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EDUCATIONAL AUTOBIOGRAPHY IN A UNIVERSITY CONTEXT: OUR
PAST AND PRESENT THROUGH THOUGHT AND FEELING.
DR. JOSÉ GONZÁLEZ MONTEAGUDO
FACULTY OF EDUCATION
UNIVERSITY OF SEVILLE (SPAIN)
[email p o ec ed]
This pape explo es he a o na a ing pe sonal his o y h ough w i ing and o wha we
a e able o lea n abou ou sel es h ough such an unde aking. We shall conside his
na a ion as bo h an inno a ion wi hin he lec u e hall and as a ool wi h which o
s eng hen and en ich expe ien ial sensi i i y and c i ical e lec ion. The pape consis s o
he ollowing pa s: backg ound o he educa ional au obiog aphy (hence o h e e ed o
as eab), objec i es and con en s o he ac i i y, he ole o he educa o o eache in
o ma i e biog aphical ac i i ies, e hical issues, and some conclusions1.
I. BACKGROUND TO THE ACTIVITY.
I would like o commen upon he ci cums ances in which he wo k ou lined in his pape
has been ealised. I is my hope ha he de ails included he ein will enable a be e
unde s anding o his ac i i y, p esen ed be o e colleagues d awn om di e en coun ies
wi h highly di e se uni e si y sys ems, cul u al amewo ks and liguis ic ho izons.
Secondly, I would like o poin ou om he s a ha he wo k p esen ed he e has been
unde aken in a c owded uni e si y en i onmen whe e u o s may ind hemsel es (as is
my own case) wo king wi h up o 300 s uden s a yea .
I would, howe e , like o demons a e ha e en in an o e c owded sys em i is possible
o o e c ea i e al e na i es, designed o enable s uden s o accommoda e wi hin he
amewo k o academic igou ( eading, a ional e lec ion and esea ch), a g owing
pos mode n sensi i i y sha ed by young people (expe ience, subjec i i y and unce ain y).
This ac i i y has been included o e h ee yea s (2002, 2003 and 2004) wi hin he
“An h opology o Educa ion” eaching p og amme (45 hou s; 3 hou s a week). I ha e
con inued o de elop i in 2005. The s uden s in ol ed a e in hei i s yea o a i e yea
deg ee in Educa ional S udies a he Uni e si y o Se ille, Andalusia, in he sou h-wes o
Spain.
1 This pape has a p ac ical o ien a ion. Ne e heless, in my p ac ice wi h li e his o y me hods, I am in deb
wi h di e en au ho s; among o he s: Bolí a e al. (2001); Denzin (1989); Dominicé (1996; 2000); Gal ani
(1997); Goodson (1992); Houde (1999); Lainé (1998); Lani-Bayle (1997); Le G and & Coulon (2000);
Pineau (2000); Pineau & Le G and (2002); Wes (1996). I am pa icula ly g a e ul o D . Jean-Louis Le
G and (Uni e si y o Pa is 8, Sain -Denis, F ance) and D . Linden Wes (Can e bu y Ch is Chu ch
Un e si y College, England) o inspi a ion, suppo and iendship. Thanks also o Lau a Fo men i
(Uni e si à Milano Bicocca).
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The An h opology o Educa ion cou se con en consis s o wo pa s: heo y and p ac ice.
In he heo y pa we ha e s udied, b ie ly, he ollowing: heo e ical issues, he his o y
and me hodology o cul u al An h opology; biog aphical and e hnog aphical
me hodologies; cul u al An h opology as applied o schools and educa ion. In he
p ac ical pa o he cou se I o e he s uden s one o he ollowing wo op ions: w i ing
o he eab o pa icipan obse a ion in an educa ional en i onmen o hei choosing. So
a , some 85% o s uden s ha e chosen o w i e he eab. In each yea I ha e augh ou
g oups o s uden s (80 s uden s in each g oup, o alling o e 300 s uden s and 180 class
hou s annually) wi hou assis ance o collabo a ion. Al hough he e a e no mally abou 80
s uden s in each g oup, he eab p ojec has been comple ed by an a e age o 50 s uden s.
The es ha e ei he op ed o he al e na i e, pa icipan obse a ion, o ha e ailed o
comple e he cou se. O e he las 3 yea s a o al o 600 s uden s ha e hus w i en up
hei eab. The majo i y o hese s uden s ha e been emale (90%). I is unusual o ind
people abo e he age o 25 in class. Abou 80% o s uden s a e aged be ween 18 and 21.
P ac ically all o hem s udy ull- ime and do no wo k
II. THE OBJECTIVES AND CONTENTS OF EDUCATIONAL
AUTOBIOGRAPHY.
The elabo a ion o he educa ional au obiog aphy is g ounded in he ollowing objec i es:
- To de elop sel -knowledge.
- To nu u e he capaci y o analyse and c i icize he di e en e e yday li e se ings
( amily, schooling, media, iend’s g oup, ee ime, employmen , e c).
- To educa e in he lo e, pleasu e and igo o w i ing.
- To ela e he pe sonal biog aphy wi h amily, neighbou hood and local se ings,
and global social and cul u al con ex .
- To encou age s uden in ol emen in he lea ning p ocess.
- To e hink pe sonal p oblems, in o de o c ea e esou ces o cope wi h e e yday
li e cons ain s.
- To e lec on ime, memo y, emembe ing and he li e cou se om a diach onic
s andpoin .
In sho , he aim o he eab is o omen sel - e lec ion, he clea es possible
comp ehension o ou li e ci cums ances, mu ual unde s anding, ole ance and he
capaci y o play an ac i e ole in ou own li es wi hin he con ines o a ce ain social
condi ioning.
An ini ial ou line o he p ojec , se down on pape and hen discussed wi h s uden s,
consis s o a lis o basic con en s, which aim o aid he s uden in w i ing his o he eab.
These a e lexible sugges ions which he s uden s can adap o modi y in any way hey
eel con enien . The basic con en s a e as ollows:
- A amily ee.
- The amily g oup ( he amily uni o which he s uden belongs, de ined by he
membe s li ing wi hin he amily household).
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- Local en i onmen ( illage o neighbou hood - in he case o ci ies - in which
he s uden pe manen ly esides).
- The s uden ’s li eline.
- A pe sonal escu cheon.
- The educa ional expe iences o he s uden h oughou he a ious s ages o
hei educa ion: om 0 – 6 yea s old (p io o obliga o y schooling), be ween 6
– 12 yea s (which co esponds o hei p ima y schooling), om 12 –18 yea s
(which co esponds o obliga o y seconda y educa ion and o he six h o m)
and he s uden s cu en s age (as hey begin hei uni e si y s udies).
- Re lec ions on and in e p e a ion o he ou come o he abo e expe iences.
- An appendix o a achmen s: pho og aphs; pe sonal, amily o academic
documen s.
In p ac ice, some s uden s omi hei amily de ails and commen solely on hei
educa ional expe iences om a diach onic poin o iew (in some cases s uden s do no
wan o alk abou hei amily si ua ion because o se ious p oblems). O he s wo k
hea ily on he amily ee o on he amily g oup, and pay much less a en ion o he o he
sugges ions. The majo i y o s uden s begin wo k on he eab wi h he in en ion o
ollowing he sugges ed guidelines, bu ime ac o s, pe sonal in e es s, he a i ude o he
a ious membe s o hei amily as ega ds he eab and a numbe o o he ac o s al e
hose ini ial plans wi h he esul ha he s uden may concen a e monog aphically on
one o mo e o he a ious poin s.
We no mally begin by building he amily ee, which consis s o he g aphic
ep esen a ion o he s uden ’s amily oo s, showing as accu a ely as possible he
b anches o hei ma e nal and pa e nal ances o s. Each s uden hun s o he in o ma ion
needed o disco e mo e abou hei p edecesso s. I end o ask s uden s o y o ep esen
a leas h ee gene a ions on hei amily ee: hei own gene a ion, ha o hei pa en s
and o bo h se s o g anpa en s.
The amily ee allows s uden s o ep esen hei genealogy wi h a pe sonal ouch and
esul s can a y om well o de ed schema a designed on compu e in a con en ional
manne o he mos a is ic in e p e a ions.
The aim in p oducing a amily ee is o iew ou p edecesso s in hei co ec social,
economic, cul u al and axiological con ex s. This allows us o e lec in dep h o e he
signi icance and he ex en o he in luence o ou g andpa en s, pa en s and siblings. Fo
his he s uden p esen s in o ma ion abou some o he ollowing aspec s: places o bi h
and esidence, impo an da es, main occupa ions, mo al and eligious belie s, poli ical
ideologies, economic si ua ions, amily de elopmen , signi ican c ises and ansi ions.
One o he objec i es o he ee lies in iden i ying and e alua ing he symbolic and
ma e ial uni e se o he s uden ’s ma e nal and pa e nal b anches. La e he s uden may
e lec o e he in luence exe ed by bo h b anches o ances o s upon his o he own li e’s
jou ney and concep ion o he wo ld.
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In some cases s uden s ha e explo ed he oo s o hei amilies in g ea dep h, wi h he
help o he spoken accoun s o hei pa en s, g andpa en s and g ea g andpa en s, and
also wi h he help o amily pho og aphs and ideos. They ha e also consul ed public
a chi es, chu ch eco ds and websi es o In e ne . Ways o collec ing such in o ma ion
a e many and a ious.
Re lec ions abou he s uden ’s amily g oup ( hei household and he membe s which
compose i ) migh s a om physical and ma e ial elemen s. A plan o he house, d awn
by a s uden , may se e as a use ul means by which o conside he dis ibu ion o space,
such as he di e ing in e p e a ions be ween indi iduals o he same quan i y o space
The communica i e, cul u al and educa ional dynamics o each amily allows us o see
he a ious symbolic and axiological le els ha shape he amily sys em and he
ela ionships be ween di e en membe s o he whole ( a he and mo he ; pa en s and
child en; siblings wi h each o he ; men and women; di e en gene a ions li ing oge he
unde he same oo ). The con lic be ween siblings as ega ds gene al li e, educa ional
and p o essional agendas ha e e ealed i sel o be e y use ul. The e o mula ion o
amilies is also an impo an phenomenon. Pa en s changing pa ne , he dea h o a amily
membe , adop ions, he inc easing isibili y o homosexual pa ne ships and he eedom
wi h which young people a e able o accep plu alis ic sexual iden i ies, a e shaping a
amilial landscape e y di e en o he Spain o Gene al F anco hal a cen u y ago. This
social change is, in compa ison wi h o he Eu opean coun ies, much mo e d as ic he e.
One app oach ha I ecommend o ackling he s uden ’s local en i onmen
(neighbou hood, illage o sec o in which he amily home lies) is o ace ou a plan o
hei a ea. This allows us o place he household and hose su ounding i in a wide
social, economic, cul u al and axiological con ex . S uden s a e encou aged o disco e
hei local en i onmen no only h ough a sociological pe spec i e bu also h ough an
economic, eligious, cul u al and occupa ional one, amongs o he s. Social class, pa en s’
wo k, alues, eligious es i als and ansi ion om he u al o he u ban a e hemes
which s uden s examine in hei au obiog aphical na a ion.
The li eline consis s o he ch onological ep esen a ion o he mos impo an e en s in
he s uden ’s li e along a empo al axis om bi h up o he p esen ime. In he eab
p ojec his is no mally shown as a e ical line, along which key poin s a e plo ed in
o de . The li eline acili a es a summa ised iew o he comple e li e jou ney o he
s uden .
To assis s uden s in he p epa a ion o he inal pa o hei commen a y on he
de elopmen o hei lea ning expe iences, I ad ise s uden s o o ganise he li eline in o
wo pa s: academic li e and non-academic ea u es ( amily, o he ins i u ions, i es o
passage and signi ican momen s, men o s and ole models, iendships, achie emen s,
c ises and di icul imes, e c.).
The pe sonal escu cheon is a symbolic depic ion o pe sonal iden i y. Imi a ing he coa s
o a ms ound in adi ional he ald y, he s uden c ea es his o he own shield, which is
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di ided in o he ollowing ou sec ions: hei mos impo an childhood memo y (a
glimpse back o he pas ), hei g ea es ambi ion o he u u e, hei a ou i e pas ime
and hei own mos edeeming quali y as hey see i . The coa o a ms allows he g aphic
exp ession o a pe sonal image y in which a easonably ee se o c i e ia allows he
s uden o depic wha hey see o hemsel es in hei own chosen manne . The coa o
a ms is a simple ac i i y, which akes up only one o wo class sessions bu which
no mally s imula es keen in e es on he pa o he majo i y o s uden s.
The ex ual na a ion and ch onology o he de elopmen o he s uden ’s lea ning
expe iences, om bi h (and some imes including he mo he ’s p egnancy) up o he
p esen , o ms a la ge pa o he eab. Li e jou neys a e o ganised in o h ee main s ages:
om bi h un il he s a o obliga o y schooling; he phase o he s uden ’s li e which
coincides wi h p ima y educa ion (6 – 12 yea s); and obliga o y seconda y educa ion (12
– 18 yea s) including highe educa ion. This jou ney culmina es wi h a piece abou he
new wo ld o uni e si y. Fo s uden s asking o ad ice o help hem w i e, I ecommend
ha in each o he h ee main pe iods o hei accoun hey o ganize he na a ion in e ms
o he a ious sphe es in which we encoun e human lea ning: he amily, school, he
media ( adio, ele ision, ideo, cinema, consoles and ideo games, pe sonal compu e s,
pe iodicals), in e ac ion wi h hei childhood and eenage ellows, chu ch, spa e ime, e c.
A wide selec ion o hemes a e co e ed which p o ide a ich combina ion o lea ning
expe iences, igh om he lea ning o sphinc e muscle con ol o he anxie y
expe ienced du ing uni e si y access examina ions.
The in e p e a ion and e lec ions sec ion consis s o a p ocess o e alua ion which akes
place as he w i ing o he eab is nea ing i s comple ion. This e alua ion allows a look a
he sum o al o he s uden ’s educa ional expe ience and enables us o es ablish
connec ions be ween he di e en a eas wo ked upon du ing he composi ion o he eab.
In many cases he e alua ion sec ion is ha which links oge he he pas (which we
migh conside he ‘s a ’ o he eab), he p esen and he u u e.
This is he pa o he eab which a ou s meaning and in e p e a ion. He e we econside
he meaning a ibu ed o ou li e ime and also examine he e y p ocess o
au obiog aphical w i ing i sel . This equi es us o e lec upon ou pe sonal iden i ies and
hei ela ionship o ou pe sonal and in e -pe sonal hihis o y. Via iden i y we a i e a
he ‘I’ and a hose many di e en ypes o ‘I’: he unusual, he hidden, ha pe cei ed by
o he s, he wished o , he public, subjec i e expe ience, econs uc ion and e-enac men .
The in e p e a ion o one’s own li e en ails a s udy o he ela ionship be ween pe sonal
ajec o y and educa ion. In his sense, he eab p o ides an oppo uni y o us o e-
e alua e ou own p ojec s, hopes and ambi ions, combining pas s, p esen s and u u es in
sea ch o a cohe en li e na a i e beyond me e agmen s.

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III. ROLE OF THE TEACHER.
In he p oduc ion o eab, he ole o he eache is a cen al issue. F om my own poin o
iew, and om my own expe ience, he eache mus assume esponsibili y o he
ollowing oles a leas :
- The p o ision o clea guidelines as o how s uden s migh go abou he eab,
om i s ini ia ion, h ough o i s de elopmen and conclusion, bea ing in
mind hei al eady o e loaded wo k schedule (s uden s ha e oo much
ma e ial o co e , oo many hou s o classes and exams) and he ela i ely
sho ime a ailable (3 o 4 mon hs). This does no mean ha he eab should
no be an enjoyable and p o ound expe ience in c ea i e wo k and in ellec ual
au onomy.
- The encou agemen o s uden s owa ds esea ch and in es iga ion wi h he
pu pose o eco e ing e idence o he pas and ecollec ing expe iences and
eelings long since o go en o neglec ed, o con e se wi h amily membe s,
men o s, iends and educa o s.
- Assis ance wi h he w i ing p ocess by p o iding s uden s wi h solu ions when
hey ind hemsel es ‘blocked’ and o e ing s a egies o o e come o he
p oblems ha may be encoun e ed. Fo his i is necessa y ha he s uden s
ha e a posi i e iew o he p ojec and a e awa e ha h ough he w i ing o
hei eab he e a e aluable and o iginal gains o be made.
- Easing o he anxie y and discom o ha some s uden s eel when i come o
he w i ing o hei eab. Such di icul ies a e nume ous and p o ound in he
ea ly s ages o he ac i i y. On comple ing he p ojec , mos s uden s eel
highly sa is ied wi h he esul s hey ha e achie ed.
The eab is an educa ional ac i i y and should be concei ed nei he as psychological
ea men no as psycho he apy. By he e y na u e o i s objec i es, me hodology,
backg ound and end esul , he eab es ic s i sel o he educa ional sphe e. On his poin
I would like o ei e a e ha he ocus o he eab is no psychological o
psycho he apeu ic. No wi hs anding his, i is ce ainly possible ha he eab could ha e
he apeu ic e ec s. He e he eache plays an impo an ole helping s uden s owa ds
sel -en ichmen by pu ing in o p ac ice his o he own knowledge o human ela ions.
The eache needs o know how o manage he ac i i y e ec i ely, o e coming p oblems
and di icul ies whils emaining i mly wi hin he sphe e o educa ion and no c ossing
o e in o a eas which pe ain exclusi ely o clinical psychology.
IV. ETHICAL ISSUES.
In e ms o e hics, i is e y impo an o gi e s uden s he choice o unde ake he w i ing
o an eab o no . Fo his eason I gi e hem he al e na i e op ion o a pa icipan
obse a ion ask. S uden s should in no way be o ced o w i e abou ma e s which a e
bo h pe sonal and p i a e o hem. Mo eo e , i is impo an o eassu e s uden s ha he
w i ing o an eab will b ing no nega i e consequences upon i s au ho .
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F om he e y ou se , he w i en guidelines o he exe cise c ea e a sound and s able
amewo k as ega ds objec i es, me hodology, he limi s o he ac i i y, espec o
p i acy, igh o anonymi y and he en iching and empowe ing ad an ages o he p ojec
o s uden s.
The pa o he au obiog aphy dealing wi h he amily en i onmen has p esen ed some
e y se ious e hical issues. I is impo an ha he s uden espec he sec e s and aboos
o hei amily (s angely enough, in some cases, s uden s ha e insis ed on na a ing some
p i a e ma e ha hei amily has always kep o hemsel es whils I, on he o he hand,
ha e ied o con ince hem o he need o espec and o p o ec such amily sec e s). I is
also o p ime impo ance ha any commen a y w i en by he s uden on hei amily be
eadily a ailable and accep able o all amily membe s in ol ed. Con incing s uden s o
he impo ance o hese issues has no always been easy.
In con as o he opinion o some colleagues who conside he unde aking o li e
his o ies by yea g oups who hemsel es a e o be subjec ed o academic e alua ion, I
ha e main ained he opposi e. Howe e , I ha e s a ed om he p emise ha all w i en
au obiog aphies – p o ided ha hey a e o he minimum 6000 wo d coun – a e wo hy
o posi i e e alua ion. To assis in he awa ding o a nume ical ma k, I classi y pieces o
wo k in o one o se e al ca ego ies acco ding o he capaci y s uden s ha e demons a ed
o add essing he sugges ed p ojec guidelines (in pa icula he compe ence wi h which
s uden s ha e adop ed a e lec i e, c i ical, o in e p e i e ocus on hei expe iences;
which is no some hing ha all s uden s a e willing o able o do). In many cases s uden s
p esen a s aigh na a i e o pe sonal e en s which lacks any analy ical o c i ical
dimension. In any case, I ha e p e e ed ake such isks and de elop he eab p ojec
a he han o ego he ac i i y due o he di icul ies in accommoda ing i wi hin he
o mal pa ame e s o an academic eaching p og amme ( he ma king o he p ojec s is
pe haps he mos con o e sial and p oblema ic issue which a ises h ough i s inclusion).
To gi e s uden s some idea o wha we mean by ‘c i ical e lec ion’ and o wha is
equi ed o hem be o e hey commence wo k on hei eab, I p esen hem wi h a lis o
ac o s o elemen s which gene ally con ibu e o he abo e: se ious commi men in e ms
o ime and ene gy; he compa ison and con as o di e ing pe spec i es; in elligen
e lec ions upon spa ial and empo al dimension; an analysis o he concep o cul u e
(and o sub-cul u e) as applied o di e en sphe es o li e ( amily, school, means o
in o ma ion and communica ion, pee s and leisu e ime, e c); o iginali y and c ea i i y in
he layou and p esen a ion o one’s li e his o y; he abili y o dis ance onesel and o
p o ide objec i e c i icism wi h espec o one’s amily en i onmen , school and socio-
cul u e; p esen abili y and he co ec use o language.
I u he ake he oppo uni y o s a e clea ly, wi hin he guidleines p esen ed o s uden s,
some essen ial poin s: he eab is no obliga o y o anyone; in w i ing hei eab s uden s
a e qui e wi hin hei igh s o omi any issues hey wish (some choose o omi amily
ma e s); all s uden s mus p omise no o di ulge p i a e ma e s discussed in class wo k
on he eabs; ma e ial ha is de oga o y o de ama o y will no be accep ed as his is liable
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o upse o he s and o be coun e p oduc i e; he inal e sions o he p ojec belong o he
au ho s and any u he use o hem will only be made wi h s uden s’ pe mission;
class oom dynamics o espec , lis ening, disco e y and pa icipa ion a e o cen al
impo ance; he s uden mus a all imes espec he igh o p i acy o his ellow amily
membe s, eache s, iends and o he close acquain ances.
V. CONCLUSIONS: DILEMMAS AND PERSPECTIVES.
W i ing o he eab is an in ensely educa ional ac i i y in which bo h he s uden s and
mysel ha e lea ned a g ea deal. The eab pe mi s us o es ablish close links be ween he
educa ion o e ed by he uni e si y, he expe ien ial wo ld o he s uden and he socio-
cul u al backg ound o he whole. The eab opens up a powe ul p ocess o pe sonal
e lec ion, analysis, ques ioning and ma u a ion. In he wo k p oduced by s uden s we
encoun e he li ing pulse o human expe ience: illness, iendship, loss, pain, joy, ha
which has been long o go en, sepa a ion, jealousies, all manne o o he eelings,
eligious belie s, sha ed expe iences, dea h, sadness and pe sonal c isis.
The eab is an inno a o y educa ional p ojec a uni e si y le el, a p ac ical ac i i y in
w i ing which ocuses upon li e his o ies and an a emp o conduc educa ional
in es iga ion om he s andpoin o p ac ical eaching. The eab is a he same ime an
ad en u e, a isk and an open p ojec . I is also a sel -gene a ing p ojec , con inually
enewed h ough he cou se o i s own de elopmen . This pape hopes o p o ide a leas
a summa ized accoun o he di e en pe spec i es om which we can in e p e he eab.
To conclude, I would like o plan some ques ions which ha e a isen om a ious issues
encoun e ed du ing he abo e ou lined wo k wi h eabs. Conside ing a ew such
‘dilemmas’ seems o me an app op ia e way o end. The i s dilemma is one ha
conce ns he di e gen s andpoin s o he eache and o he s uden . F om my pe spec i e
as eache , he eab is an educa ional ool which con ibu es owa ds he de elopmen o
c i ical hough and exp ession. F om a s uden ’s pe spec i e, howe e , he eab is an
ac i i y e y di e en om – and some imes an al e na i e o – o he uni e si y asks.
S uden s b ing a lo o en husiasm o hei po ayal o amily li e and school li e and end
o o ge he educa ional objec i es and c i e ia o he ac i i y. S uden s end o alue he
eab in e ms o i as a doo o hei emmo ional na u e, subjec i i y, expe ience and
pe sonal ecollec ions whe eas o my pa as eache , I alue i as as an ins umen wi h
which o conside expe ience, o amass knowledge and unde s anding o educa ion in i s
mul i a ious con ex s, and o augmen s uden s’ abili y o e alua e he phenomenon o
lea ning h ough a diach onic pe spec i e, wi hin he amewo k o a ious sphe es o
socializa ion ( amily, school, pee s, means o communica ion and in o ma ion, ee ime
and leisu e, e c.). Up ill now i has been di icul o econcile bo h iewpoin s.
The dilemma as o which is p e e able, guided o ee au obiog aphy is one ha should
igh ly accompany us h oughou he p ocess o eab p oduc ion, om he ini ial
p esen a ion o he ac i i y o he inal s ages o w i ing. On he one hand I ha e o e ed
guidelines o he s uden s om ea ly on. These guidelines aim o p o ide a amewo k as
well as sugges ions on o ma and con en . On he o he hand, he p ac ical dynamics o
9
he eab emain lexible. The ini ial p ojec ou line needs o be a enable p oposi ion o ,
and applicable o, a la ge g oup o s uden s wi h di e se expec a ions, in e es s,
expe iences and mo i a ions. I is he e ha ha he spon aneous ace o he ac i i y
comes in o i s own. I is impo an ha each s uden is allowed he eedom o ollow
hei own inspi a ion a li le, o disco e he ac i i y o hemsel es ega dless o wha
hei classma es may be doing and, occasionally, e en o begin wo king in he opposi e
di ec ion o he ask guidelines. Some guidance is a de ini e mus , bo n o he high
numbe o s uden s ha unde ake he ac i i y. A he same ime howe e , he eedom o
adap c i e ia, ocus, con en and p esen a ion is also necessa y o a oid he eab unning
he isk o being pe cei ed as jus ano he adi ional academic exe cise.
The dilema be ween heo y and p ac ice is also a cen al ea u e o he eab p ojec . Whils
my ini ial ou lines o he ask a e d awn om publica ions on li e his o ies as educa ional
and in es iga ional ools, he ac i i y ou lined in his pape is oo ed deeply wi hin my
eaching p ac ice and has de eloped g adually o e he cou se o he las 15 yea s. The
o wa d mo ion o he p ojec has necessa ily en ailed he g ow h and e olu ion o he
o iginal idea and he inc easing dep h o which exis ing aspec s o he ac i i y ha e been
explo ed, wi h new elemen s con inually added, ha e ans o med he eab in o an open
p ocess o e lec i e in es iga ion.
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