The training of early childhood educators requires approaches that integrate solid theoretical foundations with formative methodologies capable of developing a playful, reflective, and inclusive educational professionalism, recognizing the bodily, emotional, and relational dimensions as fundamental…

This contribution presents a systematic review of the scientific literature, conducted in accordance with the PRISMA protocol, on the integration of Artificial Intelligence into the initial and in-service training of educators and teachers working in the 0–6 age group. Particular attention is…

The paper develops a methodological inquiry into the assessment of play within early childhood education services, focusing on how this educational dimension can be effectively recognised and documented in self-evaluation frameworks for educational quality. Based on experience from nursery centers…

From a neurophysiological perspective, play contributes to children's cognitive development, allowing them to connect with themselves and the environment (Casolo, Frattini, 2023). Movement games engage children in the execution of basic motor patterns (Sibilio, D'Elia, 2015) and not only exercise…

Learning through play is essential in early childhood and primary education. Digital games employ motivational strategies and create ludic spaces. One example is ActiveFloor, an educational technology (EdTech), which allows children to physically interact with projected learning games. In a pilot…

Playing is an all-children’s right, and preschool education has a fundamental role in ensuring that playing is guaranteed in its pedagogical and curricular proposal. This article addresses the importance children attribute to play and do it in the school environment, also seeks to reflect on the…

This article explores inclusive play in early childhood, placing particular emphasis on the integration of analogic and digital solutions. It is based on key regulatory documents such as the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child and ICF-CY (WHO), as well as on the latest research on play as a…

This article interrogates an ongoing initiative, launched in 2017, within the framework of “Artoo – Art as Told by Children”, a project explicitly oriented to fostering the authorial agency of preschool-aged children. The programme interweaves the dramaturgical play dimension inherent in…

The digital environment is conceptualized as an educational space to be inhabited, according to a socio-constructivist perspective, in which learning develops through interaction with meaningful contexts. Playful learning, based on play experience and active participation, represents a pedagogical…

The article, based on the findings of PRIN Di.Co.Each (Digital Competence in Early Childhood), seeks to promote reflection on the tasks of educational services for children aged 0-6, in order to create educational contexts that can foster a balance between analogue and digital environments for…

For children, play is the preferred way to learn and interact with the world. Thus, play is one of the pillars of preschool education. Education professionals must therefore be able to create stimulating and varied contexts in order to support children's play. To do this, they can play around with…

Play is recognised as the privileged language of childhood and a driving force in cognitive, linguistic, motor, and socio-relational development. Early childhood education is called upon to restore its centrality, making it the core of the educational proposal. In this perspective, the contribution…

This paper aims to reflect on the essential value of play as a vehicle for the cognitive, psycho-affective, and linguistic development of infants. Preschool is one of the main educational institutions in a child's life and is called upon, daily, to make the important choice of directing and guiding…

This paper explores the transformation of play in early childhood education services, bringing together theoretical perspectives, historical sources, and contemporary evidence. Starting from a pedagogical framework inspired by Maria Montessori, the research investigates the value of play, developing…

In the field of 0-6 education, play is the epistemological cornerstone of learning, understood not only as an experience of discovery, but as a symbolic, physical and relational practice. The emergence of hybrid educational environments, in which digital and material intertwine, challenges pedagogy…

The integration of digital technologies into the play dimension of kindergarten raises profound questions about the role of play in learning and the pedagogical and ethical responsibilities of the teacher. This contribution critically examines the transformations of children's play in the digital…

Play, in its different forms, is recognized as a key component of children's growth and learning processes. In early childhood education, play is a basic foundation that helps children explore, socialize, be creative, as well as engage in care activities. These benefits, generated through the…

This contribution explores the formative value of video analysis as a reflective and participatory methodology within early childhood education services, with a specific focus on the observation of children's play. Drawing on a field-based training experience, it highlights how the use of video…

Play experiences are essential for children's cognitive, social, emotional, and psychological development. As evidenced by 93% of teachers (from a sample of 137 participants) who completed a specific questionnaire during the research project "A che giochi giochiamo in Molise? L’importanza del…

Aren’t kids having fun today? This adult-centric perception masks a very different reality: contemporary childhood has redefined its playful languages through digital media that often elude traditional pedagogical understanding. This research proposes a review of the international literature on…

The use of board games in educational settings is increasingly emerging as a practice capable of combining inclusive aims, cognitive development, and active learning. This contribution presents the development and testing of an evaluation grid for board games, aimed at analyzing their effectiveness…

This paper compares the formulation of the role of play in early childhood education for children aged 0-6 in Italy and Spain, across both digital and analogue experiences. Literature, applied research, and case studies from these countries, as perused hereinafter, poignantly unravel how play…

This experimental study investigates the risks and developmental potential of digital educational technologies in early childhood play (ages 3 to 6). Using a comparative pre–post test design, it explores the cognitive, behavioral, and emotional outcomes of three play conditions: guided digital…

Access to learning is a crucial element in an inclusive learning city perspective. Homelessness is one of the most serious forms of exclusion. From the perspective of lifelong learning, a commitment is needed towards strengthening individual resources and, at the same time, recognising competences…

This article applies the construct of the 'learning city' to the context of territorial communities. These communities, facing difficulties resulting from marginalization processes—a consequence of globalization which has concentrated opportunities and wealth in predominantly urban hubs—seek to…

The concept of Learning City aims to promote inclusive learning for all, from basic to higher education, including marginalized social groups. In this context, persons in prison represent one such group, in spatial and symbolic terms (Goffman, 1961). Prisons are closed institutions (Verdolini,…

How can urban exploration function as a site of learning? What epistemological frameworks can drive innovation in teacher education? As part of the EU Green Week, the W.E.R.S.Um. project engaged 100 undergraduate students in Primary Education Studies in a critical re-examination of the city as an…

The Learning City concept highlights the role of local educational and cultural institutions, encouraging them to promote collaborative networks for the implementation of educational policies inspired by the principles of Lifelong Learning and Leave No One Behind. The article explores and comments…

Digital innovation is redefining the role of schools within the urban ecosystem, transforming them into distributed and participatory learning environments. Learning Cities are emerging as inclusive spaces where technology enhances access to education. However, their integration is hindered by…

The 2021 UNESCO Report refers to Service Learning (SL) as a pedagogy that integrates learning with a strong sense of purpose. SL is an educational approach that employs collaborative inquiry strategies to address real-world problems. This contribution presents the issues of a descriptive study…

After a historical reconstruction starting with Marshall McLuhan's contribution to the definition of a “city as a classroom” from lifelong education and the discourse on words and images in pedagogical media devices, the paper traces the pedagogical-educational foundations by which the…

The learning city model proposed by UNESCO (UNESCO, 2015 e 2017) and the urban paradigm commonly known as smart city (Vianello, 2013), represent models whose coexistence, in a logic of mutual integrability, It can foster the development of cross-cutting skills in favour of citizenship (Andone et…

This paper investigates the theme of Learning Cities in relation to university life, physical and sports activities and the management of university students' free time. The main objective is to highlight the role of universities as learning and relationship communities that promote well-being. To…

Urban regeneration cannot be limited to the physical transformation of spaces, but must translate into an authentic collective learning process. In the Learning Cities perspective, the cultural heritage and the educating community become strategic resources for lifelong, inclusive and sustainable…

The article frames the theme of Learning Cities by taking as an example the way in which the Open-Air Lab research group, within the MUSA project, has worked on the construction of a participatory culture of sustainability in the city of Milan. After outlining the theoretical framework of the…

This contribution explores the findings of a phenomenological research investigating the trajectories of European youth engaged in public decision-making. Through in-depth interviews conducted with 26 representatives of European youth organisations, the study highlights how these young people…

The following study aims to analyze the effectiveness of four-year and five-year high school educational pathways within the context of Southern Italy. In this sense, the research aims to verify whether both paths can maintain the same qualitative standards regardless of their duration. Therefore, a…

For some time now, the prospects of the “learning city” paradigm have been discussed both in academia and within the policy-making communities. Speeches, publications, conferences and international congresses follow one another at short intervals, disseminating research results, interpretations…

The Learning City recognises the need to ensure the learning and well-being of its entire population, consistent with an inclusive approach according to the principle of ‘Leaving No One Behind’. It is precisely in the area of learning and wellbeing that culture plays a fundamental role, thus…

European research reveals that migrants’ basic citizenship educational rights are disrespected, despite the declared attempt to recognize their former qualifications or to give them access to education and training opportunities. This paper presents rationale and methodology of the capacity…

Over the past two years, I have been engaged in a professional community development process, which involved about sixty professionals in the sector in the Metropolitan City of Bologna. The focus of the process has been the educational skills in migrant reception contexts. In the path has been used…

Italy, facing the migration emergency, must tackle the trafficking of young Nigerian women, often minors, who are enslaved for prostitution. Reception policies are hampered by the infiltration of criminal networks into reception centers. Learning Italian becomes crucial for these women's…

A community is a place and a time in which different people mutually transform each other. The delicate balance between the welcoming process of young unaccompanied foreign minors in a structured but flexible context, the community in the Italian SAI system, is exercised between double absences,…

The article reflects on the processes of entry into reception systems through the life story of Hayat, a female migrant who arrived irregularly from Morocco and landed in reception after a long series of vicissitudes. What happens on the threshold between marginality, migration and the political and…

This contribution aims to highlight how educational action in school contexts in which migrant pupils are inserted, at times, leads to inclusive rhetoric, generating the so-called "exclusive inclusions", since, instead of promoting equity and integral development, it ends up fueling discrimination…

The paper analyzes integration strategies for asylum seekers and beneficiaries of international protection, as suggested by the Integration Strategy Framework and the Guidelines developed within the European AMIF project “INTEgreat”. Based on research conducted in five European cities (Athens,…

As of 30 June 2024, the number of unaccompanied immigrant minors in Italy was 20.206 (Ministero del Lavoro e delle Politiche Sociali, 2024) a figure that has been steadily increasing since 2022. More frequently, these minors arrive close to the age of majority, with urgent needs related to housing,…

In the context of integrated reception – understood as a holistic and emancipatory approach to care – the central element remains the creation of meaningful interpersonal and social relationships, that allow refugees to feel like active protagonists of a community. This paper presents a case…

The contribution returns the results of a research on the issue of the reception of trafficked women, with regard to the importance that a gender perspective can guarantee in the design and implementation of educational interventions aimed for them. The research highlighted the difficulties that…

The Safe Space was born in 2023 as a place of first reception for unaccompanied foreign minors. It is a groundbreaking project, the first of its kind in Italy, funded by the FAMI “CapaCe” fund, sees the Prefecture of Rome as lead organization, in partnership with Programma Integra s.c.s., the…

In the context of the reception and integration of refugees and applicants for international protection, digital technologies are emerging as fundamental tools to support social and educational inclusion paths. The following contribution reflects on the role of e-learning platforms and digital tools…

The Social Desk for Human Rights at the Ospedale Civico Benfratelli in Palermo represents an innovative model of integrated reception, capable of responding to the multidimensional needs of foreigners in an urban context marked by socio-health inequalities. Through linguistic and cultural mediation…

The article explores the phenomenon of trafficking through a postcolonial pedagogical perspective (Burgio, 2022), focusing on the fact that women and girls represent the majority of trafficking victims worldwide. According to the Global Report on Trafficking in Persons (2024), 60% of underage…

In the absence of a locally-based approach centred on human rights, the unsystematic model of the Italian education system risks to be fragile, incoherent, and devoid of substance. The practices of welcoming newly arrived students in schools represent a pivotal moment in the experience of young…

The integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Virtual Worlds in refugee education offers new opportunities for social inclusion, language learning, and digital empowerment. This study explores AI-powered digital storytelling as a pedagogical tool to support refugees in identity reconstruction…

This paper presents a case study on several associations dedicated to providing emergency assistance to both people on the move and asylum seekers in Italy. The analysis reveals that the high level of commitment and participation is intrinsically linked to the voluntary nature of the actions.…

This contribution explores the role and functions of the teacher-tutor in Italian schools, with particular attention to the tutoring actions dedicated to new recruits. Starting with a reflection about the initial and in-service teacher training, the paper then proceeds by exploring the peculiarities…

Teacher professionalism is characterized by a complex interaction between cultural, pedagogical, social, and specifically didactic competences, the result of an equally complex orchestration of knowledge, skills, beliefs and internal dispositions. Professional identity considered as a set of…

Since technological systems have been at the service of the teachers training, intelligent tutoring systems (ITS) have been used, often on an experimental basis, to support induction, that is the progressive entry of inexperienced teachers into the teaching profession. After recalling the…

The paper presents the outcomes of a Training-Research course initiated as part of the in-service training activities aimed at mentors of newly hired teachers in Lazio, designed and led by the Department of Education Sciences of the University of Roma Tre in agreement with the Regional School…

International literature has long argued that the most effective programs for initial and in-service teacher training are those that involve them in cyclical processes of action and reflection. This involves moving from a delivery-transmission type of training to forms that involve strong…

Since 2019, the Department of Educational Sciences of the Roma Tre University, in collaboration with the USR of Lazio, has designed and promoted a training course aimed at tutors of newly hired teachers in schools of different levels . Specifically, in this contribution, we report the opinions of…

The leadership style and soft skills of the tutor represent a determining factor during the induction phase of newly hired teachers. The exercise of good leadership allows the tutor to implement actions that combine the ability to meet the formative, methodological, communicative, and environmental…

The contribution examines the role of the interview as a useful tool for professional training supervision carried out by the Tutor Teacher in collaboration with the newly appointed Teacher. In recent years, the analyzes carried out in this area have given us positive results, confirming how…

This contribution presents the findings of an exploratory survey conducted by the Apulian Universities (UniBa, Unisalento, UniFG) and the Regional School Office for Apulia. The survey was designed to ascertain the experiences and training needs of tutors who work alongside teachers newly appointed…

Mentoring is internationally recognized as a critical component of the induction process for newly hired teachers. In Italy, this mentoring practice, known as peer-to-peer, was formalized with Ministerial Decree 850/2015 and further strengthened by Ministerial Decree 226/2022, which introduced a…

The tutor teacher for newly hired teachers plays a strategic role during their probationary year (Ridge & Lavigne, 2020; Fiorucci & Moretti, 2019; 2022) through the sharing of collaborative planning and tools for mutual observation in classroom, with the aim of facilitating the active…

Initial teacher training is a fundamental moment in the construction of a ‘great professional and scientific alliance’ between school and university (Bertagna, 2021). If the school represents the place of choice for the activation of transformative processes and models for our country (PNRR…

In this contribution I want to outline the figure of the tutor in the training process of newly hired teachers and reflect on the bond that is established between these educational partners in a specific context, such as that of infant school. The starting point of this reflection is the reform of…

In the dynamic field of education, the induction phase for new teachers is crucial for ensuring high-quality teaching and fostering professional growth. This article presents a comparative analysis of induction practices in Italy and Spain, focusing on effective strategies, tools, and applied…

The research examines the role of the mentor in the induction period for newly recruited teachers, with a specific focus on supporting teachers. Tutoring is a strategic and regulative process of accompaniment in professional development aimed at achieving meaningful competences through peer-to-peer…

The involvement and active participation of teachers is an essential component for the learning process to be meaningful and successful for students. This paper aims to investigate the limits and benefits of a Service Learning (SL) activity organized in 13 schools in Apulia and Basilicata during the…

Italy has recently reformed secondary school teacher training, introducing–for the first time–3 ECTS specifically dedicated to digital competencies. While these are traditionally approached from a technological and instrumental perspective, this position paper calls for a cultural shift,…

The contribution explores the use of peer observation and formative feedback as key strategies for teachers' professional improvement. Through the practice of mutual observation, teachers can develop didactic and interpersonal skills, encouraging reflective and collaborative learning. It analyzes…

Literacy and digital citizenship confront schools with challenges, in which the effectiveness of teacher training may play a central role. This contribution concerns the training course “Text in the digital transition” (Scuola Futura MIM) co-designed and implemented in 2024 by a national school…

The 0-6 Early Childhood Education and Care Integrated System is experiencing an important cultural change in Italy, requiring a transformation of governance, pedagogical work and practices. In this framework, the Pedagogical Coordinator can play a transformative leadership role becoming an essential…

The relational dimension within the school organisation is crucial for the well-being of those involved. Collaborative work and mutual trust between colleagues are essential for improving teachers' professional effectiveness and have positive effects on student learning (Wullschleger et al, 2023).…

The advent of digital technologies in education has made the development of digital competencies among teachers essential, supported by the guidelines of international educational policies. This contribution aims to examine the results of a survey conducted as part of teacher training programs using…

Recent Italian educational policies, aimed at implementing the orientation reform outlined in the National Recovery and Resilience Plan (NRRP), have introduced significant updates in the school system. From the 2023/24 school year, orientation programs have been launched in upper secondary schools…

The following contribution intends to delve deeper into the topic of continuous teacher training through resources and strategies useful for maintaining and developing skills, through efficient collaboration between academic research and the school environment. Although the figure of the teaching…

Ministerial Decree 621/2024 initiated university and academic courses for the initial training and certification of common subject teachers and technical-practical instructors for secondary schools. This contribution aims to present the preliminary findings of an observational-descriptive study…

This study examines the predictors of sentiments, attitudes, and concerns related to inclusive education among a group of 1722 pre- and in-service teachers enrolled in the Specialization course for Special Needs Activities at the University of Palermo. Utilizing the Sentiments, Attitudes, and…

The study fits in the context of initial teacher education, with the aim of improving teacher preparation and perceived self-efficacy through the promotion of self-regulated learning. This approach is supported by pedagogical strategies, such as model-eliciting activities (Lesh & Zawojewski,…

Providing quality, equitable, and inclusive education, while promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, is an ambitious yet essential goal for fostering a fairer and more cohesive society. This study focuses on the role of supporting teachers as key figures in the implementation of inclusive…

The paper illustrates the curriculum design aimed at training tutors for students on the Specialisation Course for Support Activities (CdS). The CUAP Expert in Inclusive Practices in Educational Contexts was developed by the University of Turin to respond to the need to train new tutors, which had…

The present study aims to investigate the strategies used in training new special education teachers during their school internship. Through a questionnaire administered to their tutor (expert teachers), key areas of tutorship will be explored, including lesson planning, pedagogical support,…

The aim of this study is to highlight the importance of involving both in-service teachers and students in the self-evaluation processes of the Primary Education course at the University of Molise. Building upon the investigation conducted in 2019, this research examined the skills acquired, as…

The article reports on the first results of a survey on students' perceptions of their own role in the study of educational science. Prospective educators' understanding of childhood influences how they approach their studies. Therefore, the purpose of the training is also to deconstruct and…

The training and development of university lecturers’ competencies are of fundamental importance today (Felisatti & Perla, 2023). The PNRR (2021), the Yerevan Communiqué (2015), and the Bologna Process (2018) highlight the need to strengthen teaching skills to drive innovation in teaching and…

The article discusses some working hypotheses related to training proposals developed within the framework of the Teaching Learning Center (TLC). Under this name, there are structures and experiences which are often very diversified. On the other hand, they represent an unprecedented opportunity in…

Faculty Development (FD) has evolved significantly from a process focused on the needs of students and institutions to a more integrated approach that considers various aspects, such as teaching, personal and professional development, and organization. In Italy, FD has also taken on a transformative…

This paper illustrates the activities carried out as part of the pilot project "Radicalization and Extremism in Adolescents and Young Adults," funded by the Fondazione CRT (Cassa di Risparmio Torinese) and launched between 2022 and 2023, thanks to the collaboration between the GRIST association…

The paper deals with a research aimed at investigating - through the collection of field data - students' opinions, perceptions and attitudes towards the different forms of extremism. This action is part of a broader action-research process targeted to schools belonging to the Brescia network…

Hate speech, a particularly widespread phenomenon especially against women, has deep cultural roots related to gender and social norms that promote the idea of male superiority. This violent and sexist language, by normalizing gender discrimination, represents a crucial challenge for the world of…

The paper presents the results of action research aimed at countering hate speech through a peer-to-peer approach, carried out with a group of young people of Roma and non-Roma origin, engaged in the creation of counter-narratives through visual methods. The text is a narrative and critical analysis…

The article explores some experiences and perceptions of migrants and the local population regarding Belgian media representations. The reference literature and the data collected through semi-structured interviews conducted with local population, refugees and migrants in the Flanders region, have…

Conflict is an inevitable aspect of human experience, but it can become an opportunity for growth and personal development if managed constructively. This article explores the effectiveness of the cooperation council, a pedagogical tool proposed by Célestin Freinet and adapted by Danielle Jasmin,…

This contribution moves from a transfeminist perspective to read and deconstruct hate speech and its repercussions in the educational field from a pedagogical and intersectional point of view (Crenshaw, 1991; Faloppa 2020; Pasta 2021). In response to a real "hate teaching", fueled by a unique…

The mafia perpetuates discourses of hate and violence that fuel a cycle of oppression and social disadvantage, exposing children to greater risks and undermining the protection of their rights. Since 2012, the Italian juvenile justice has increasingly focused on contexts affected by mafia presence,…

In the field of migration studies, the Eurocentric and ethnocentric analysis (Said, 1999; Sayad, 2002) has already been extensively explored as a point of demarcation in the power relations between groups, perpetually constructing the enemy and the scapegoat (Eco, 2020). In recent decades, the…