell’autovalutazione delle scuole: riflessioni da un’esperienza empirica in "RIV Rassegna Italiana di Valutazione" 64/2016, pp 73-94, DOI: 10.3280/RIV2016-064005