Abstract

The article suggests a methodological turn in the field of researches related to religious education and its alternatives in Italy. After framing the European and Italian dimensions, it presents and discusses the limits of a solely quantitative approach, circumscribed to the description of subscription trends. A methodological foreword introduces the results of a survey conducted between 2011 and 2015, on a sample of upper secondary schools in the Metropolitan City of Turin. The methodology included the covert participant observation, with explorative purpose; the focus group with groups of students; the discursive interview, conducted with the collaboration of key informants. Findings highlight some key points: their discussion can contribute to the debate, suggesting new topics and methodologies while encouraging more in-depth studies.