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Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a leading cause of acute lower respiratory infection (ALRI) in young children and is of considerable burden on healthcare systems. Our study aimed to evaluate ALRI hospitalizations related to RSV in children in Portugal.We reviewed hospitalizations potentially related to RSV in children aged5 years from 2015 to 2018, using anonymized administrative data covering all public hospital discharges in mainland Portugal. Three case definitions were considered: (a) RSV-specific, (b) (a) plus unspecified acute bronchiolitis (RSV-specificBronchiolitis), and (c) (b) plus unspecified ALRI (RSV-specificALRI).A total of 9697 RSV-specific hospitalizations were identified from 2015 to 2018-increasing to 26 062 for RSV-specificALRI hospitalizations-of which 74.7% were during seasons 2015/2016-2017/2018 (November-March). Mean hospitalization rates per season were, for RSV-specific, RSV-specificBronchiolitis, and RSV-specificALRI, respectively, 5.6, 9.4, and 11.8 per 1000 children aged5 years and 13.4, 22.5, and 25.9 in children aged2 years. Most RSV-specific hospitalizations occurred in healthy children (94.9%) and in children aged2 years (96.3%). Annual direct costs of €2.4 million were estimated for RSV-specific hospitalizations-rising to €5.1 million for RSV-specificALRI-mostly driven by healthy children (87.6%).RSV is accountable for a substantial number of hospitalizations in children, especially during their first year of life. Hospitalizations are mainly driven by healthy children. The variability of the potential RSV burden across case definitions highlights the need for a universal RSV surveillance system to guide prevention strategies.

O presente relatório de investigação aborda os temas da Linguagem Oral e a Hora do Conto. Definiu-se como objetivo para esta investigação a promoção do desenvolvimento da Linguagem Oral, através da dinamização da hora do conto, com o intuito de dar resposta à seguinte questão de partida: De que forma a dinamização da Hora do Conto, poderá promover o desenvolvimento da competência da Linguagem Oral na Educação Pré-Escolar? Esta investigação foi implementada numa sala de três anos, de uma instituição particular, localizada na área metropolitana do Porto. Para promover o desenvolvimento da Linguagem Oral, foram planificadas e realizadas seis intervenções educativas, uma em cada semana, contabilizando um total de seis semanas. Em cada uma das semanas foi dinamizada uma história, usando estratégias diversificadas em cada uma. Após as leituras das histórias, realizava-se sempre um momento de diálogo, em grande grupo, onde eram colocadas algumas questões sobre as histórias ouvidas, com a intenção de ouvir as opiniões das crianças e permitir que elas desenvolvessem a competência da Linguagem Oral. A metodologia adotada nesta investigação é de natureza qualitativa, tendo sido aplicada como abordagem metodológica a Investigação-Ação. Para recolher os dados utilizou-se como técnicas: a entrevista, seguindo-se a observação direta na dinamização das atividades, o focus group, a análise de conteúdo, e por último, a narrativa de experiência. Relativamente, aos instrumentos de recolha de informação, recorreu-se ao registo fotográfico, gravação áudio/vídeo, grelhas de observação e também o guião das entrevistas e do focus group. Os resultados obtidos com a intervenção implementada revelam a eficácia da Hora do Conto como promotor para o desenvolvimento da Linguagem Oral. Com este estudo, verificamos que, recorrendo a diferentes estratégias para a dinamização de histórias, a mesma contribuiu para evoluções significativas neste domínio por parte das crianças, posto que foi notório que o grupo demonstrou maior participação na resposta às questões que se colocavam sobre as histórias, visto que praticamente todas as crianças queriam participar e expressar a sua opinião. A maioria das crianças é capaz de verbalizar e construir frases com uma estrutura cada vez mais complexa (coordenadas, afirmativas, negativas) que incluem duas ou mais ideias com detalhes descritivos. Por outro lado, as que ainda só constroem frases simples incluem um número maior de palavras. São capazes de identificar elementos do texto e de descrever pessoas e ações. Verbalizam corretamente a ordem dos acontecimentos. Comunicam com facilidade, expressando com clareza a sua opinião e preferências. É importante mencionar que os indicadores determinados nas grelhas apresentadas, sofreram uma evolução positiva e significativa, sendo que aumentou o número de crianças que os adquiriu ou estão em aquisição, após a aplicação das intervenções, verificando-se o desenvolvimento da competência da Linguagem Oral. Palavras-Chave: Linguagem Oral; Educação Pré-Escolar; Educador; Crianças; Hora do Conto

In this volume, a devoted set of authors explore the Education field, contributing to the frontlines of knowledge. Success depends on the participation of those who wish to find creative solutions and believe their potential to change the world, altogether to increase public engagement and cooperation from communities. Therefore, serving society with these initiatives and promoting awareness, as part of our mission, requires the reinforcement of research efforts. These series of books comprise authors and editors work to address generalized research, albeit focused in specific sections, in the Education area. Contents show us how to navigate in the most broadening issues in contemporary education and research. In particular, this book explores four major divisions within general Education, corresponding to four sections: “Teachers and Students”, “Projects and Trends”, “Teaching and Learning”, and “Organizational Issues”. Each section comprises chapters that have emerged from extended and peer reviewed selected papers originally published in the proceedings of the International Conference on Education and New Developments (END) conference series (http://end-educationconference.org/). This meeting occurs annually with successful outcomes. Original papers have been selected and invited to be extended significantly, reviewed, and authors of the accepted chapters requested to make correctionsand improve final submitted chapters. This process has resulted in the final publication of 28 high quality chapters organized into 4 sections. The following sections’ and chapters’ objectives provide information on the book contents.

In this contribution it is proposed a critical framework, based on Basil Bernstein’s theory, for two aims: a) criticizing some tendencies in the Indicator Frameworks for the evaluation of the quality of Early Childhood Education and Care services (ECEC), which rely mainly on measures of the structural and processual characteristics of the educational settings. However, the processual dimensions are reduced to their individual components, overlooking the complex and contingent interactions that create opportunities for learning; b) proposing a critical framework, based on Basil Bernstein’s theory to analyze the different child-centered approaches to ECEC.

A significant number of children in relation to educational institutions in the European Union, subjected to inappropriate and discriminatory position, represent the basis of the document Union of Equality: Strategy for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities 2021-2030 (COM, 2021). At the same time, the social model of inclusion in education (Slee et al., 2019 ; Sunko, 2021) and articles 2 and 23 of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989) advocating equal rights of all children to education, indicate the dichotomy of desired and achieved. Each individual, whether he/she has certain difficulties or not, differs in his/her abilities, and each of them has their “personal needs”. It is important to note that students with special educational needs are students with disabilities and gifted students. Meeting the diverse needs of students through inclusive practices is often difficult or even impossible for those teachers who have not acquired the necessary skills and knowledge, so it is imperative to empower and support teachers primarily through formal education so that teachers learn to use effective inclusive teaching methods at all levels (Loveys, 2022). The aim of this research was to determine whether personal experience and student’s attended academic year of the teacher study (N = 304, all academic years) from three Teachers’ Faculties in the Republic of Croatia, correlate with their sense of personal competence, motivation for further professional development, or the need to change the study program. The results of this research show that students’ personal experiences with children with developmental disabilities (DD) affect the sense of their personal competence for working with children with DD, and that students of all attended academic years are equally motivated to teach children with DD. They also point out the need for additional training, and 84.64% of them emphasize the importance of practice in learning that deals with teaching children with DD. Data suggest that the same percentage of students feel the need to change/adapt the content of the study program accordingly. The main feature and implication of this research is the insight into the development of future teachers’ needs for further higher education for teaching children with DD.

In this contribution it is proposed a critical framework, based on Basil Bernstein’s theory, for two aims. The first one is a critical reflection on some structural limits of the Indicator Frameworks used to evaluate the quality of Early Childhood Education and Care services (ECEC), since they rely mainly on measures of the structural and processual characteristics of the educational settings. As a consequence, the processual dimensions are reduced to their individual components, overlooking the complex and contingent interactions that create opportunities for learning. The second aim is to propose a framework, based on Basil Bernstein’s theory to analyse the different child-centred approaches to ECEC.

In the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: Learning, Teaching, Assessment (CEFR, Cambridge University Press, ISBN: HB 0521803136 - PB 0521005310 www.uk.cambridge.org/elt), it is emphasized that languages should not be considered as compartments ponds to be faced and learned in isolation, and that by "plurilingualism" we mean the integration of different linguistic repertoires which do not necessarily imply complete mastering of all abilities. Lecturio + is an Erasmus + project funded by the European Community for a partnership of public and private bodies. It develops along two lines of action: production and experimentation of learning paths of Romance languages on the model of linguistic inter-understanding and planning and implementation of an international summer school. Regarding the first action Lecturio + provides for the creation of a multilingual narrative tool intended for 8-year-old children of 3 European countries that guarantees attention also to dyslexic students. Moving from the scientific references on the difficulties in learning L2 for dyslexic students, the working group of the CNTHI of Unisalento, has been responsible for the inclusive design of the teaching tool, it is the book version and the Kamishibai version of a story titled "Thomas and the watermelon ", its adaptation to make it accessible and the methods of fruition and evaluation also through the digital version. This is a text structured according to the criteria of inclusive teaching that is proposed in schools in the partner countries of the project and translated into 14 languages. The purpose of the grant is to stimulate the learning of L2 through immersive experiences. The CNTHI working group has also organized two tools for the exploration of beliefs and attitudes towards the learning of a foreign language of teachers and students of the 4 primary school classes where the tools comes tried out. The aim is to recognize the preliminary components of a positive approach to the language. Partners of The Lecturio + Project Are: Association Internationale Pour La Promotion de L'intercompréhension À Distance France; Lycée Le Mas Blanc France: Fédération Régionale des Maisons Familiales Rurales de Midi-Pyrénées France: University of Salento Italy; Universitat de Barcelona Spain; Universite de Corse Pascal Paoli France; Universitat des Saarlandes Deutschland; University of the Studies Roma Tre Italy.

though a strong heterogeneity both in the approaches and results. In this direction, focusing on the social dimension of knowledge and on the processes of interpretation and co-construction connected to it, the paper will describe the attitudes toward Giftedness of a sample of 130 Italian education professionals (educators, teachers, pedagogists, psychologists) from North, Centre and South Italy. A specific questionnaire was built to investigate the representations of giftedness. The contribution will explore the main categories of representations connected to Gifted students through an interpretive analysis of qualitative data. We want to verify also if the professional and social role could affect the interpretation of giftedness among the sample of study. Although a great variability is present in the attitudes of the subjects, main dimensions arise in the ideas and imagination of giftedness. The characteristics of the dimensions and how they influence the identification, intervention and education of gifted students is discussed. The contribute reflects on the social representations expressed by the people interviewed about the concept of giftedness and the mental image associated with it. The main differences refer to the meaning of creative thinking and IQ and the image of giftedness as a process of development, growth and plant germination

The creation of meaningful learning situations across the classroom is one of the goals that teachers of every school level seek to target. School reality in its complexity presents to teachers great challenges in terms of adapting their teaching to the “daily educational needs” of each student. The paper moving from a reflection on the construct of school inclusion will focus on teaching strategies useful to define a classroom as inclusive. In particular, the attention will move to the didactic differentiation, a strategy that, according to the recent pedagogical literature, can be useful to meet the specific educational needs of every student from the pupil with difficulty to the gifted pupil. Within a variety of methodologies available to the teacher, differentiation aims to cover the wide spectrum of situations that may occur in the classroom trying to foster every child’s potential. The paper will conclude with an example of a good educational practice in an Italian middle school. A specific didactic unit will be illustrated and the limits and advantages of this approach within the Italian context according to teachers’ perspective will be discussed

The research project sets out to inv variable in the performance of INVALSI math tests in Italian students of secondary school. The INVALSI tests are standardized tests, based on articulated and rigorous procedures, for Italian school students. Evaluation of INVALSI tests is mandatory by law (Article 51 paragraph 2 of the Decree-Law of 9 February 2012, No. 5 converted into law No. 35). The tests are elaborated by the National Institute for the Evaluation of the Education and Training System (INVALSI), a public law research body of the Ministry of Education, University and Research (Miur). The purpose of the tests is to draw a statistical reference framework on the level of learning in Italy. With the INVALSI tests it is possible to monitor the national education system and compare it with other European institutions. The INVALSI Test carried out at the conclusion of the Third-Degree State Examination of lower secondary school was an instrument for the certification of Fondazione Giovanni Agnelli 2014, p. 68). A study of 2011 (Chamberlain, Daly, Spalding), aimed at exploring the causes that trigger the examination anxiety, highlighted the importance of time available to complete the test among the causes. The time allotted to carry out a test or, in any case, the perception that students have of it can therefore be an element to be taken into consideration because it could alter the measurement of learning. Specifically, the survey aimed to perform a statistical analysis of the performance results of a sample of 137 students when the time variable varies. In particular, we wanted to establish if the time variable influences a different expression of skills. In first analysis it would seem that the time factor does not have d performances, but Rasch analysis has shown that the time difficulty level of each item of the math test. Finally

Audio Description (AD) is a narration service to make audiovisual content accessible for all. AD plays a facilitator role of educational settings in terms of inclusion and learning, accounting for the learning context a pedagogical tool directing the didactic intervention towards meeting the needs of everyone, without exception. Starting from this perspective, the paper presents quantitative and qualitative research aims to evaluate listening comprehension Ocelot's animated film Kirikou and the Sorceress (1998). In 9 primary classes for a total of 172 students feature film was shown in three different modes: 1) standard mode with AD, without video; 2) integrated use, standard mode with AD; 3) standard mode without AD. Upon conclusion on listening of each phase, the students have been provided with: 1) questionnaire with the aim of evaluate the storytelling understanding; 2) group interview in order to know the real ability of students to understand through listening. Data analysis shows that the different modes of audiovisual enjoyment have allowed the classroom setting to live an unusual learning experience aimed at promoting, through the empathy and multisensoriality, inclusion at school.

Entropy is understood as the measure of the lack of detailed information about a system, it is also associated with the concept of disorder. This paper sets out a survey for the assessment of entropy in the school context, considering the class as a high entropy risk environment, especially in the classes where there is the presence of children with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) or with behavioral disorders serious. In this perspective, in order to analyze the structural entropy and individual entropy of teachers, a Principal Components Analysis was conducted on the data collected through the administration of two questionnaires (the QUEI-s and the QUEI-p), on a sample of 150 preschool, primary and secondary school teachers. The results here exposed concern only the first of the questionnaires and have shown that the variables that contribute significantly to the explanation of the phenomenon are above all the number of students, the inefficient structure of the classrooms and the presence of rules.

In the framework of the research project entitled “The Didactic culture of school”, the authors of this paper have selected the teaching process as the object of study. Observation in the teaching process was directed at the student questions. By observing the student questions from different perspectives the authors could examine symmetry between the teaching communication and the students’ curiosity. The authors approach the students’ questions from a didactical point of view, defining them as a path to knowledge. Symmetry (or its absence) is observed in relation to interactive context and with consideration of the participation of all stakeholders in the teaching process. The results of previous studies confirm and point to the marked asymmetry of the teaching process, the dominant position of teachers and the subordinate position of students. The problem of this research focuses on the analysis of the questions students ask during classes which introduce new curriculum content. The goal is to determine the symmetry (or asymmetry) of teaching communication and to analyse the questions raised by students. The specific research questions to be answered are: 1.Does the number of questions raised by the teaching process subjects confirm symmetry in teaching communication? 2. Does teaching communication encourage students’ spontaneity and curiosity? The sample for analysis are teachers and their students (age 10-12). The materials for the analysis are video recorded lessons in which new curriculum content is taught.

Current international documents claim that schools should enhance mathematical modelling competencies in students, as part of an instructional approach that can be considered suitable for the 21st century learners and problem solvers. The objective of this paper is to identify high-school students’ initial conceptions and strategies in mathematical modelling that can be taken into consideration when teachers work out educational activities. A clinical interview approach is applied to understand the modelling strategies that are used by nine students during their three problem solving activities proposed in this research. Students showed different approaches in: their use of algebraic symbolism, the justification of their reasoning, representing their ideas mathematically. The findings can help teachers design school activities that are sensitive to the students' initial conceptions, in order to promote their mathematical modelling competencies.

In the school context, homophobic behaviors and attitudes are expressed more easily (Kosciw and Diaz, 2006), while the homosexuality is still a taboo and a controversial issue (Fiorucci, 2014). In the Italian schools, sexual identity and fighting homophobia are an "unjustified absence" (Batini, 2011; 2014). Scientific literature (Batini and Santoni, 2009; Lasser and Tharinger, 2003) shows that teachers’ preparation is completely inadequate (Batini, 2014) and that the most common attitude is still the heteronormativity: denial and de-legitimization of non-heterosexual behaviors. The paper presents a qualitative research conducted between 2013 and 2015 and aimed to explore and to describe Italian pre-service e in-service teachers’ perceptions about homosexuality and homophobia. The study shows that the issue of homosexuality and the contrast of homophobia in Italian schools is still absent: the most common attitude is that of the “don’t ask, don’t tell”. In addition, the teachers’ perceptions show to big knowledge gap and their total unpreparedness and inexperience about this theme.

The study explores the efficacy of a specific out-school program named Young People Skills Building Training (YPSBT) for treating teenagers with attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Trained education professionals worked together with twenty-two adolescents previously diagnosed with ADHD from the National Hospital System in Liverpool. ADHD is a cognitive multifactorial disorder, partly genetic and partly environmental cause. It is characterized by impairment of the ability of self-regulation, metacognitive planning, cognitive flexibility, self-healing, maintenance of effort, difficulty using strategies and inhibition of inappropriate responses. Impairment of these skills means that the implications in terms of welfare of the pupil in the classroom life are not only on the academic achievement but also on its ability to establish positive social relationships, to be accepted by peers and to reduce the difficulties caused from their behaviour. These aspects are critical during the adolescence when the group membership is essential to the development.The program consists in 12 hours of intensive training designed to gain a better understanding of their disorder. The activities were developed in order to support teenagers in identifying personal ADHD self management goals and to improve their social and emotional wellbeing. Therefore the educators were trained in the use of behaviour modification techniques and cognitive behaviour strategies. Parents ratings detected significant improvements in the pro-social area. Room for improvement were also found in Total Impact of the ADHD in the life, in the level of hyperactivity, in the peer relationship, and on the behavioural difficulties usually associated with the disorder but not in the variable emotion. In conclusion, Young People training program may improve the quality of life of teenagers with ADHD. This study is a result of a cross cultural collaboration between the ADHD Foundation in Liverpool and the University of Salento in Italy.

This paper considers a number of questions in the current discussion on the transition to work, most notably the definition of the pedagogical approach by which the issues at hand are investigated, the review of the relationship between education and development in reference to employability, and the interpretation of the right to education in light of the precarious nature of the productive processes. This contribution also points to the relevance of the notion of “human development” as explored by Martha Nussbaum, Professor of Politics and Philosophy at the University of Chicago, and Amartya Sen, who was awarded the Nobel Prize in Economics. It ends with a reflection on a welfare model supported by people empowerment that enhances individual capability. The argument put forward is that major shortcomings can be found in welfare systems in terms of employability. Against this background, the author welcomes a system which enables the full development of one’s capability. In this sense, social scientists should engage in pursuing new avenues for creativity in order to build a new approach to social responsibility. In other words, this means moving away from resignation and catastrophism which are peculiar to Nihilism, and being open to the full development of both the individual and social fabric to generate a common ethos. * Essays n° 6, Chapter Three: School-to-work Transition and Investment in Human Capital, pp. 385-408.

The use of educational computer technologies in teaching school, finally, after many years of experimentation, it has become a skill a bit more stabilized by the teacher. In view of new technologies for learning, the educational robotics is gaining a prominent role: the implementation and programming of small robots is used to promote, in the students, problem solving skills, thinking strategies and in 'learning concepts [Lund H. H., Pagliarini L., 2002]. "Dyslexia" is a specific difficulty that refers to the ability to read accurately and fluent and which is often characterized by poor writing skills. Reading disability affects about 3-5% of Italian children and it is the most prevalent of all learning disabilities [Stella G. 2001]. The contribution presents the results of a modelling process of a management user interface devices set, including robot NAO and a software platform hosted on a remote server. Management user interface is designed for elementary and middle school’s teachers for planning and organization of teaching activities to support students with dyslexia and low level of ability in reading and understanding texts. The work is being carried out under the project Robin: Robotic Interaction system for visuo-spatial data presentation for effective learning, where the Centre on New Technologies for Disability and Inclusion (CNTHI) of the University of Salento, is a partner scientific. Robin project started in May 2013 with completion scheduled for June 2014, it is proposed as a tool for networking between schools, universities, government, businesses, students and parents that can facilitate the achievement of new skills overcoming the barriers of the digital divide. The contribute presents the educational model of intervention implemented in Robin set devices, the theoretical framework of pedagogical choices [Cornoldi C.1991 , Stella G. 2001, Papert S., 1984].) and the management model based on user centered design process for universal design of learning.

School is a cultural, symbolic and relational context characterized by several cultural patterns of diversity and inclusion. The Italian cultural context is characterized by a long tradition of educational policies and legislations in support of diversity in school (eg. Laws on school integration in 1977, the closing of special schools and special classes, starting from 1971). However, despite the Italian educational system has a feeling for the diversity and the inclusion, homosexuality in school is still a very thorny and controversial topic. The paper, starting from a theoretical and comparative perspective, on one hand, aims to provide a representative profile of the teachers' attitudes and representations about homosexuality; on the other hand makes it clear the need to provide a permanent space of education to differences at school