ETHICS AND RESEARCH INVOLVING CHILDREN. REMARKS BASED ON ANTARCTICA: THE ICY LAND OF SECRETS (2008)
ETHICS AND RESEARCH INVOLVING CHILDREN. REMARKS BASED ON ANTARCTICA: THE ICY LAND OF SECRETS (2008)

Summary/Abstract: This article endorses the idea that the actors involved in the tailoring of educational policies at the academic level should support projects that encourage youngsters to study foreign languages along with science. It does so by highlighting the specificity of research involving children, taking as a point of departure the consideration of the Australian video material “Antarctica: The Land of Secrets” (2008) by Jan Dean. The reference to the film brings along a revision of the main argumentative lines which have invalidated the traditional understanding of childhood, as an age that is denied access to science, and affirms the childhood's legitimate contribution to the production of knowledge. Following the Australian model, intertwining the teaching of science and that of foreign languages, and placing children at the centre of research, is expected to create the conditions of an engaging learning process and result in an educational experience which cherishes alterity and a considerate embrace of the world.

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