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.
Beyond school: Extending Research-based Teacher Professional Development to socio-educational services and Vocational Education and Training
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.
Copyright (c) 2026 RicercAzione https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/it/deed.it
Educational assessment in secondary school: Preliminary findings from a Research-based Teacher Professional Development
Formative assessment can positively impact students’ and teachers’ well-being and school experiences. This paper presents preliminary findings from a Research-based Teacher Professional Development conducted with secondary school teachers in the province of Rieti, who adopted an approach to ongoing classroom assessment based on descriptive feedback. Specifically, the study presents the results of a questionnaire administered to students to investigate significant aspects of school well-being and classroom experience. The main differences between students whose teachers used ongoing assessment without grading and those who continued with traditional assessment activities were explored.
A Research-based Teacher Professional Development pathway with follow-up on the assessment and certification of competences in primary and lower secondary education
The growing attention of education policies to the development of students’ competences and to the improvement of schools conceived as learning organizations also raises new questions in the field of assessment, highlighting the need for new approaches, methods, and tools for evaluation and monitoring. Drawing on the theoretical and methodological perspective of authentic assessment, this paper presents a Research-based Teacher Professional Development pathway with follow-up involving researchers from the University of Florence and a group of primary and lower secondary schools in Tuscany, aimed at developing shared models for the assessment and certification of student competences. The pathway consists of two studies – a main study and a follow-up study – conducted at different times in order to examine the validity and reliability of the assessment rubrics developed by the project team and to foster the professional development of both researchers and teachers in this area.
Reading, Interacting, Writing, Learning: An integrated instructional approach to fostering literacy competence
This paper presents two complementary models for developing students’ literacy competence and proposes a theoretically grounded hypothesis for their integration, aimed at designing coherent and scalable instructional protocols for Grades 4-8. The first model adopts a text-centered perspective, addressing the cognitive and linguistic challenges of reading comprehension. The second conceptualizes literacy as the result of a tightly integrated relationship between reading and writing, emphasizing their reciprocal functions. The article outlines the theoretical foundations and core features of both models, situates them within Research-based Teacher Professional Development initiatives, and reports evidence from field implementation. An exploratory test conducted during the CRESPI 2025 workshop informed further refinement of the integrated framework.
Analyzing classroom discussion for teacher professional development
The paper presents a Teacher Professional Development research involving a primary school teacher who conducted classroom discussions with a third-grade class while collaboratively analysing these interactions with two researchers using the ODIS tool (Observation of DIscussion in Schools). A double-blind analysis, followed by intersubjective comparison with a third research team member, highlighted the formative potential of the ODIS coding process for teacher professional development. Specifically, it enhanced the teacher’s ability to recognise and intentionally design discursive and interactive classroom practices, as well as assess the impact of their interventions on student learning, particularly in terms of participation, knowledge co-construction, and acquisition of disciplinary language. The study also provided an opportunity to examine further the applicability and validity of the ODIS tool in identifying key teacher-student interaction patterns that reveal the collaborative learning process.
Supporting children and families in vulnerable situations through community-based education services: The project Hub San Paolo 0-6
The recent reform of the integrated 0-6 system (Law 107/2015, Legislative Decree 65/2017), emphasizing the importance of ensuring equity of educational opportunities for all children from an early age, aims to reduce social and cultural inequalities that hinder their full participation in community life. Based on the results of the San Paolo 0-6 project, coordinated by Save the Children, this article highlights the intervention strategies developed as part of a Research-based Teacher Professional Development pathway conducted by the authors with the involvement of educators and teachers to respond to the complex needs of children and families in vulnerable situations.
Outdoor education and early childhood services: Between educational innovation, professional development, and green competences
This contribution examines outdoor education as a pedagogical response to the growing disconnection between children and the natural environment, in alignment with the principles of the 2030 Agenda and the European framework for sustainability competences (GreenComp). Following a concise overview of the international literature, it presents several Research-based Teacher Professional Development (R-TPD) initiatives, including the three-year project “School in Nature”, developed through a collaboration between the University of Bologna, regional CEAS (Education Centers for Environmental Sustainability), and educational institutions. The project aims to support the professional development of environmental educators and teachers through participatory methodologies, meta-reflective tools, and outdoor teaching practices integrated into the curriculum. The analysis of the workshop presented at the CRESPI Conference highlights the crucial role of shared research questions and documentation. The contribution ultimately reflects on the synergy among schools, educators, and local stakeholders, showing how a renewed connection with the natural environment can transform education in ecological, participatory, and sustainable directions.
Starting the construction of 0-6: A Research-based Teacher Professional Development with teachers, educators and coordinators from the Municipality of Brescia
A Research-based Teacher Professional Development project carried out with all educational operators (educators of services for 0-3-year-olds, preschool teachers, and coordinators) in the Municipality of Brescia is presented. The project, divided into two years (2021-2023), aimed to promote the participatory co-construction of a pedagogical culture that took into account both the provisions of Legislative Decree 65/2017 on the establishment of the integrated 0-6 system and the ministerial document on Pedagogical Guidelines 0-6, as well as the specific characteristics of the Brescia area. With reference to the Research-based Teacher Professional Development approach outlined by CRESPI, training strategies aimed at professional empowerment were implemented, based on reflection, discussion, and collaboration among educators, teachers, and coordinators, with researchers serving as facilitators of the process. The description of the structure and implementation of the program is followed by the presentation of some results through the analysis of micro-projects reworked by the working groups and two focus groups carried out with the coordinators.
Large-Scale assessments and Mathematics Education: The research project Mathematics Standardized Assessment as a Tool for Teachers’ Professional Development
Over the past decades, large-scale standardized assessments have assumed a central role not only as instruments for the systemic monitoring of student achievement, but also as significant objects of inquiry within mathematics education research. The PRIN project Mathematics standardized assessments as a tool for teachers’ professional development is situated within this framework and aims to enhance the value of the data and materials produced through the INVALSI national assessments in order to support the professional development of mathematics teachers across all school levels. The project seeks to promote a formative use of national assessments by integrating findings and evidence into both pre-service and in-service teacher education pathways. To this end, a questionnaire-based study was conducted to explore teachers’ specialized knowledge and beliefs concerning the teaching of mathematics and assessment practices.
PCTOs as a guidance tool: Between Research-based Teacher Professional Development and active student participation
As part of the PRIN project “PCTO as a device for developing personal resources and contrasting dropout. Tools of analysis and paths of Research-based Teacher Professional Development in upper secondary school”, a multiple case study was conducted using a mixed-methods approach. Among other research activities, the study highlighted the considerable heterogeneity of PCTO experiences across the different contexts analyzed. The data consistently indicate that the quality of the pathways largely depends on the support provided by tutors and the schools’ capacity to integrate PCTO into their broader educational framework. The enhancement of student voice and the co-construction of learning pathways emerge as strategic levers for strengthening the guidance-oriented function of PCTO. The Research-based Teacher Professional Development activities promoted active teacher involvement in a reflective process that enabled the deconstruction of simplified representations of PCTO, and the development of collaborative dynamics aimed at shared design. These processes offer insights for rethinking PCTO as meaningful and authentic educational experiences.
Countering educational poverty and cultural disadvantage in lower secondary schools: Constructs, methods and initial activities of a PRIN project
This article presents the theoretical and methodological framework, the survey methodology, and the series of interventions during the initial implementation phase of a PRIN22 project, aimed at investigating the dynamics of sociocultural disadvantage and educational poverty in lower secondary schools. These topics are currently central to the educational debate. Through the involvement of six universities and eight schools in vulnerable local contexts, the research adopts a multilevel perspective to analyze factors affecting equity and learning effectiveness. The theoretical framework highlights how inequalities, exacerbated by the pandemic, are deeply intertwined with students’ socioeconomic and cultural conditions, challenging simplified narratives of individual merit. The initial mixed-method study integrates qualitative and quantitative data collected from students, teachers, and administrators, providing a comprehensive representation of school contexts. These data allowed to identify strategic levels of intervention, both organizationally and educationally, with particular attention to teaching culture, especially as a collegiality, and the development of basic skills. Research-based Teacher Professional Development programs that actively involve the eight Class councils, promoting critical reflection and professional innovation, are based on these evidence.
Fostering text comprehension as a way to make learning and thinking visible
This contribution presents a multifaceted research project aimed, on the one hand, at enhancing reading comprehension skills in fourth-grade primary school students and, on the other, at fostering teachers’ professional development. The project involved the implementation of three different instructional pathways, each designed based on empirical evidence: one focused on texts in paper format, one on texts in digital format, and one on combinatory thinking within a game-based context. Each approach was tested both individually and in pairs. The experimental phase involved 432 students. Preliminary analyses indicate that these approaches are effective in developing text comprehension skills. In parallel, the project also carried out three Research-based Teacher Professional Development initiatives involving 35 teachers, aimed at promoting teacher professionalism, particularly with respect to formative assessment from an inclusive perspective, in line with Ministerial Ordinance 172/2020 and recent national guidelines. Early findings highlight positive outcomes in teachers’ instructional reflection.
Reading aloud to prevent early school leaving and promote educational success
Early school leaving in Italy is a challenge, often linked to socio-economic background. This study, conducted as part of the PRIN “Aloud!” project, examines the effectiveness of shared reading aloud in lower secondary school as a tool for educational equity. The quasi-experimental design involves over 1,000 students, divided into an experimental group (80 reading sessions conducted by teachers) and a control group (ordinary teaching). The measurements, carried out in three stages, investigated cognitive functions, oral text comprehension and social cognition. Statistically significant improvements were observed in the experimental group compared to the control group in all dimensions investigated, with effects tending to consolidate over time, suggesting that reading aloud may be a promising teaching strategy for enhancing fundamental skills and preventing school failure.
Dare visibilità agli educatori. In ricerca con le comunità educative per minorenni
Residential care for minors has historically been a significant working environment for educators. Today, these “communities” face several difficul ties, such as a decline in the willingness to work in this type of facility and reduced social recognition for educators. Aware of the gap between the significance of communities and their social visibility, a process of “research”, “action”, “training” and “participation” has been undertaken with a number of residential facilities in the Parma, Piacenza and Reggio Emilia areas, focusing on two points: 1) the need for visibility – both for the communities in the area and for the university in the community network; 2) the questioning of practices within and between communities, in the relationship between them and the university, and within the university itself, with regard to the specific issue of training educators who work in such facilities. The Research-based Teacher Professional Development took the form of a series of actions, such as a study day organized at the University, the creation of a collective volume, and the inclusion in the curriculum of the L19 degree course at the University of Parma of a course dedicated to the theme of communities.
Copyright (c) 2025 RicercAzione https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/3.0/it/deed.it
Research-based Teacher Professional Development enhancing pedagogical approaches in School Cooperative Associations (ACS)
School Cooperative Associations (ACS) were an original initiative for cooperative education launched by the Federation of Trentino Cooperation. Through a Research-based Teacher Professional Development (R-TPD) approach, starting from a problem identified by teachers, a support pathway was activated to define research hypotheses and actions aimed at enhancing the educational quality of the ACS experience.
The school as a democratic learning environment for civic and citizenship education: Research-based Teacher Professional Development programmes with schools
The PRIN project “The school as a democratic learning environment: promoting civic and citizenship education through the whole-school approach in the first cycle of instruction” stems from studies conducted by the Council of Europe on democratic learning environments for civic and citizenship education and on the need to promote the whole-school approach in pre-primary and primary schools. This approach is focused on the participation of everyone involved in the school experience (students, teachers, head-teachers, parents, non-teaching staff, the local community) in three main areas: teaching and learning, school management and relations with the local community. This contribution focuses on the second phase of the project, which involves supporting schools in Research-based Teacher Professional Development programmes. Starting from the characteristics and aims of the various experiences, the article analyzes some specific elements of civic and citizenship education in schools, such as collegial work, cross-curricular approach and teachers’ teaching and assessment skills.
What is the purpose of research and teacher professional development in schools?
The educational environment requires a complex approach where each action is distinct and cannot be replicated, as it engages with an ever-changing reality whose complexities cannot be managed by rigid applications or fixed solutions. In this peculiar aspect of educational and teaching practices may reside both teachers’ skepticism towards educational research – viewed as theoretical and distant – and the feeling of ineffectiveness related to teacher professional development, perceived as suggesting just a set of predefined solutions to implement. Various education systems report cultural and structural barriers to the use of research. Such barriers include the perception that research is neither sufficiently accessible nor relevant to daily school practices. This highlights the frequently noted gap between research findings and their application in schools, as persistent constraints related to time and funding remain significant and understandable barriers. At times, there is also a lack of understanding of the meaning of ‘research’ within educational contexts, including what the research process involves and how it can effectively support the practical development of teaching and learning practices. This challenge also arises from the fact that the research and teaching communities often operate through distinct languages, frameworks, and perspectives. Considering this, why conduct educational research? Why provide teacher professional development?
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.
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?