Ricercazione has been accredited by the National Agency of Evaluation of the University System and Research as a Scientific Journal of Class A in two scientific-disciplinary categories: Pedagogy and History of Pedagogy; Teaching Methods, Special Education, Educational Research.
Why and How to Change Schooling: Insights from Biesta and Sahlberg
In response to the increasingly dominant trend in international education policies toward standardization—primarily focused on measuring learning outcomes and transmitting skills geared to labor market integration—the two volumes propose alternative paradigms capable of countering these tendencies. Biesta, addressing the erosion of the ethical and existential dimensions of education in favor of measurable learning alone (which he defines as learnification), advances a world-centred vision of education that supports students in becoming subjects of their own lives, “in” and “with” the world. Sahlberg and Walker, by contrast, offer an analysis of concrete and effective school practices grounded in evidence from the Finnish education system, characterized by a strong culture of trust and by the promotion of students’ autonomy and responsible freedom. Despite their different perspectives, both volumes invite us to move beyond the idea of school as a factory of measurable performance and to rethink education as a complex and deeply human endeavor, capable of forming free, responsible, and critically minded individuals able to face the challenges of the world.
Copyright (c) 2025 RicercAzione https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/it/deed.it
Developing Logical and Problem-Solving Skills in Primary School
The book contributes to the contemporary debate on the need to strengthen critical thinking and higher-order cognitive skills in schools, providing a conceptual framework as well as concrete strategies and practical tools for teaching and learning. The practical section is specifically devoted to the classroom application of an innovative model for enhancing logical reasoning: the Logical Intelligence Enhancement Program (LIEP), developed for grades III, IV, and V of primary school by the working group of the SAPIE association.
The gentle push that transforms the school
In Leadership leggera con il nudge, Marco Orsi applies tools and approaches from behavioral economics, social sciences, and organizational studies to the school context, proposing a governance model aimed at building a more collaborative and participatory community, where organization, teaching, and the broader school community are aligned to achieve a shared educational project. Focusing on the role of middle management and providing a roadmap for gradual and sustainable interventions, the book offers strategies and potential solutions to foster this alignment and make it practically achievable.
In light of recent policy changes and the extensive debate on assessment, the volume Valutare gli apprendimenti nella scuola primaria. Metodologie e materiali per la valutazione in ingresso aims to provide teachers with conceptual and methodological tools to support a coherent, critical, and reflective assessment practice. It functions as a true “toolbox,” combining the conceptual foundations of assessment—which guide teachers’ choices and decisions—with practical tools and procedures capable of translating these principles into actionable classroom strategies.
The second volume of the series Research-Training - Impacts, Tools, Factors provides the new CRESPI with an opportunity for a shared reflection on how to improve Research-Training and, in particular, how to assess its outcomes over time. The chapters, contributed by 28 authors, are grounded in concrete research activities carried out in various educational contexts, characterized by collaboration between researcher-trainers and teacher-researchers, with the aim of identifying the main challenges in applying the R-T approach and, above all, analyzing the tangible impacts of the collaborative activities.
Everyone at work in the travel agency! The Social Media Tourism workshop-based teaching project
The paper examines the potential of competency-based teaching through the case study of the Social Media Tourism (SMT) project, launched in 2020 at the Istituto d’Istruzione Superiore Don Milani in Rovereto (TN). Developed to address various needs within the school community—such as reducing dropout rates, boosting student motivation, and creating learning environments for the practical application of knowledge—SMT is structured as a five-year program. Students first simulate working in online travel agencies (first two years) and then focus on the activities of a tourism company (final three years). The program is supported by the interdisciplinary SMT laboratory, now part of the school’s curriculum, which involves teachers from multiple subjects. In summary, SMT represents an authentic and innovative educational experience, grounded in hands-on learning, interdisciplinarity, and the use of digital technologies in simulated contexts.
Formative assessment for addressing learning gaps. An ongoing Research-Training project in Trentino
The paper outlines the theoretical framework and describes the initial phases of implementation of the Research-Training project “Formative Assessment and the Recovery of Learning Gaps”, carried out by IPRASE in collaboration with the Interuniversity Research Center on Teacher Professionalism (CRESPI). The project, addressed to upper secondary schools in the Autonomous Province of Trento, aims to counteract students’ cumulative learning deficits through the systematic integration of formative assessment into teaching practices. While stemming from the issue of learning gaps and the need to prevent and address cumulative deficits, the Research-Training pathway seeks to engage with the key issues underlying formative assessment. From this perspective, it promotes actions aimed at fostering a shared culture of assessment within schools, strengthening teaching strategies and learning pathways designed to enhance students’ motivation and rebuild their competences, and exploring teachers’ core beliefs and assumptions about assessment.
Promoting Distributed Leadership and Student Well-Being through the Implementation of Outdoor Education: The Experience of the "IC Mezzolombardo Paganella"
The paper presents the experience of the IC Mezzolombardo Paganella, which, within the framework of actions funded by the PNRR, implemented Outdoor Education pathways with the aim of fostering, among teaching and administrative staff, a culture of collaboration, sharing of practices, and enhancement of knowledge through peer education and training methodologies. The training involved 40 teachers and had a significant impact on students: the teachers designed and implemented several learning pathways for both primary and lower secondary school students. These activities were also monitored through a final questionnaire. The data collected confirm that the Outdoor Education pathways made a significant contribution both to teachers’ professional development and to students’ well-being and learning outcomes.
The FaBER Teacher. An Ongoing Pilot Project in Trentino
The paper focuses on the ongoing implementation in the Autonomous Province of Trento of the FaBER teacher (Facilitator of Emotional and Relational Well-Being), a role institutionalized within the Trentino education system through a resolution of the Provincial Government (No. 1870 of 22.11.2024). The FaBER is a teacher with specific expertise in the areas of well-being and Social Emotional Learning (SEL), which he or she makes available within his or her own institution in order to foster the development of a shared mindset within the school community regarding the importance of well-being and the enhancement of Social Emotional Skills (SES). After outlining the reference framework, the paper focuses in particular on the expert support pathways designed and implemented by IPRASE to support the introduction of this role, as well as on the complementary research activities launched to monitor and evaluate the overall impact of the FaBER initiative.
A School that Promotes Well-Being, Skills, and Talents. The Implementation of the Finnish Organizational Model
The paper describes the implementation of the Finnish Organizational Model (MOF) at the Omnicomprensivo “Della Rovere” in Urbania. The MOF is an educational model that combines innovation and change with teaching and learning and methodological needs, promoting a dynamic, inclusive school that fosters talents and competences. The initiative, conceived and supported by the school principal, Dr. Antonella Accili, involves - for the first time in Italy - all school levels, from kindergarten to upper secondary school, through a continuous and comprehensive vertical pathway.
"Alla Ricerca della Formazione perduta". The CRESPI Conference of March 27-28, 2025
The paper reports on the international conference "Alla Ricerca della Formazione perduta", organized by CRESPI in Bologna on March 27–28, 2025, at the DAMSLab venues. The conference, which welcomed 240 participants, served as an opportunity for dialogue between researchers and teachers (including early childhood educators and educational practitioners) about the Research-Training experiences carried out together in recent years. It also included sessions devoted to international experiences and to reflecting on the meaning of conducting research in schools and in collaboration with teachers.
Synthetic judgements in primary school. Practical suggestions for periodic, final and ongoing assessment
Starting from a reflection on the main results of an exploratory research involving four primary schools in Emilia-Romagna and on the evidence emerging from other empirical research concerning the difficulties in understanding and applying the assessment system defined by Ministerial Order no. 172/2020, the article presents an analysis of the elements of discontinuity and continuity between this system and the one established by the recent Ministerial Order no. 3/2025, which introduced synthetic judgements in the periodic and final assessment in primary schools. In this regard, the paper proposes practical suggestions aimed at supporting schools and teachers in the interpretation of the new regulation and in the implementation of periodic and final assessment and ongoing assessment.
When the logic of strength prevails, what kind of school can educate for the future?
Parental educational experience with children aged 0-6. A survey in Valceresio (Italy)
Law 107/2015 formally established an “integrated education and care system for children from birth to age six,” replacing the traditional fragmented approach with a unified framework. This reform marks a significant shift, requiring active engagement from universities as well. Within this context, this study presents a collaborative research project involving the Territorial Pedagogical Coordination, the Local Committee for Early Childhood in Arcisate (VA), and a team of university researchers. The study explores the experiences of parents with children aged 0-6 through a structured questionnaire completed by 433 parentsin Valceresio. Key areas of investigation include parental challenges, factors influencing the choice (or non-choice) of early childhood services, perceived support from these services, and local childcare needs. The findings provide a comprehensive understanding of families’ perspectives, offering valuable insights to inform policy development and drive innovation in early childhood education services.
Copyright (c) 2008 RicercAzione https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/it/deed.it
Education for sustainability and teaching innovation: towards inclusive learning
Education for sustainability is now a necessity to address the global challenges of the 2030 Agenda. This study examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI), when integrated into innovative teaching methodologies and guided by mindful educational leadership, can contribute to the development of sustainable, inclusive, and transformative learning environments. Using a mixed-methods approach, it explores perceptions and critical issues related to sustainable educational strategies. The findings reveal a strong awareness of the importance of sustainability but also highlight structural and cultural obstacles such as curriculum fragmentation, resistance to innovation, and lack of training. Experiential learning and collaborative problem-solving prove effective in fostering interdisciplinary competencies. AI offers opportunities for personalizing learning pathways but requires a critical approach. Educational leadership plays a key role in driving change by fostering collaboration and experimentation. The study emphasizes the urgency of coherent educational policies and targeted investments to build a fair and inclusive educational system.
An “alleazione” to grow: learning described by children. A participatory research in a Senza Zaino primary school
This contribution illustrates the results of a research that voiced children’s opinions regarding the meaning and shape of “learning” at school. The qualitative research was based on the student voice’s studies and had a participatory research framework. Children of a “Senza Zaino” (lit.: ‘no backpack’) primary school expressed their point of view through brainstorming, ludic techniques such as drawing and photovoice, focus groups and peer-to-peer discussions. Inviting children to express their ideas on such a broad topic led to arise of multiple themes and learning aspects including: the role of peers and of the teacher; the idea of error and the non-judgmental welcoming environment and climate that link emotion and well-being with learning. A metacognitive attitude and an intrinsic motivation emerged from children’s words. This research represents a pilot for a wider study within the Senza Zaino school network.
«A work of attention». Place based writing in upper secondary school as an eco-pedagogical practice: an educative research
The ecological crisis pushes us to think differently about school, starting from the relationships between subjects and the natural world. This educational research developed and analyzed some place-based writing practices in an upper secondary school. Poetic-metaphorical placebased writing is explored as an opportunity to give voice to the encounter between adolescent students, places and nature. Emerging processes and themes were explored from a phenomenological perspective, combining grounded theory and art-based research inquiry approaches. The analysis emphasizes the complexity of the outdoor learning experience and highlights the perception of discontinuity with respect to the indoor school context; the relevance of the embodied and sensorial dimension in the writing process; a broader sense of attention for what is other. A deeper sense of relation with the natural word emerged, but the explicit emergence of environmental issues was less relevant.
Documenting the school of autonomy. The expansion of the educational offer and the funds of former Law 440/97: The research documentation process of INDIRE
The article analyses the role of school autonomy and the use of Ex L.440/97 funds in promoting innovation and inclusion in Italian schools, with a particular focus on the importance of systematic documentation as a tool to monitor and improve the educational offer. INDIRE, as part of the project ‘Monitor440’ which was entrusted to them, has contributed to the design and systematisation of a functional documentation process for teachers and the school community for the benefit of teaching practice. The article goes on to consider the documentation process in its threefold aspect – hermeneutic, communicative and research – and asserts that it is an essential lever for didactic design and the transformation of schools into learning communities. The article also emphasises the value of video-documentation in making school experiences visible and in supporting processes of educational innovation that can be transferred to other realities.
Exposing teachers’ beliefs to design effective professional development
Training programs for in-service teachers, including highly reflective approaches such as research-based training (Asquini, 2018), do not consistently yield satisfactory outcomes in terms of inducing substantive shifts in teaching methodologies. Teachers’ beliefs and perspectives regarding teaching and learning play a crucial role in shaping the nature of the training necessary to facilitate authentic pedagogical change. This study introduces a pilot instrument designed to delineate teachers’ trend profiles based on their conceptualizations of knowledge—as either transmitted to learners or self-constructed—and their perceptions of learning—as either an individual or social process. The findings indicate that the profiles identified through this tool are interconnected with other factors, such as understanding assessment, utilizing assessment and teaching methodologies, and adapting to changes. The research suggests how trainers can leverage these findings to design more effective professional development interventions.
Assessment and photovoice. Representations about assessment in a primary school
Despite the vast body of literature about educational assessment, there is still scarcity of empirical studies exploring students’ voices and representations about assessment (especially in pre-school and primary school). Literature shows the importance to explore students’ representations on the topic of assessment both to offer useful elements to teachers and to be able to act on the representations themselves, since assessment has a significant impact on the quality of learning. In a fourth-grade primary school class, the methodology of photovoice was used, combining images (photo) with words (voice). Photovoice intercepts creativity, stimulates participation and promotes change, by asking participants to take photographs that enhance their point of view. Design and evaluation phases of the project called Snapshots of assessment are presented. Data from different instruments allow to depict a narrative view of the project.
Teacher self-efficacy and collective efficacy. Educational innovation for an inclusive school
The paper presents the results of an exploratory study conducted on a sample of experienced special educational teachers and trainees attending the Specialization Course in Support Education at the University of Trento. The study investigates teachers' perceptions of selfefficacy and collective efficacy, which are linked to the development of inclusive practices in schools. A qualitative approach was used, with Focus Groups employed to explore the topic through discursive practices. The findings highlight how initial and ongoing training, scaffolding between teachers, and the inclusive vision of the school principal influence the sense of self-efficacy and the perception of collective efficacy.
A precious opportunity to reflect on key issues of school and society
Defining the film Das Lehrerzimmer as dense for the multiplicity and problematic nature of the themes it touches upon does not seem out of place at all. The film, as the title suggests, concerns what can happen in a school context, but the story and the events that are seen unfolding on the screen can also be interpreted as a metaphor for what happens outside of that context, that is, in German society, in whose country the film was made, but also in other European and non-European nations, at least the richest and considered to be advanced, in which the phenomenon of immigration, among other factors that are not at all easy to govern, has created complex and conflictual dynamics.
Copyright (c) 2024 RicercAzione https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/it/deed.it
Educational leadership in low-autonomy school systems
The GEM Report 2024/5 examines the characteristics of effective school leadership, the differences between countries and the changes that have occurred over time. In particular, the study edited by Professor Mincu examines low-autonomy school systems in which the role and profile of school leaders is shaped by legislation and investigates the impact of different governance models, hierarchies, markets and networks, focusing on how the nature of interactions between professionals, organizations and the surrounding environment influences the perception of school leadership and the opportunities to exercise effective and context-appropriate leadership.
Embedding a culture of research in schools in the UK: the contribution of teacher-researchers
The fall issue of Impact highlights the active role of teachers in engaging with research through a rich collection of articles that reflect evidence-based educational practice and share research findings. It also highlights how the educational research community, in all its forms, is collaborating to provide data and tools to support best practices and improve outcomes in diverse school contexts and environments.
The contribution intends to give an account of a good musical practice, carried out at the lower secondary school of the IC "G. Leopardi" of Messina, for the purpose of a concrete inclusion of students with disabilities. Starting from the actualization of previous professional and self-training experiences, the teachers have implemented a series of educational and didactic interventions, through the practice of a musical instrument with a certain playful inclination, creating a sort of solo piece, with a narrative voice, for solo piano, entitled The elephant and its shadow.
The context of accelerated change due to the advent of Generative Artificial Intelligence has pushed the Trento Science Museum (MUSE), always attentive to innovation in the field of scientific communication, to explore new approaches that combine tradition and new technologies, art and science. The result of this experimentation is the "Kamishib-AI" project, which emphasizes the mix between one of the most classic forms of oriental narration and the most innovative application of cognitive sciences present on the free market.
To tell the story of the Senza Zaino movement we could use the dynamics of change proposed by the famous Italian sociologist Francesco Alberoni (1989), which is based on the polarity nascent state - institution. The nascent state is the moment of the start, the phase of enthusiasm that feeds on intuitions setting the novelty in motion. The institution, on the other hand, involves stopping to give a structure, ordering and regulating the innovation that otherwise would risk being dispersed.
The CRESPI Center for a school presidium of democracy
Two years after its birth as an inter-university reality, and numerous work meetings of the various internal research groups, on December 12, 2024 a public presentation seminar of the CRESPI Center was held with the institutions, schools and agencies of the territories that choose Teacher Professional Development Research as a privileged research model.
Change for the sake of innovation. Or not?
Systems Thinking Tools at school: a pilot investigation in the Secondary School
Understanding the complex nature of society and the phenomena that surround us is a necessary competence for students to become pro-active citizens and co-responsible for sustainable development. This is why Systems Thinking is a key element in the European competence framework for sustainability ‘GreenComp’ (2022). While educational tools for Systems Thinking are now widespread in English-speaking countries, experiences in Italian schools still seem rare. This article shows some results of a PhD dissertation in Education on Systems Thinking skills of middle school students. In the study, a short course designed to introduce Systems Thinking tools were tested on three classes: Behaviour Over T ime Graphs, Circle of Connections, and Stock and Flow Diagram. The study showed that the tools are easily applicable in the classroom to a variety of topics and disciplines and that they help students to understand the reality around them in a systemic and dynamic sense. Based on the experience, some suggestions for teachers and educators are proposed.