The house as an educating space. Pedagogical reflections starting from a study during the lockdown

This contribution aims to explore and reflect, from a pedagogical perspective, on the home as a place of education for the children who live there, from the perspective offered by the current pandemic emergency. In early childhood, the family home is the place where children begin to become aware of themselves (Leccardi et al., 2011), and to exist precisely from the space of the home (Giordano, 1997). The COVID-19 emergency has forced a return to the home, leading us to rethink the role of the home. We therefore intend to share some pedagogical reflections based on the results of a qualitative research (part of the European project Erasmus + DEPCIP) conducted during the lockdown of March-May 2020 and aimed at understanding the impact that a prolonged period of confinement has had on the family environment. The contribution is based on qualitative-quantitative research (Teddlie, Tasshakori, 2006), conducted through the semi-structured Computer Assisted Web Interview (CAWI). The study reached, through written interviews, about 1000 parents in lockdown from the countries involved in the project, of which about 400 Italian parents. The study also investigated the relationships with domestic and public spaces, showing how isolation has caused a redefinition of the families' 'home geographies' (Blunt, Varley 2004). Starting from the results of the research, this paper will reflect on the complexity of the meanings of home that have been experienced during this emergency period and its repercussions on the educational level.