Corrado Matta
Associate ProfessorI am an associate professor at the Department of Education.
Teaching
I teach in several courses in theory and philosophy of science, and research method courses, both qualitative and quantitative methods, as parts of several programs including teacher education, general education and working life education.
Research
My research concerns two main areas:
Foundations of Research Methods
My research in this area explores the philosophical and methodological foundations of qualitative and mixed-methods research. I examine how different epistemological paradigms shape the use of evidence in social sciences, with a particular focus on the explanatory power of discourse analysis and the integration of data and theory in evaluation research. My work also investigates the role of mechanistic reasoning in qualitative inquiry, challenging traditional distinctions between causal and interpretive explanations. Additionally, I study how research methods shape the construction of evidence in education, contributing to a deeper understanding of methodological rigor in empirical research.
My research in this area also focuses on the concept of selective abduction and its fundamental role in human interpretation and in interpretive research methods in the social sciences.
Evidence-Based Practice in Education
I study how educators engage with research-based knowledge and empirical data to inform their professional decision-making. My work explores the cognitive and discursive mechanisms that underlie teachers’ interpretation and use of student data, as well as the broader challenges of implementing evidence-based practice in schools. Through empirical studies, including focus groups and experimental designs, I examine how teachers balance research findings with professional judgment when making instructional decisions. In addition, I have critically analyzed the evidence relationship between neuroscience and education, highlighting the complexities of translating scientific knowledge into classroom practice.
I am also currently investigating how the philosophical theory of Evidential Pluralism can be applied to evidence-based policy in education.
I am a member of the research group Studies in Curriculum, Teaching and Evaluation (SITE).
My ongoing research projects
Publications
Article in journal (Refereed)
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Matta, C. (2024). The Explanatory Power of Discourse Analysis. Philosophy of the social sciences. 54 (5). 363-386.
Status: Published -
Matta, C., Lindvall, J., Ryve, A. (2024). The Mechanistic Rewards of Data and Theory Integration for Theory-Based Evaluation. American Journal of Evaluation. 45 (1). 110-132.
Status: Published -
Matta, C. (2022). Philosophical Paradigms in Qualitative Research Methods Education : What is their Pedagogical Role?. Scandinavian Journal of Educational Research. 66 (6). 1049-1062.
Status: Published -
Matta, C. (2022). Tolkningens metodologi och selektiv abduktion. Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige. 27 (4). 37-61.
Status: Published -
Matta, C., Kaufmann, O.T., Ryve, A. (2022). Automatized visualization methods for the qualitative analysis of teachers' collegial discussions. New Trends in Qualitative Research (NTQR). 11 (-). 1-15.
Status: Published -
Matta, C. (2021). Neuroscience and educational practice - A critical assessment from the perspective of philosophy of science. Educational Philosophy and Theory. 53 (2). 197-211.
Status: Published -
Matta, C. (2019). Qualitative Research Methods and Evidential Reasoning. Philosophy of the social sciences. 49 (5). 385-412.
Status: Published -
Matta, C. (2015). Interpretivism and Causal Explanations : A Case from Educational Research. Philosophy of the social sciences. 45 (6). 543-567.
Status: Published -
Matta, C. (2014). Scientific Representation and Science Learning. Open Review of Educational Research. 1 (1). 211-231.
Status: Published
Conference paper (Refereed)
- Holmberg, K., Matta, C., Nordmark, S., Masiello, I., Rack, J., et al. (2025). From Balance to Informed Criticism : Discursive Transformations in a Development Project on Digital Learning Material in Primary School. INTED2025 Proceedings : 19th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Valencia, Spain. 3-5 March, 2025.. 4428-4433.
- Matta, C., Ståhlkrantz, K. (2023). Knowledge translation and school leaders' professional decision-making : a case study. .
- Matta, C. (2022). Topic modeling and interpretive methods. .
- Matta, C. (2021). Evaluating Interpretive Qualitative Theories. .
- Matta, C., Fälth, L., Wernholm, M., Andersson, A. (2021). Raising our eyes from effects : The mechanistic rewards of integrating neuroimaging, behavioral measures and ethnographic methods in the study of an educational intervention. Workshop: Mechanisms in the Sciences. Integrating Social and Biological Perspectives. September 27th and 28th, 2021 : Department of Logic, History and Philosophy of Science. UNED-Madrid.
- Matta, C. (2020). The Role of Data in Interpretive Qualitative Theorizing. .
- Matta, C. (2018). Policy Evaluation and Mixed Methods. .
- Matta, C. (2017). The Role of Philosophical Theory in Qualitative Methods Textbooks. .
- Matta, C. (2017). Methodological Naturalism and Teaching Research Methods. NERA 2017 Abstracts : 23-25 March 2017: Learning and education – material conditions and consequences. 259.
- Matta, C. (2014). Actor Network, Ontic Structural Realism and the Ontological Status of Actants. Proceedings of the Ninth International Conference on Networked Learning 2014. 195-202.
Article in journal (Other academic)
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Matta, C. (2023). Teoretisk och normativ pedagogisk forskning är alltid relevant – även ur ett rent instrumentellt perspektiv. Pedagogisk forskning i Sverige. 28 (1-2). 155-159.
Status: Published
Conference paper (Other academic)
- Masiello, I., Matta, C., Holmberg, K., Nordmark, S., Rack, J., et al. (2025). An AI Chat-Bot Thematic Analysis of Teachers’ Expectations of Digital Learning Materials in Primary Schools. INTED2025 : 19th International Technology, Education and Development Conference Valencia, Spain, 3-5 March, 2025.. 4063-4071.
Book (Other academic)
- Matta, C. (2020). På vetenskaplig grund : en vetenskapsteoretisk vägledning för lärare och lärarstudenter. Stockholm, Liber.