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The boost provided by Brain-based studies is a source of inspiration and change for teaching and for teacher training (Gola, 2022). Reflection and self-reflection on the practices and methodological-didactic choices introduced in the classroom deserve careful analysis and a systematic and continuous assessment of educational procedures, methods and principles aimed at promoting the educational success of each learner (Albanese, Compagno, 2022). This contribution is placed in this perspective, which moves from a research project, already started in 2021, at the SPPEFF Department of the University of Palermo, and aimed at defining strategies and tools for the evaluation of neuroeducation activities for the development of some methodological-didactic skills of the first cycle schoolteacher, with respect to five areas of neuroeducation interest: transversal, cognitive, socio-emotional, expressive, and motor.

L’orizzonte neuroscientifico corrobora le Scienze dell’Educazione compor-tando un reale ripensamento dei processi di insegnamento e apprendimento in favore di percorsi educativi di qualità. Sondando il carattere dialogico della Neuroeducazione si riportano alcune evidenze neuroscientifiche che affermano l’unicità di ogni cervello; si analizzano le ricadute neuropedagogiche per poi volgere lo sguardo ad un’indagine svolta con un gruppo di 1428 insegnanti della regione Sicilia per analizzare le loro prassi educativo-didattiche fondate nell’orizzonte neuroeducativo. Il processo di analisi ha evidenziato alcuni dati significativi che lasciano intendere una necessaria opera di formazione in fa-vore dei principi neuroeducativi. The neuroscientific horizon corroborates the Educational Sciences by involving a real rethinking of teaching and learning processes in favor of quality educational paths. By probing the dialogic character of Neuroeducation, some neuroscientific evidence is reported that affirm the uniqueness of each brain; the neuropedagogical repercussions are analyzed and then turned to a survey carried out with a group of 1428 teachers from the Sicily region to analyze their educational and didactic practices based on the neuroeducational horizon. The analysis process highlighted some significant data that suggest a necessary training work in favor of neuroeducational principles.

The Covid-19 pandemic has questioned communication and inter-relational methods. During the period in question, educators questioned how to dialogue with children and how to nurture the relationship at a distance. The social sharing of the educational task, the support and accompaniment to parents has proved to be fertile ground for promoting the global growth of the person. The nursery-family relationship and the storytelling activity - declined according to the type of Digital Storytelling - constitute the main axes of the research described below, conducted at a distance with 20 pairs of parents of 20 children attending a municipal nursery school in the city of Palermo. Through the research process, the aim was to enhance parents’ reflective competence, narrative competence and critical re-elaboration supported using ICT. The methodology implemented is that relating to the model of Alterio and McDrury (2003). To evaluate the acquisition of reflexive and narrative skills and critical re-elaboration, three focus group sessions and the evaluation sheet of the quality and validity of digital storytelling, created by parents with the support of the nursery educators, were used.

La spinta fornita dagli studi Brain-based comporta la riflessione e l’auto-riflessione sulle prassi e sulle scelte metodologico-didattiche. Il contributo inquadra una ricerca avviata nel 2021, presso l’Università di Palermo, finalizzata alla definizione di strategie e strumenti per la valutazione di attività neurodidattiche per lo sviluppo delle competenze metodologico-didattiche dell’insegnante rispetto a cinque aree di interesse neurodidattico: trasversale, cognitiva, socio-emotiva, espressiva e motoria. The boost provided by Brain-based studies entails reflection and self-reflection on methodological-didactic practices and choices. The contribution frames a research project started in 2021, at the University of Palermo, aimed at defining strategies and tools for the evaluation of neurodidactic activities for the development of the teacher's methodological-didactic competences with respect to five areas of neurodidactic interest: transversal, cognitive, socio-emotional, expressive, and motor.

How neuroscientific research can help educational sciences and education and understand cognitive pro-cesses is the challenge of those involved in educational neuroscience. Neuroscience seems to be an invisible matrix of other sciences and practices, and it is easy to be tempted to fall into a neurocentric logic to understand aspects with evidence considered more authoritative than others. The NeuroTeaching approach aims to present current scientific debates and the prospective impact of the field of educational neuroscience with the science of teaching. The present paper aims to explore teaching methods through a framework based on recent neuroscientific findings in real contexts, such as a school classroom. The evidence gathered can also foster new processes of understanding learning.

La pandemia da Covid-19 ha messo in discussione le modalità comunicative e inter-relazionali. Durante il periodo interessato, educatori ed educatrici si sono interrogati su come dialogare con i bambini e su come alimentare la relazione a distanza. La condivisione sociale del compito educativo, il sostegno e l’accompagnamento ai genitori è risultato terreno fertile per la promozione della crescita globale della persona. La relazione nido-famiglia e l’attività di narrazione – declinata secondo la tipologia del Digital Storytelling – costituiscono gli assi portati della ricerca qui descritta, condotta a distanza con 20 coppie di genitori di 20 bambini frequentanti un asilo nido comunale della città di Palermo. Attraverso il processo di ricerca si è voluto potenziare nei genitori la competenza riflessiva, la competenza narrativa e la rielaborazione critica supportate dall’utilizzo delle TIC. La metodologia implementata è quella relativa al modello di Alterio e McDrury (2003). Per valutare l’acquisizione delle competenze riflessive e narrative e di rielaborazione critica sono stati utilizzati tre sessioni di focus group e la scheda di valutazione della qualità e della validità dei digital storytelling, realizzati dai genitori con il supporto degli educatori del nido. The Covid-19 pandemic has questioned communication and inter-relational methods. During the period in question, educators questioned how to dialogue with children and how to nurture the relationship at a distance. The social sharing of the educational task, the support and accompaniment to parents has proved to be fertile ground for promoting the global growth of the person. The nursery-family relationship and the storytelling activity - declined according to the type of Digital Storytelling - constitute the main axes of the research described below, conducted at a distance with 20 pairs of parents of 20 children attending a municipal nursery school in the city of Palermo. Through the research process, the aim was to enhance parents’ reflective competence, narrative competence and critical re-elaboration supported using ICT. The methodology implemented is that relating to the model of Alterio and McDrury (2003). To evaluate the acquisition of reflexive and narrative skills and critical re-elaboration, three focus group sessions and the evaluation sheet of the quality and validity of digital storytelling, created by parents with the support of the nursery educators, were used.

Il presente lavoro illustra gli esiti di un’indagine condotta con 2193 corsisti frequentanti i laboratori del VI ciclo del corso di specializzazione per le attività di sostegno didattico dell’Università degli Studi di Palermo svoltosi nell’A.A. 2021/2022. La finalità dell’indagine è stata quella di rilevare il grado di consapevolezza dei taciti assunti e delle aspettative, nonché di quelle degli altri e valutarne la rilevanza a fini interpretativi, dei futuri docenti di sostegno, nel processo laboratoriale che li ha coinvolti per 180 ore. La cornice teorica all’interno della quale si delinea l’indagine è quella del Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 2013), che riteniamo fondamentale per la costruzione di una professionalità docente competente, consapevole e responsabile (Budnyk, 2019) in laboratorio. Gli spunti offerti tanto dal Transformative Learning quanto dalla didattica laboratoriale (De Landsheere, 1978; Tardif, 2013), possono incoraggiare, infatti, la riflessione sui possibili modi di imple mentazione del processo di insegnamento-apprendimento. Lo strumento utilizzato per l’indagine è un adattamento del questionario validato da Stuckey e Taylor (2013). I risultati ottenuti dimostrano che il Transformative Learning risulta essere una tra le migliori espressioni per una co-costruzione dell’apprendimento in presenza di disabilità e che i laboratori sono lo spazio strategico di apprendimento per reinterpretare e trasformare le competenze. This paper shows the results of a survey conducted with 2193 students attending the workshops of the 6th cycle of the specialization course for didactic support activities of the University of Palermo held in the A.Y. 2021/2022. The purpose of the survey was to detect the degree of awareness of tacit assumptions and expectations as well as those of others and assess their relevance for interpretative purposes, of future support teachers, in the laboratory process that involved them for 180 hours. The theoretical framework within which the survey is outlined is that of Transformative Learning (Mezirow, 2013), which we believe is fundamental for building a competent, aware, and responsible teaching professionalism (Budnyk, 2019) in the laboratory. The ideas offered both by Transformative Learning and by laboratory teaching (De Landsheere, 1978; Tardif, 2013), can encourage reflection on the possible ways of implementing the teaching-learning process. The tool used for the survey is an adaptation of the questionnaire validated by Stuckey and Taylor (2013). The results obtained show that Transformative Learning is one of the best expressions for a co-construction of learning in the presence of disabilities and that laboratories are the strategic learning space for reinterpreting and transforming skills.

Il complesso processo educativo basato sull’educazione delle giovani generazioni comporta un’assunzione di responsabilità da parte delle due principali agenzie educative: la famiglia e la scuola. Per la buona riuscita del processo educativo è necessario che tra le due agenzie ci sia un accordo implicito o esplicito sugli aspetti terminologici e concettuali, affinché si stabilisca una comprensione comune per gli interlocutori e si crei un contesto chiaro e trasparente che non lasci spazio a interpretazioni fallaci (Quaranta, 2019). I cambiamenti socioculturali hanno determinato un pluralismo culturale, religioso e nuove sfide tecnologiche e problematiche comunicative e partecipative (Pati, 2019; Eccles, Harold, 2013; Epstein, 2011). Spesso la comunicazione incontra alcune barriere che, se non opportunamente modulate, rischiano di compromettere la relazione scuola-famiglia. Il contributo presenta gli esiti di un’indagine che ha coinvolto, nell’a.s. 2021/2022, 233 genitori non autoctoni attualmente residente in Italia e accomunati dal fatto che il figlio o la figlia frequenta la scuola del primo ciclo. La finalità dell’indagine è stata la rilevazione delle tipologie di comunicazione e partecipazione attuate dalle famiglie non autoctone, dei significati profondi esperiti dai genitori non autoctoni rispetto alla relazione scuola-famiglia. Per la conduzione dell’indagine è stato utilizzato il Mixed Method Research. I risultati ottenuti fanno emergere con forza punti di forza e criticità delle dinamiche comunicative e partecipative. The complex educational process based on the education of the younger generations involves an assumption of responsibility by the two main educational agencies: the family and the school. For the success of the educational process, it is necessary that between the two agencies there is an implicit or explicit agreement on terminological and conceptual aspects, so that a common understanding is established for the interlocutors and a clear and transparent context is created that leaves no room for fallacious interpretation (Quaranta, 2019). Socio-cultural changes have led to cultural and religious pluralism and new technological challenges and communication and participatory problems (Pati, 2019; Eccles & Harold, 2013; Epstein, 2011). Communication often encounters certain barriers which, if not properly modulated, risk compromising the school-family relationship. The contribution presents the results of an investigation which involved, in the school year 2021/2022, 233 non-native parents currently resident in Italy and united by the fact that the son or daughter attends the first cycle school. The purpose of the survey was the detection of the types of communication and participation implemented by non-native families, of the profound meanings experienced by non-native parents with respect to the school-family relationship. Mixed Method Research was used to conduct the survey. The results obtained strongly highlight the strengths and criticalities of the communicative and participatory dynamics.

Nell’a.a. 2021/2022 si è svolto il progetto di ricerca “Prevenzione degli incidenti domestici e promozione dell'attività fisica over 60”, al fine di promuovere il benessere di 8 gruppi di persone over 60 (218 in totale) della provincia di Palermo. In seno al progetto, la somministrazione del questionario DigComp ha permesso l’individuazione di un gruppo di esperimento (22 persone) e uno di controllo (24 persone) aventi un’età media di 70 anni (cluster sampling). Il gruppo con scarse competenze digitali ha seguito i moduli formativi a distanza, mentre il gruppo che ha mostrato buone competenze digitali ha partecipato alle sessioni formative in presenza. Si è ipotizzato che al termine dell’intervento sperimentale sarebbero migliorate le seguenti competenze digitali: utilizzo delle tecnologie digitali per l’interazione sociale e conoscenza delle regole dell’ambiente digitale. Il post test ha mostrato un incremento delle competenze digitali e l’acquisizione delle medesime competenze prefissate. In the academic year 2021/2022 the research project “Prevention of domestic accidents and promotion of physical activity over 60” was carried out to promote the well-being of 8 groups of people over 60 (218 in total) in the province of Palermo. Within the project, the administration of the DigComp questionnaire allowed the identification of an experiment group (22 people) and a control group (24 people) with an average age of 70 years (cluster sampling). The group with low digital skills followed the learning modules in a digital environment, while the group that showed good digital skills participated in the face-to-face training sessions. It was assumed that at the end of the experimental intervention the following digital skills would be improved: use of digital technologies for social interaction and knowledge of the rules of the digital environment. The post test showed an increase in digital skills and the acquisition of the same pre-established skills.

Tra le 10 competenze che richiedono aggiornamento e formazione, il World Economic Forum (2020) ha inserito al secondo posto la comunicazione. Un processo comunicativo efficace tra le diverse agenzie educative comporta notevoli benefici per tutti gli attori coinvolti nel processo di apprendimento/insegnamento: sugli studenti, sui genitori e sugli insegnanti (Garcìa Bacete & Traver, 2010). In quest’ottica la comunicazione diventa il terreno fertile dell’incontro e il fondamento di ogni comunità (Pati, 1984, p. 61). Acquisire o potenziare le competenze comunicative può essere la chiave di volta per il sostentamento della relazione educativa scuola-famiglia. Nell’ambito del presente studio sulla relazione scuola-famiglia, si è sviluppato un approfondimento sulla relazione scuola-famiglie non autoctone. In questo paper si discutono i risultati di un’indagine che ha inteso comprendere che tipo di comunicazione attuano i genitori di altra nazionalità rispetto a quella italiana. Riflettere su come i genitori percepiscono le loro competenze comunicative potrebbe aprire riflessioni e possibili azioni formative da intraprendere. Among the 10 skills that require updating and training, the World Economic Forum (2020) placed communication in second place. An effective communication process between the different educational agencies has significant benefits for all the actors involved in the learning/teaching process: on students, parents, and teachers (Garcìa Bacete & Traver, 2010). From this perspective, communication becomes the fertile ground of encounter and the foundation of every community (Pati, 1984, p. 61). Acquiring or enhancing communication skills can be the key to sustaining the school-family educational relationship. As part of this study on the school-family relationship, an in-depth study has been developed on the relationship between school and non-indigenous families. This paper discusses the results of a survey that aimed to understand what type of communication parents of other nationalities than Italians carry out. Reflecting on how parents perceive their communication skills could open reflections and possible training actions to be undertaken.

La Docimologia ha affrontato diverse sfide che hanno comportato rivoluzioni e riassestamenti. Dopo aver brevemente tratteggiato il percorso compiuto dalla scienza della valutazione dei processi di apprendimento/insegnamento verso quella che viene definita valutazione formativa, si focalizzano alcuni aspetti critici posti in essere dalla ricerca neuro-educativa e che si pongono, dunque, come nuove sfide per la Docimologia: (1) le distorsioni valutative generate dalla diffusione dei neuro-miti; (2) la pericolosità dei bias inconsci dell'insegnante che agiscono sui processi di valutazione. Laddove questi processi vengono resi consapevoli è possibile volgersi ad un'idea valutativa improntata all'equità e all'ideale pedagogico della democrazia e della valorizzazione autentica del singolo. Ciò è reso possibile soprattutto grazie all'ausilio di strumenti, tecniche o metodi in grado di orientare l'azione docimologica degli educatori. Per tal motivo ne vengono analizzati alcuni come l'osservazione sistematica, la riflessione parlata, la rubrica di valutazione delle competenze, i compiti di realtà.

Maria Montessori nel suo percorso verso la delineazione del Metodo che prende il suo nome, enfatizza il ruolo dell’insegnante, la sua opera maieutica e puerocentrica. Il meccanismo della mimesi e l’apprendimento per imitazione rappresentano un caposaldo, oltre che una tra le modalità d’apprendimento più produttive nei primi mesi di vita del bambino. La commistione tra le recenti scoperte sul funzionamento del cervello e i principi guida del Metodo Montessori sono alla base dell’indagine quali-quantitativa svolta con 459 docenti di scuola primaria e scuola dell’infanzia di venti scuole siciliane durante l’A.S. 2020/2021. L’obiettivo dell’indagine è rilevare e misurare le prassi quotidiane degli insegnanti per comprendere quanto esse convergano o divergano dai costrutti individuati. Maria Montessori in outlining the Method that takes her name, emphasizes the role of the teacher. The mechanism of mimesis and learning by imitation represent one of the most productive learning methods in the first months of a child’s life. The mixture of recent discoveries on the functioning of the brain and the guiding principles of the Montessori teacher are the basis of the survey carried out with 459 teachers from twenty Sicilian schools during the A.S. 2020/2021. The purpose of the survey is to measure the daily practices of teachers to understand how much they converge or diverge from the identified constructs. ––––––––––––––––––––––––––

L’Unione Europea ha più volte sottolineato l’urgenza di un rinnovamento nell’educazione e sollecitato gli Stati membri ad intervenire con iniziative atte a migliorare i sistemi di formazione degli insegnanti (Pascucci, 2014). In tale contesto gli Atenei, in accordo ai decreti ministeriali, predispongono i relativi percorsi formativi, diversificati per gradi di istruzione e introducendo l’obbligatorietà di frequenza dei laboratori. Il termine stesso laboratorio rimanda al concetto di “lavoro attivo”, un luogo dove è possibile mantenere e legittimare il divenire della professionalizzazione docente. Il laboratorio, dunque, promuove nello studente un apprendimento significativo ovvero in grado di creare un sapere nuovo in grado di produrre conoscenze stabili e durature (Ausubel, 2004; Amenta, 2008; Pedone, 2012). L’approccio Inquiry-Based Laboratory (IBL) si coniuga perfettamente con l’esigenza di creare uno spazio attivo in cui il soggetto è chiamato ad investigare. L’IBL è una strategia educativa in cui docenti e studenti seguono metodi e pratiche simili a quelle dei ricercatori al fine di costruire la conoscenza (Zacharias et al., 2015), caratterizzato dal processo ciclico dell’investigazione e problematizzazione quale Domandare - Ricercare - Creare-Costruire - Discutere - Riflettere. Banchi e Bell (2008) individuano quattro livelli di Inquiry: Confermativo, Strutturato, Guidato e Aperto, in quest’ordine si passa da una forte partecipazione dell’insegnante e scarsa dello studente ad una partecipazione attiva dell’allievo.

The paper focuses on peer training in the period of the pandemic in which even university tutoring took place remotely. The activated involvement and co-construction of the path allow students to feel an active and proactive part of their growth path by portraying them from the passive role that the DAD entails. Peer tutoring is proposed as a strategic educational device to improve the quality of learning processes. In addition, peer support can activate social, emotional, and methodological skills that are fundamental for students' academic career. After a brief examination of the distance peer-tutoring, the analysis of a tutoring experience carried out at the University of Palermo is presented in which it emerged the need to ask for the help of the tutor to reconnect with the university interrupted after the first lock-down in March 2020. The experience discussed has shown the achievement of good student results and an excellent degree of student satisfaction.

This paper focuses on the need to work on co-responsability between school and family. This aim is developed assuming that a growing interest on quality schools involves the construction of significant alliances. Building a common "Pact" between these two important educational agencies means increasing a global and meaningful development of the students. The Ecological systems theory explains how the child, on his path of bio-psycho-social maturation, is constantly influenced by different and interdependent "systems", which simultaneously exert their effect over the child. In view of this natural interdependence, the school-family alliance becomes a pivot upon which to base the pact of co-responsibility in order to give unity and significance to the educational development path of the child-student. To assess the levels of common co-planning and profitable exchange activated inside formal education sites, the present contribution makes use of three different interviews carried out respectively with teachers, parents and head teachers in a network of sicilian schools. Understanding the current relational models pursued is interesting for the future design of new ways to rethink the relationship between schools and families.

Le attività neurodidattiche si fondano sulla commistione tra le Scienze dell’Educazione e le Neuroscienze. Oggi, il cammino intrapreso da quest’ambito di ricerca intende fornire preziosi apporti alla prassi educativo-didattica; tuttavia, se da un lato esso registra un grande fervore sia in ambito nazionale sia soprattutto nel panorama internazionale, dall’altro stenta a convertire le nuove consapevolezze apprese in solide basi del proprio percorso. Se il Brain-based learning comincia a campeggiare nel contesto didattico italiano, è parimenti vero che la formazione all’utilizzo dei modelli di attività neurodidattiche richiede l’implementazione della riflessione, della verifica continua delle procedure, dell’auto-valutazione rispetto ai metodi e ai principi a fronte del successo neuro-evolutivo e formativo di ciascun apprendente. Neuroscienze, Didattica ed Educazione hanno in comune un naturale slancio verso il pensiero che si piega verso la riflessione, la verifica continua, l’auto-valutazione di metodi e principi in ordine ai loro margini di reale applicabilità volta al successo evolutivo e formativo. Accanto a ciò, vi è il sottile tratto metacognitivo sotteso a tutti e tre gli universi disciplinari, il quale, applicato al processo di apprendimento, sollecita un lavoro costante di scandaglio su attività, azioni, strumenti e metodologie con persistenza riflessiva e costanza interpretativa. Il volume, frutto della ricerca congiunta delle due studiose, suggerisce indicazioni e spunti per una rilettura strumentale dei più comuni impianti della Neuroeducation e, soprattutto, individua strumenti e strategie docimologiche in grado di sostenere il reale funzionamento del cervello, contribuendo al processo di apprendimento / insegnamento in modo significativo ed efficace.

L’interesse verso la tematica dell’invecchiamento attivo è in costante crescita, tanto a livello accademico che istituzionale, in ambito internazionale e nazionale. In quest’ottica l’OMS ha definito e sviluppato l’idea dell’Active Ageing (AA) come risposta concreta all’incremento della popolazione over 60 e alle sfide socioeconomiche ad esso connesse. Tuttavia, a livello nazionale si registrano ancora alcune criticità rispetto allo sviluppo di programmi integrati, diffusi e sistematici. In questo scenario si inserisce il progetto di ricerca “Prevenzione degli incidenti domestici e promozione dell'attività fisica delle persone over 60” promosso e coordinato dal partenariato tra l’ASP 6 di Palermo e l’Università degli Studi di Palermo, nell’anno 2021/2022. Nell’ambito di detto progetto si è ipotizzato che un intervento formativo, basato sulla metodologia del Brain Gym, possa incrementare nei 212 partecipanti over 60 la consapevolezza della possibilità di incorrere in un incidente domestico, la coordinazione motoria e i livelli di attivazione cognitiva (relativamente all’attenzione e alla memoria). Tramite il dispiego di una lista di controllo e di una costante osservazione sistematica si è registrato un effettivo miglioramento degli aspetti citati.

La scuola è un’istituzione, costruita socialmente su fondamenta normative, orientamenti valoriali, credenze, sistemi di significato, consuetudini, e i cui protagonisti sono, tra gli altri, insegnanti e dirigenti. Parlare di leadership vuol dire identificare quali regimi di verità e conoscenza vengono proposti e quali dispositivi istituzionali vengono messi in gioco per la creazione delle politiche educative1. Una lunga tradizione di studi nel campo della school effectiveness ha portato a definire la leadership esercitata dai dirigenti scolastici unica e differente dalle altre tipologie2 , ma sono ancora ampiamente dibattute le questioni in merito a quali valori, qualità, pratiche contribuiscono a sviluppare ambienti organizzativi e professionali efficaci per l’insegnamento e l’apprendimento3 . La maggior parte degli studi sulla leadership educativa si sono concentrati sullo sviluppo professionale del ruolo di dirigente. Si sono evidenziate talvolta alcune particolari dimensioni di analisi, ma molto più spesso veri e propri orientamenti normativi, rispetto all’esplicazione di tale ruolo. Diversi, infatti, sono i costrutti teorici e i modelli che, negli ultimi 25 anni, hanno delineato lo sviluppo della leadership scolastica. È ampiamente riconosciuto che la leadership è seconda solo all’insegnamento in classe per il suo impatto significativo sui risultati dell’apprendimento degli studenti, in quanto funge da catalizzatore. Ciò suggerisce che in presenza di una leadership di talento in cui il dirigente è più vicino al core business dell’insegnamento e dell’apprendimento, è molto probabile osservare processi di apprendimento efficaci degli studenti4 . Il nuovo profilo del dirigente scolastico implica lo sviluppo di pratiche manageriali di orientamento strategico, organizzazione della didattica, di autovalutazione e miglioramento, di sviluppo del capitale professionale e di gestione delle reti e delle relazioni con gli stakeholder del territorio che necessita di una forma di leadership distribuita. Il presente lavoro focalizza l’attenzione sulla leadership condivisa e con riferimento all’attuale crisi pandemica ed espone i risultati di un’indagine esplorativa svolta durante l’A.S. 2020/2021 con venti dirigenti scolastici di scuole siciliane per identificare le pratiche di responsabilità condivisa nella leadership scolastica.

The environment organization is one of the Montessori pedagogy milestones which in recent decades has been revised by international scientific literature [1]. The environment organization is a primary interlocutor for the child [2] because, as Montessori says, the child "absorbs" and embodies it in himself [3]. This self-transforming work is a natural process that takes place spontaneously and it mostly depends on the experiences made in the environment, especially in the first years of life when the child's mind is predisposed to absorb a quantity of non-quantifiable information. In "Self-education in elementary schools", Montessori [4] even describes a "constant reaction" whereby, in certain circumstances, a "crystallization point" is formed around which the surrounding chaotic mass becomes uniform by means of "extraordinary inner qualities" which allow the child to reveal himself. Assumed this awareness, developed by the intersection between Montessori’s medical-scientific studies, the method experiential application insight the “Casa dei Bambini” and the child’s careful observation of his spontaneous manifestations, it is necessary to subject the space to a detailed process organizational so that it can reflect and stimulate the "natural development of the child"[5]. Therefore, taking the Montessori perspective, it is possible to affirm that the structuring of the environment favours natural learning, the development of skills related to practical life, the error self-correction, the channelling of attention and many other elements to determine a high-quality level of the training offer. The macro-characteristic of the environment, outlined by Montessori, provide having clear, understandable, manipulable, and organized boundaries so that the child can feel the active protagonist of his development (autonomy and freedom) and can also find in it the meaning of what he/she learn (naturalness and continuity). In doing so, the child develops his individual self and his social self, creating that harmony that binds him to himself, the environment, and the adult [6]. All this translates into large, bright, and minimal environments; in the division of the classroom into thematic areas; in the use of light and proportionate furnishings to the physical development of the child [7] to ensure the manipulation, order, and personalization of learning [8]. Many recent studies have reiterated the environment importance and the effectiveness of the Montessori method. A strong connection between pedagogy and architecture is evident, to create environments that are cared for and attentive to the natural development of the child [9][10]. Some ergonomic studies have confirmed the need to use teaching aids (with particular attention to chairs and tables) that are diversified and harmonious to the physical-evolutionary development of the child [11]. In addition, important implications have emerged compared to the long-term student results for which the Montessori method manages to raise or equal students belonging to discordant socio-economic-working groups or statuses [12]. The environment can also determine important influences on the behavioural task’s development [13] and self-regulation skills, as well as independence [14]. The paper reports an ongoing interpretative investigation, developed starting from the Montessori methodological system, aims to understand how kindergarten and primary school teachers know and are inspired by the Montessori Method to determine quality learning. The tools used are a semi-structured questionnaire administered to teachers of kindergarten and primary school in the Sicilian territory in 2021 for which it is expected to have a sample of about 400 people; and a semi-structured interview intended for teachers of the Montessori differentiated method primary school sections of Trapani. It is expected that, after the data collection phase, the qualitative and quantitative analysis of the same will determine a good knowledge of the principles governing the choices of the teachers in the structuring of the internal and external environment.

In Montessori pedagogy, one of the fundamental teacher’s characteristics is the attitude to active observation, this, infact, figure out as a learning source basilar for every teacher's work. For Maria Montessori (1999) it is essential to prepare master observers able to observe and guide the child's development while respecting the natural course. The time used for observation is precious moment to avoid that “the vain effort of those looking for a hidden object and the anxiety of those who need support escape”, as well as a moment to catch the essence of a child and his needs. To avoid that observer ideas, prejudice and proclivities will not distort the action of observation, an observation structure is needed in order to maintain the objectivity of the collected information excluding each form of distorting subjectivity. In this way, observation becomes a consequence of educational action and vice versa, bringing out an idea of education that is based on respect for the child and his desire to know and experience "alone" (Margiotta, 2012) . The purpose of the observer must be the effectiveness of the educational action, which translates into the promotion of increasingly higher levels of autonomy for the child. In this sense, Montessori sees in observation the guideline that allows the teacher to know the child in his free manifestation, focusing on the interest in the object and the attention span, without neglecting the feelings perceivable by the expressions of his face. It is important that the child is not deprived of his sense of freedom, as this would compromise the scientific observation of spontaneous activity. The contribution reports an interpretative survey that aims to understand how much kindergarten and primary school teachers know and are inspired by the Montessori Method. It is expected to have a sample of about 400 preschool and primary school teachers. The tool used is a semi-structured questionnaire; the data analysis, conducted by means of the IBM SPSS analysis software, is of a quali-quantitative type. The purpose of the work is to highlight the importance of good observational practices, according to the Montessori approach, which aims to determine quality learning. The paper shows the results of a study that involved 400 trainee teachers of the IV Specialization Course on educational support activities for the kindergarten and primary school of the University of Palermo in the A.Y. 2019-2020.

This contribution intends to present a study and research path that, starting from the theoretical framework of neuro-education, has led to the identification of five indicators (transversal area, socio-emotional-affective area, cognitive area, linguistic-communicative area, praxico-motor) on the basis of which a neuro-evaluation tool for teachers was built and validated: Self-assessment questionnaire of neuro-didactic and educational practices for teachers. Neuroscientific research is offering numerous points of reflection-action on the functioning of the brain and on how to modify the teaching and the educational proposal to improve the performance and growth of the person. However, the path traced by neuro-education is not free from persistent and new criticalities that educational contexts cannot fail to consider. Among them is the reflection on the neuro-myths that risk diverting educational action and on the teacher's bias that can create unconscious and harmful consequences. After analyzing some crucial open questions, the founding characteristics of the docimological action and the role assumed by self-assessment for the learning/teaching processes are defined. This scenario includes the proposal of a tool that can serve as a specific and concrete example for the teacher who is preparing to operate in the educational-didactic practice by adopting the neuro-didactic approach. On this beaten path weighs the specter of closure on the part of teachers who, due to a lack of self-criticism or the difficulty in getting out of their comfort zone, could compromise «the validity, reliability and feasibility of evaluation projects of relevant aspects of their work and their contexts». To escape from this immobility behind which the attitude of some teachers seems to be entrenched, the focus has been on increasing awareness and disseminating the right information on the slow, but inexorable ride of neuro-education, as well as on the direct and active involvement of the recipients. of the instrument that we now intend to present. The construction of the instrument began in January 2021 and lasted until April 2021, in parallel with the formulation of 70 neuro-didactic principles and the neuro-education studies carried out. The validation process developed in three phases: 1- Try-out: the first version of the questionnaire was administered to 69 teachers (Purposive or judgment sampling) in training on the topic of neuro-education from 19 to 23 April 2021, which was followed by the Classical Item Analysis (ICT) and adaptation of the tool (Face validity). 2- First administration addressed to 439 future teachers (Convenience sampling): students of the second year of the study course in Primary Education at the University of Palermo of the A.Y. 2020/2021 which was followed by the reliability analysis (Alpha by Cronbach) and item-total correlation (Construct validity). 3- Second administration addressed to 1421 teachers from the Sicily region (Dimensional sampling) which allowed the exploratory factor analysis at the end of which the final version of the tool was formulated (Content validity).

Il paper intende tracciare una linea di congiunzione tra le intuizioni di Maria Montessori e le recenti evidenze neuroscientifiche: “La scoperta del bambino”, auspicata dalla studiosa all’inizio del XX secolo, è tuttora in corso e punta alla conquista della comprensione del funzionamento della mente del bambino. In particolare, la riflessione si sviluppa attorno ai seguenti temi: neuroplasticità neuronale e sinaptogenesi, lo sviluppo motorio, il processo attentivo e il meccanismo della mimesi. Questi argomenti, rinvigoriti dal dialogo tra la pedagogia montessoriana e le ricerche neuroscientifiche, possono determinare un nuovo modo di intendere la questione e la prassi educativa. The paper intends to draw a conjunction line between Maria Montessori's intuitions and recent neuroscientific evidence: "The discovery of the child", hoped for by the doctor at the beginning of the twentieth century, is still in progress and aims at conquering the understanding of the functioning of child mind. In particular, the following topics are analyzed: neuronal neuroplasticity and synaptogenesis, motor development, the attention process and the mechanism of mimesis. These arguments, reinvigorated by the dialogue between Montessori pedagogy and neuroscientific research, can determine a new way of understanding issues and educational practice.

Learning is a generative and reflective activity. Generative learning involves actively making sense of to-be-learned information by mentally reorganizing and integrating it with one’s prior knowledge, thereby enabling learners to apply what they have learned to new situations. Generative learning theory has its roots in Bartlett (1932) view of learning as an act of construction, in which people invest effort after meaning by integrating new experiences with their existing knowledge structures or schemas. Wittrock (1974, 1989) pioneered efforts to apply these early insights toward a theory of meaningful learning relevant to education. Wittrock generative model of learning is based on the premise that learners generate perceptions and meanings that are consistent with their prior knowledge and that learning with understanding involves the process of generating and transferring meaning for stimuli and events from one’s background, attitudes, abilities, and experiences. According to Wittrock’s (1989) model, meaningful learning consists of four main components: generation, motivation, attention, and memory. With a view to generative learning, the promotion of reflective thinking, in the educational and training field promotes training of competent and responsible teachers. Enhancing students’ higher thinking skills has always been a considerable challenge in education. One of the most interesting investigations about the use of storytelling in higher education has been carried out by McDrury & Alterio (2003). They have proposed a five stage model of reflective learning through storytelling which they have mapped onto Moon’s (2002) five stages of learning. The paper shows the results of a study that involved 525 trainee teachers of the IV Specialization Course on educational support activities for the kindergarten and primary school of the University of Palermo in the A.Y. 2019-2020. The experimental research was carried out in the activities laboratory (180h). Reflective and Generative Learning are the framework of the research, central in the teaching-learning process for the construction of professional, skilled and responsible teachers. The research path wanted to verify the validity of the McDrury and Alterio Storytelling model (2003) in order to increase students’ reflective, narrative and critical competence, to promote reflective and generative learning at university.

The higher education evolution passes through the enhancement of employability. It is necessary to focus on the construction of professional skills on the one hand, and on the other to create a bridge with the work field. An exploratory survey was conducted with stakeholders for the internship of the SPPEfF Department of the University of Palermo in the A.Y. 2019/2020 with the aim of: identifying the skills valued in working contexts in order to modify the study plans of the departmental courses for the A.Y. 2020/2021

Family and school are the educational agencies that play a primary role in the child development. Therefore, an educational partnership based on values and responsibilities sharing and on the mutual respect of competences is necessary. This idea is reflected in Bronfenbrenner (1979; 2001), Epstein (2018), Eccles and Harold (2013) theoretical/methodological models and in the Pati (2019) pedagogical-epistemic reflection. Starting from this theoretical framework, it is considered necessary to investigate the point of view of teachers, parents and managers in order to provide a clear vision of the practices of educational co-responsibility in reference to the Italian school context. We predicted that at the end of the research action we would observe a significant increase in the process of reflection on educational practices based on educational co-responsibility and an improvement in the relationship between school and family through shared and co-designed educational co-responsibility practices. The survey, which began in January 2019, included an exploratory phase aimed at the validation of two structured tools: Questionnaire on co-responsibility-Families and Questionnaire on co-responsibility-Teachers. The second phase, currently in progress, is based on the administration of the validated tools on the national territory. The recipients of the survey are the teachers and parents of students attending the first cycle school. In addition, following the adoption of the Mixed Method, it is intended to conduct a semi-structured interview with school managers capable of detecting qualitative data that can expand and complete the data collected. The quantitative analysis of the data, carried out through the use of the SPSS software, showed a good reliability of the tools and allowed the improvement of the same. Furthermore, a Partnership Force Model has been built which will guide the co-design phase.

Il Patto di corresponsabilità educativa sancisce formalmente l’alleanza educativa tra scuola e famiglia. Tuttavia, oggi il rischio è che il Patto rimanga solo un atto formale. Appare, allora, necessario approfondire il senso e le modalità pratiche della partnership scuola-famiglie. Nel fare ciò, il ruolo del Dirigente Scolastico risulta fondamentale per la promozione di una vera e propria partnership educativa. Il paper presenta un approfondimento teorico sul tema citato, con riferimento all’attuale crisi pandemica e alcuni risultati preliminari di un’indagine esplorativa svolta durante l’A.S. 2020/2021 con venti dirigenti scolastici di scuole siciliane per comprendere come la relazione è cambiata e quali nuove consapevolezze le due agenzie hanno acquisito dopo il dilagare della pandemia. The Educational Co-responsibility Pact formally sanctions the educational alliance between school and family. However, today the risk is the Pact will remain only a formal act. Therefore, appears necessary to deepen the meaning and practical modalities of the school-family partnership. In doing this, the role of the headmaster is fundamental for the promotion of a genuine educational partnership. The paper presents a theoretical study on the topic, with reference to the current pandemic crisis and some preliminary results of an exploratory survey carried out during the S.Y. 2020/2021 with 20 school leaders of Sicilian schools to understand how the relationship has changed and what new awareness the two agencies have acquired since the spread of the pandemic.

In seguito all’attuazione della legge 59/1997 che con l’art. 21 conferisce l’autonomia didattica e organizzativa alle istituzioni scolastiche, la dirigenza della scuola è investita di una doppia carica che si snoda tra la responsabilità legale e la responsabilità pedagogica. Ciò si traduce per il Dirigente Scolastico in un incremento del suo potere d’azione in tutti gli ambiti della gestione della scuola (Di Liberto et al., 2019, p.121). La letteratura scientifica, peraltro, sottolinea che il successo delle imprese è strettamente correlato alla qualità della leadership, dell’organizzazione manageriale e alle pratiche educative (Bloom, Van Reenen, 2010). È possibile affermare che per attendere con competenza a questo compito, il DS deve possedere competenze amministrative e organizzative, ma anche pedagogiche-operative (Cambi, 2019, p. 145), pertanto a ciò deve tendere la formazione degli stessi. In che modo i dirigenti espletano questa doppia responsabilità in un periodo di forti cambiamenti sociali come quello che stiamo vivendo in seguito alla diffusione della pandemia da Covid-19? Prevale l’una o l’altra responsabilità? Questi interrogativi sono stati rivolti ai dirigenti scolastici del territorio siciliano nei mesi di avvio dell’A.S. 2020/2021 della scuola del primo ciclo, attraverso la somministrazione di un’intervista semi-strutturata in seno allo sviluppo di un’indagine sulla corresponsabilità educativa scuola-famiglia. Si prevede di intervistare venti dirigenti. L’analisi qualitativa dei dati, sebbene si tratta di un’analisi preliminare, mostra una difficoltà nell’equilibrare le due facce della medaglia: spesso i dirigenti sono oberati dal lavoro amministrativo-gestionale che limita la leadership educativa. Tuttavia, molti dirigenti tendono a dedicarsi a questi aspetti oltre gli orari di lavoro. Si evidenzia, inoltre, che laddove la famiglia e la comunità percepisce la presenza del dirigente scolastico come guida pedagogica, oltre che manageriale, aumenta la fiducia e la collaborazione delle stesse in favore di un maggiore benessere dell’intero apparato scolastico.

In planning the educational offer, the educator/teacher must consider the emerging neuroscientific evidence concerning the multi-codic language of the mind and the peculiarity of each evolutionary trajectory. After framing the different multi-codic influences that characterize the formation of brain configurations (two examples are reported: one linked to the cognitive sphere and one linked to motor skills and corporeality), the consequent peculiarity of each student or person in training is underlined. In the second part of the paper, a survey conducted with 440 teachers of the first and second cycle school during the second semester of the A.S. 2020/2021. The survey was conducted through the administration of the “Questionnaire for the detection of neuro-didactic practices” and aims to measure the level of knowledge and use of the neuro-educational and neuro-didactic principles in the teaching practice of teachers. With respect to the five areas investigated (transversal, cognitive, socio-affective, linguistic and praxic-motor), the most significant results are discussed regarding the programming of activities and teaching material, taking into consideration some neuro-educational principles concerning the multi-codic functioning of the brain.

Maria Montessori si è dedicata all’educazione della famiglia ponendola in continuità con l’impostazione pedagogica delle Case dei Bambini. In questo modo il bambino sperimenta quella continuità educativa che lo conduce all’autodeterminazione secondo natura e alla liberazione rispetto ad un mondo adulto che troppo spesso si rivela cieco davanti al “maestro interiore” del bambino e sordo di fronte alle sue esigenze di sviluppo. A partire da questa consapevolezza il paper riflette su due aspetti della formazione degli educatori: da un lato l’importanza dell’armonia degli intenti educativi, dall’altro l’autentica liberazione del fanciullo. Tale diade viene analizzata attraverso uno sguardo deduttivo che dalla comunità (con un cenno alle maggiori agenzie educative) si concentra poi sulla famiglia (con un cenno alla coppia genitoriale). Appurata l’esigenza tuttora attuale della formazione degli educatori in tal senso, l’ultimo paragrafo inquadra alcune possibili proposte formative e alcune evidenze empiriche. Maria Montessori dedicated herself to the education of the family, placing it in continuity with the pedagogical approach ofthe “Case dei Bambini”. In this way, the child experiences that educational continuity that leads him to self-determination according to nature and to liberation from an adult world that too often turns out to be blind to the child's "inner teacher" and deafto his developmental needs. Starting from this awareness, the paper reflects on two aspects: on the one hand the importance of the harmony of educational intentions, on the other hand the authentic liberation of the child. This dyad is analyzed through a deductive gaze that from the community (with a note to the major educational agencies) then focuses on the family (with a note to the parental couple). Having ascertained the still current need for training educators in this sense, the last paragraph shows some possible training proposals and some empirical evidence.

The paper focus on the theme of peer learning with reference to the university context. Peer tutoring is an educational strategy that aims to activate mutual support between peers to promote an authentic and co-participated learning experience. In doing this it is necessary that the relationship is positive and that the "power" between the people involved is balanced; in other words, that participation is spontaneous [1]. Orientation and tutoring are now a reality for Italian and international universities [2],[3]. If initially said activity was intended to guide and inform incoming students, later the offer was extended to the entire university career and for heterogeneous needs [4],[5],[6]. In this perspective, students are not considered mere users, but "learning partners" who can engage themselves and others in a process of authentic and active involvement in their training path [7], [8], [9]. After having outlined the main characteristics of the tutoring activity, enhancing its socio-cognitive dimension and after having framed the phenomenon in the context of the Palermo university context, we propose the qualitative analysis of a single case study with explanatory purposes [10], as what stands out is the singularity of the person [11]. It was conducted during the A.Y. 2020/2021 by a Teaching Tutor. It is argued that, by developing a holistic-systemic path that implements active training accompanying strategies, participatory paths, and transversal skills can be developed that are useful for coping with a university path that is never more severely tested in this pandemic period. The path developed involved the use of an observation tool (checklist), compensatory tools, learning strategies that, combined with strategies for organizing the daily routine and managing anxiety and mnemonic methodologies, can develop not only the understanding of the subject itself, but also for the enhancement of the transversal skills of the tutee. The tutoring activity developed has shown that significant and authentic development paths can be activated, not only based on the transfer of information and/or notions but aimed at achieving the holistic development of the person, participatory and co-built development. The strategies implemented have allowed an improvement in various areas and with respect to the various objectives set. Furthermore, with the persistence of the pandemic situation, some critical issues of a social and cultural nature have emerged with respect to the context of university learning [12] which we have tried to deal with through a one-to-one relationship in which the socio-emotional sphere was found to be fundamental. In this dimension of social distance, peer-tutoring takes on greater importance in providing disinterested and all-round support so that the student can feel accompanied and supported in his/her university advancement path.

La Pedagogia della Famiglia offre una chiave di lettura sull’evoluzione e sul senso profondo del familiare imprescindibile. Ciò acquista maggior rigore all’interno dell’epoca liquida che siamo chiamati a vivere, all’interno della quale alcune emergenze educative sembrano paralizzare quest’agenzia educativa primaria. Procedendo nell’analisi comparata tra la famiglia del passato e del presente emerge l’intrinseco cambiamento dei significati alla base delle mutazioni familiari che osmoticamente procede dalla famiglia verso la società e dalla società verso la famiglia, in un continuo rigenerarsi reciproco. Qualcosa, però, sembra rimanere invariata: l’esistenza di diverse trame familiari possibili e il loro continuo divenire. The studies of family education offer a key to understand the evolution and the deep sense of the family. Family acquires a greater rigor within the liquid age that we are living, where some educational emergencies seem to paralyze this primary educational agency. Comparing the family of the past with the family of the present, emerges the change of meanings of family, because there is an osmotic process from the family to society and from society to the family, with a continuous reciprocal regeneration. However, something seems to remain unchanged: the existence of different possible family relationships and their continuous evolution.

In Italy, most people with dementia are looked after by an informal caregiver and, due to the care burden and the lack of systematic-institutional support, they risk deleterious effects on psycho-physical well-being and on relational functionality with the assisted. Considering the ontological dimension of care, it is necessary to deepen the pedagogical implications deriving from the needs of the caregiver of people with Alzheimer Disease. The survey carried out based on the administration of two tools: the semi-structured interview addressed to the associations that in the Sicilian territory deal with family support and the check-list for conducting focus groups with cargivers, allowed the elaboration of six core competencies that the carer must possess and the construction of a competency assessment rubric.

Il flusso migratorio dei Minori Stranieri non Accompagnati è un fenomeno globale e soprattutto negli ultimi anni ha evidenziato la necessità di sviluppare e creare dei modelli inclusivi che si basino tanto sull’implementazione di norme regolamentarie quanto sull’intervento civico-sociale. La presa in carica del minore si è concretizzata nella creazione della figura del Tutore Volontario. Attraverso l’analisi dei bisogni del minore e dell’istanza pedagogica del Tutore, si analizza la formazione del Tutore Volontario in relazione all’esperienza realizzata a Palermo dal Garante dell’Infanzia e dell’Adolescenza del Comune di Palermo. The migratory flow of unaccompanied foreign minors is a global fact and in recent years has highlighted the need to develop and create inclusive models that are based both on the implementation of regulatory rules and on civic-social intervention. Taking charge of the minor took the form of creating the figure of the Volunteer Guardian. Through the analysis of the minor’s needs and the pedagogical instance of the Guardian, the training of the Volunteer Guardian is analyzed in relation to the experience carried out in Palermo by the Childhood and Adolescence Protection Office of the municipality of Palermo.

Il presente contributo si focalizza su una sfida educativa impellente della contemporaneità: la form-azione della cittadinanza digitale. A partire dal Quadro di riferimento Europeo per le competenze digitali dei cittadini, viene svolta una riflessione basata sull’interconnessione tra il Capability approach e le competenze digitali. Il Capability Approach, sviluppando un orizzonte di senso eticoeconomico-politico basato su: “functioning”, capability” e “agency”, completa e orienta il framework teorico-metodologico dettato dai riferimenti normativi europei sullo sviluppo delle digital skills. L’indagine sulle digital skills può essere un’opportunità per orientare l’azione formativa, in riferimento allo sviluppo delle competenze digitali, verso la piena libertà e il potenziamento della coscienza critica dei cittadini nell’effettuare delle scelte per il raggiungimento di standard formativo-professionali desiderabili. This paper focuses on an urgent educational challenge of the contemporary age: the form-action of digital citizenship. Starting from the European reference framework for citizens’ digital skills, the authors develops a reflection based on the interconnection between digital skills and Capability Approach. The latter, developing an ethical-economic-political sense horizon based on: “functioning”, “capability” and “agency”, completes and directs the theoretical-methodological framework dictated by normative requirements on the development of digital skills. The reflection built can be an opportunity to direct the training action, in order to promote the development of digital skills, towards full freedom and the enhancement of the critical awareness of citizens in making choices for the achievement of desirable educational-professional standards.