The study on the implementation of the new national guidelines in South Tyrol/Italy (which means the region Trentino-Alto Adige in Italy) at the elementary and middle schools refers to the new national guidelines for schools and kindergartens in South Tyrol (province of Bozen-Bolzano), which serve as the basis for the development of school curricula. These new national guidelines refer to international practices in curriculum development; the intent is to allow teachers and schools more autonomy in designing teaching and learning processes in form of the development of school based curricula. Responsible for this research project at the Provincia autonoma di Bolzano (South Tyrol) in Italy is the Faculty of Education on the Free University of Bolzano in cooperation with the Institute for Social Research "Apollis" in Bolzano. The persons which are involved in the research project are Professor Gerwald Wallnöfer (University of Bolzano), Professor Franco Frabboni (University of Bologna) and as researcher Dr. Liza Centrone, Dr. Manuela Gallerani from the Universities of Bolzano and Bologna and Dr. Gernot Herzer (University of Jena/Germany) The study will provide information on the process and related attitudes and experiences to the development of school based curricula by the teachers and schools based on the new national guidelines in South Tyrol. It is also of interest if there are problems in this implementation process and which kind of problems these are. The expected data can lead to conclusions for the provision of support for teachers and a better preparation of teachers in the university teacher education and training.

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