Comparative Education in Italy from the Post-War Period to the 1990s: Leading Scholars and Research Directions

Abstract

This contribution reconstructs a significant phase in the history of Comparative Education in Italy, from the post-World War II period to the 1990s, by examining the leading authors, works, and research directions that shaped the field. Unlike other European traditions, the Italian School of Comparative Education was not characterized by “pure” comparativists; its hallmark was instead the vitality and diversity of its scholarly production. The collaboration with publishers committed to translating foreign studies, the openness of journals to specialized contributions, the establishment of Chairs in Comparative Education at major Italian universities, and the plurality of methodological approaches all provided fresh impetus to the discipline. These developments produced noteworthy results and opened pathways for further research in the following decades.