Curricular Reforms in the Italian University System: Humanities Faculties and the Training of Secondary School Teachers between the Nineteenth and the Twentieth Centuries

Abstract

Between the 19th and 20th centuries, the Italian school and university system underwent a series of profound changes, but above all it was entrusted with a new and significant responsibility – not merely cultural, but more broadly political, social and economic. In the aftermath of the process of national unification, the role of schools and the organisation of teacher training programmes became a central topic in educational and school debates. Concerning the latter issue, it is therefore interesting to link the “fate” of this training to the history of the university, notably in light of the structural changes it experienced. This paper aims to highlight the role played by the Humanities Faculties in the transformation of secondary school teacher training programmes. During this period, these faculties came to be regarded as key sites of disciplinary reconfiguration and as pivotal institutions in shaping the profile of the secondary school teacher. The history of the Faculty of Philosophy and Literature is closely intertwined with debates surrounding the education of the ruling class and the development of professional teaching competencies. A central issue concerns the quality of training programmes and the selection of content. These elements were intended not only to produce “good” teachers, but above all to educate citizens suited to and “useful” for the renewed national context.