L’argomentazione rappresenta una componente fondamentale del pensiero matematico, tuttavia, nelle pratiche scolastiche non sembra trovare sufficiente spazio che invece è riservato ampiamente all’apprendimento mnemonico di formule e regole. In questo contributo, attraverso le lenti della Philosophy for Children — che valorizza il pensiero critico, creativo e riflessivo attraverso la creazione di comunità di ricerca — si indagano le argomentazioni di bambini e bambine di una classe seconda di scuola primaria a seguito della risoluzione di un problema aperto inerente al cubo e ai suoi sviluppi. L’analisi dei dati raccolti si avvale di un approccio multimodale che integra aspetti verbali e non verbali della comunicazione. I risultati mettono in luce come — soprattutto in un’età in cui la padronanza linguistica è ancora in via di sviluppo — gesti, artefatti, interazioni tra pari e con l’insegnante costituiscano risorse fondamentali per sostenere e ampliare il pensiero matematico.
In linea con le recenti raccomandazioni europee, che invitano a considerare il successo scolastico come un concetto ampio e non limitato ai soli risultati di apprendimento, il presente studio esplora il ruolo del contesto sociale nella promozione della motivazione autodeterminata e le sue ricadute su benessere e dispersione scolastica. Lo studio, basato sulla Self-Determination Theory, ha adottato un approccio quantitativo e coinvolto 1986 studenti della scuola secondaria di primo e secondo grado, con l’obiettivo di valutare il ruolo del supporto all’autonomia percepito da insegnanti, genitori e pari nello sviluppo della motivazione autonoma, nella soddisfazione scolastica e nelle intenzioni di abbandono. I risultati evidenziano il ruolo centrale del supporto offerto dagli insegnanti nella promozione della motivazione autodeterminata, con effetti positivi sul benessere e sul contrasto alla dispersione. Tali evidenze sottolineano l’importanza di una formazione docente specifica, orientata alla costruzione di ambienti di apprendimento che valorizzino e supportino l’autonomia degli studenti.
Questo contributo esplora il valore pedagogico del tutorato clinico nei Corsi di Laurea delle Professioni Sanitarie nel contesto universitario, con particolare attenzione all’etica, alla comunicazione empatica e alla gestione delle dinamiche relazionali. Adottando un approccio qualitativo di matrice costruttivista, vengono analizzati due report riflessivi prodotti da studentesse impegnate in un percorso tutoriale universitario durante il tirocinio. La Reflexive Thematic Analysis ha evidenziato tre macro-temi tra loro intrecciati: comunicazione empatica come leva per un clima formativo sicuro; gestione dell’errore e dell’incertezza di ruolo come occasione di ricalibrazione didattica e crescita identitaria; supporto relazionale come spazio di cura educativa e apprendimento trasformativo. I risultati suggeriscono l’opportunità di includere nella formazione dei tutor training sulla comunicazione difficile, moduli di didattica inclusiva e strumenti di scrittura e supervisione riflessiva. Pur riferendosi a un corpus limitato, lo studio offre spunti per progettare percorsi tutoriali più integrati e sensibili alle dimensioni emotive ed etiche dell’apprendimento clinico.
All’interno del presente articolo è descritto il processo di costruzione e validazione di un questionario di autovalutazione delle competenze per la sostenibilità ambientale in lingua italiana, rivolto ad adulti e sviluppato a partire dal framework europeo GreenComp (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2022). Lo strumento, somministrato a un campione di 319 studenti universitari, è stato sottoposto ad analisi fattoriali esplorative, confermative e di affidabilità, le quali hanno supportato una struttura a tre fattori coerente con il modello teorico di riferimento. Il questionario validato può rappresentare uno strumento utile per la valutazione diagnostica, in itinere e sommativa delle competenze green percepite negli adulti e può offrire indicazioni per la progettazione di percorsi formativi che mirino a sviluppare conoscenze, abilità e attitudini nell’ambito della sostenibilità.
Il presente contributo propone una narrative review volta a ricostruire la complessità della pedagogia queer, attraversandone lo sviluppo storico ed epistemologico a partire dalle prime elaborazioni della queer pedagogy nordamericana fino alle sue più recenti declinazioni nel contesto italiano. L’articolo esplora il modo in cui la pedagogia queer si configura come spazio di intersezione tra teoria critica e pratiche educative, politiche e trasformative, capace di mettere in discussione i presupposti eteronormativi e binari che strutturano l’educazione e i processi di soggettivazione. La revisione evidenzia come la pedagogia queer, lungi dall’essere un modello unitario, rappresenti un campo in divenire, plurale e aperto che offre molteplici possibilità trasformative e sovversive per la ricerca, l’educazione e le politiche educative.
Il contributo analizza il concetto brasiliano di corpo criança, qui tradotto come “corpo bambino”, come categoria teorico-educativa per interpretare l’esperienza infantile nei contesti educativi a partire dal corpo in movimento. Muovendo da un dialogo tra pedagogia brasiliana, sociologia dell’infanzia e contributi di Henri Wallon, l’articolo propone una lettura dell’infanzia come condizione generazionale e del bambino come soggetto di diritti e attore sociale situato. In questa ottica, il movimento è inteso non come semplice competenza motoria, ma come linguaggio con il quale i bambini costruiscono relazioni, producono significati e partecipano alla vita sociale. Il lavoro distingue analiticamente tra corporeità e corporalità, mostrando come l’esperienza corporea sia al tempo stesso vissuta e socialmente modellata. Il concetto di corpo bambino viene proposto come dispositivo teorico capace di illuminare le pratiche educative quotidiane, evidenziando il ruolo del corpo e del movimento nella produzione di soggettività, cultura e relazioni nell’infanzia.
L'articolo presenta un'analisi metodologica del processo di Ricerca-Azione Partecipata (PAR) condotto con il Tavolo Adolescenza del Comune di Cento (FE) e si concentra sulle strategie PAR utilizzate e sul loro impatto nella ricerca. A partire dalla descrizione del contesto in cui è stata progettata la ricerca, il contributo intende offrire alcuni spunti analitici utili a comprendere come le modalità con cui gli approcci ermeneutici, critico-emancipativi e partecipativi della ricerca-azione sono stati operativamente tradotti nelle strategie metodologiche, hanno favorito un processo di reale coinvolgimento degli operatori territoriali, incrementando la loro agency e potenziando la percezione del gruppo di ricerca nell’identificarsi come una comunità di pratica.
This study examines the direct and indirect effects of soft skills Communicative Collaboration Competence (CCC), Creative Problem Solving (CPS), Critical Digital Competence (CDC), and Ethical Professionalism & Flexibility (EPF) on Innovative Educator Competence (IEC), with Emotional Intelligence (EQ) as the mediating variable. The research used a quantitative approach with an explanatory-predictive survey design. Data were collected from 130 Professional Teacher Education Program students through validated questionnaire. Data were analyzed using Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) with SmartPLS 4. The results showed that CCC, CPS, CDC, and EPF significantly influence IEC, either directly or through EQ mediation. However, emotional intelligence did not significantly mediate the relationship between creative problem solving and innovative educator competence, nor between critical digital competence and innovative educator competence. EQ significantly mediates the relationship between CCC and EPF against IEC. These findings show the importance of emotional intelligence and soft skills in developing innovative teachers. Teacher education programs should enhance collaboration, self-awareness, and digital competencies to meet 21st century demands.
Let Grow is a school-family project that encourages parents to nurture children’s autonomy in the face of its decline. In this Italian preliminary study, we employed a quasi‑experimental pretest-posttest design with a control group (71 grade 3/4 students; 64 caregivers) and end‑of‑year qualitative questionnaires following eight project sessions to evaluate the project’s application. Children in the experimental classes reported greater self-sufficiency in preparing food and purchasing items and a higher sense of parental trust; caregivers likewise noted gains in food preparation, shopping, brief autonomous play outings, and clothing choice. Qualitatively, 58% of children and 81% of parents wished to repeat the project; 46% of children and 58% of caregivers perceived improved problem‑handling, and 82% of children reported learning something new about themselves. Nearly half of children (48%) and parents (47%) perceived shifts toward greater autonomy and trust. Findings indicate acceptable, behavior‑level benefits in routine, low‑risk activities; effective teacher mediation appears consequential. Stronger causal designs and validated autonomy measures are needed in future studies.
Gender equality in education remains a critical yet insufficiently synthesized issue in Indonesia despite growing scholarly attention. This study provides a systematic synthesis of recent research to examine research trends, structural challenges, and policy implications related to gender equality in Indonesian education. A systematic literature review, guided by the PRISMA framework, was conducted using the Scopus database, resulting in the analysis of 58 peer-reviewed articles published between 2020 and March 2026. The findings reveal a growing academic interest in the topic, although research production remains concentrated in several major universities in Indonesia. The literature highlights persistent barriers, including patriarchal sociocultural norms, socioeconomic inequalities, gender bias in educational practices, and institutional limitations in implementing gender-responsive policies. At the same time, education emerges as a key pathway for strengthening women’s empowerment, social mobility, and economic participation. Overall, this study provides a comprehensive synthesis of recent evidence and offers insights for developing more inclusive and gender-responsive educational policies in Indonesia.
In recent years, neoliberal strategies and practices have dominated contemporary school education. These approaches have shaped educational realities in which schools strive to maximise efficiency through predetermined targets and measurable outcomes. In such an environment, the idea of democracy appears to be fading, along with a sense of responsibility for the common good and constructive dialogue. Today, schools seem to be losing the creative potential of the democratic way of life advocated by Dewey, which transforms students’ individualism into participation and collectivity. Therefore, school administration plays a vital role in strengthening democratic schools through the practical application of collaborative and participatory models of educational leadership. In this study, we clarify the concept of the democratic school and show how democracy can be strengthened in the school environment through the democratic-distributed model of educational leadership.
This paper presents a narrative review that aims to reconstruct the complexity of queer pedagogy by tracing its historical and epistemological development. This development is traced from the early formulations of queer pedagogy in North America to its most recent articulations within an Italian context. It examines how queer pedagogy constitutes an intersection between critical theory and educational, political and transformative practices that can challenge the heteronormative and binary assumptions underlying education and processes of subjectivation. The review reveals that, rather than being a unified model, queer pedagogy is an evolving, plural and open field offering multiple transformative and subversive possibilities for research, education and educational policy.
This study examines the effectiveness of multisensory traditional game-based learning in supporting character development among children with visual impairments in inclusive primary education. Addressing the limited integration of culturally grounded and accessible pedagogies, a quasi-experimental pre-test–post-test design was employed. The intervention incorporated traditional games adapted with auditory and tactile elements. Data were collected through validated observation instruments with established inter-rater reliability and analyzed statistically across indicators of cooperation, self-control, responsibility, and empathy. The results show significant improvements in all measured behaviors, indicating that multisensory game-based learning fosters meaningful social interaction and prosocial engagement. However, behavioral gains do not necessarily indicate full moral internalization, as intrinsic motivation and long-term sustainability were not assessed. This study contributes to inclusive character education by integrating cultural relevance and multisensory accessibility, although it is limited by the absence of a control group and short intervention duration.
This article examines the Brazilian concept of corpo criança, here translated as “child body”, as a theoretical-educational category for interpreting children’s experience in educational contexts from the perspective of the body in movement. Drawing on a dialogue between Brazilian pedagogy, the sociology of childhood, and the contributions of Henri Wallon, the article proposes a reading of childhood as a generational condition and of the child as a subject of rights and a situated social actor. From this perspective, movement is understood not merely as a motor skill, but as a language through which children build relationships, produce meanings, and participate in social life. The paper analytically distinguishes between corporeity and corporality, showing how bodily experience is at once lived and socially shaped. The concept of the child body is proposed as a theoretical device capable of illuminating everyday educational practices, highlighting the role of the body and movement in the production of subjectivity, culture, and relationships in childhood.
This article describes the process of developing and validating an Italian-language self-assessment questionnaire on environmental sustainability skills, designed for adults and based on the European GreenComp framework (European Commission, Joint Research Centre, 2022). The instrument, administered to a sample of 319 university students, underwent exploratory, confirmatory and reliability factor analyses, which supported a three-factor structure consistent with the theoretical reference model. The validated questionnaire may serve as a useful tool for the diagnostic, formative and summative assessment of perceived green competencies in adults and may provide guidance for the design of training programmes aimed at developing knowledge, skills and attitudes in the field of sustainability.
Improving educational quality and inclusion is a global priority under the 2030 Agenda. Teacher training is central to this goal, requiring a clear understanding of current practices and progress. This article is part of the international DUAINCLUDIG project (Spain and Uruguay), which promotes inclusive education through the Universal Design for Learning (UDL) framework. A systematic review following PRISMA guidelines examined three areas: (1) concepts of diversity and inclusion in teacher education; (2) the development and characteristics of training programs; and (3) their design and evaluation. Findings reveal a limited number of rigorous studies validating inclusion-focused teacher training. Most initiatives rely on qualitative and reflective approaches, primarily in initial teacher education, with scarce integration of UDL. The results underscore the need to transform teacher training paradigms and to implement comprehensive, evidence-based models that fully incorporate UDL in Spain and internationally.
This article examines how Greek primary school teachers adapted to digital assessment practices before, during, and after the COVID-19 pandemic. Drawing on a mixed-methods approach (questionnaire surveys and focus groups) with 417 teachers, the study traces the shift from limited technology use to a more engaged deployment of digital tools. Results highlight the rapid learning curve imposed by school closures, revealing both persistent challenges - such as infrastructure gaps and academic dishonesty concerns - and clear opportunities for more responsive, student-centered pedagogy. Teacher reflections emphasize the need for stronger professional development in digital competence, especially in training for online formative and summative assessments. Despite the undeniable strain placed on educators, many welcomed the potential for tailored feedback, enhanced collaboration, and robust learner engagement made possible by digital assessment tools. Ultimately, these experiences signal a transformative resilience in Greek primary education, paving the way for sustained innovation in assessment practices.
This study investigates the impact of competitive debate participation on personal epistemologies, contrasting long-standing critiques associating debate with relativism and superficiality. Employing a quantitative, experimental design and a validated epistemological questionnaire, the research analyzed responses from 180 secondary students, divided into experimental and control groups. The findings revealed no significant differences in relativism or superficiality between the groups, challenging historical critiques, suggesting that debate does not promote relativistic or oversimplified thinking. These results emphasize debate's pedagogical value, highlighting its potential for cultivating reflective and ethical citizenship while offering new avenues for research in epistemic development.
Technical creativity represents a critical competence for navigating the challenges of the 21st century; however, its systematic cultivation within primary education remains insufficiently addressed. Given their formative role in early learning environments, primary school teachers significantly influence pupils’ creative engagement through their implicit pedagogical knowledge—tacit, experience-based understandings that inform instructional decision-making. This study examines how such implicit knowledge shapes teachers’ conceptualizations of technical creativity and its integration into pedagogical practice. Employing a quantitative research design, data were collected via a rigorously validated questionnaire instrument. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses, including non-parametric tests and Pearson correlation coefficients, were applied to identify relevant patterns and associations. The findings revealed two central thematic domains: teachers’ perceived knowledge and their attitudinal orientation toward technical creativity. The study highlights the necessity of addressing both cognitive and affective dimensions within pre-service and in-service teacher education.
This contribution will address the epistemological issues underlying a possible dialogue between Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) and the Philosophy for Children (P4C) educational programme. In particular, it will focus on the possibility of analysing philosophical dialogue – understood as a specific type of interactional discourse – through analytical tools inspired by CDA and, specifically, by the perspective of the ideological triangle proposed by Teun van Dijk (2015). The dialogues examined took place during a number of P4C sessions with pupils at a school in Naples (Italy), organised between March and May 2022, as part of a doctoral research project aimed at combating and preventing hate speech among adolescents. The analysis was conducted taking into account both the epistemic construct related to the development of complex thinking (Lipman, 2000, 2003; Sharp, 1995, 2004, 2005) and that related to critical discourse analysis inspired by the field of ideology (van Dijk, 2006, 2008, 2012, 2015).
