Iniciación a la investigación en Filología ClásicaDetección de carencias y dificultades

Abstract

This paper describes the teaching experience carried out with a group of students enrolled in the course“Introduction to Greek and Latin Literature” in the Bachelor’s Degree in Philology: Major in ClassicalPhilology at the University of the Basque Country (UPV/EHU). After observing the students’ difficultiesin conducting basic research, this experiment was launched to determine what improvements could bemade in the future. Using the “Research-Based Learning” methodology (Jenkins et al. 2003, Healey2005), the students were asked to carry out research in groups over the course of a semester. Theresearch phases were specified in the classroom, and the students were guided through a simple andhighly structured research process so that they could consolidate the basic processes and phases ofacademic research. At the same time, a thirty-question questionnaire on their knowledge was administered (at the beginning and end of the term), which was divided into three sections: one dedicated tobasic concepts (e.g., what is a theoretical framework), another focused on plagiarism and academicethics, and a third on how to cite and reference correctly. The knowledge questionnaire shows a fairlyhigh starting level (not surprisingly, as these students have previously taken a course on academicmethodology), although there is an improvement from the initial test to the final test (the improvementis more pronounced in students with poorer initial results). The best results are in the second block andthe worst in the third. However, the most striking conclusions arise from comparing these results withthe research work carried out, as the transition from theory to practice proves to be the major stumblingblock for students. Indeed, the practical application of what they seem to know in theory shows thateither the knowledge is not real (there is no real assimilation) or that they do not understand how toapply that knowledge. In short, experience has highlighted the need to focus on practice and to workon research in a highly contextualised way.