The article proposes a methodological extension of Research-based Teacher Professional Development (R-TPD) to socio-educational contexts and Vocational Education and Training (VET), sectors characterized by strong heterogeneity, vulnerable target groups, and non-standardized organizational structures. By analyzing the methodological features of R-TPD and the defining elements of the contexts under consideration, the paper advances a reworking of the five founding principles of R-TPD (Vannini, 2018). The aim is to reflect on their applicability in non-school settings, highlighting the challenges and opportunities that emerge in terms of professionalism, interprofessional work, and the co-construction of reflective practices. The approach is confirmed as a tool capable of generating transformative learning, recognition of competences, and the valorization of situated knowledge, contributing to the qualification of non-formal educational contexts and to strengthening their formative and pedagogical legitimacy.
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