Session Information
99 ERC SES 05 H, Vocational Education and Training (VETNET)
Paper Session
Contribution
Recent decades have shown the progressive loss of social recognition of the teaching profession (Ianes, et al., 2019; Paletta, 2020; OECD, 2023). Argentin (2018), deepening what has already been highlighted by Colombo (2017), has demonstrated how teaching can be considered a "quasi-profession" as it contains only some of the elements that caracterize occupations considered “true” professions. Moreover, in the Italian case, we are faced, on the one hand, with a totally "flat" career (Eurydice, 2021) and on the other hand with the persistence of a real "taboo" on teacher evaluation (Guerrini, 2018). These aspects, to which are added the phenomena of high feminization and ageing of the teaching staff, represent a major challenge for schools and society (Gavosto, 2022). Many studies and researches have addressed these issues but, according to the literature review conducted so far, none have systematically investigated the point of view of those directly involved.
And it is precisely this gap that we aim to bridge by answering two research questions: what is the “sentiment” of Italian teachers with respect to career, valorisation and evaluation? Under what conditions would it be possible to introduce a teacher evaluation/appraisal system in Italy as well? The research hypothesis is that there is a growing interest and openness on the part of teachers to valorisation and evaluation. However it is a process to be built according to a 'bottom-up' logic and not a 'top-down' one as hitherto (Romei, 2000). Even though, Hattie (2016) states that having more and more inspired and passionate teachers could improve learning, this cannot be realised solely by relying on ideal and/or vocational elements, but also on structural-organisational, legal-economic aspects and prospects for real professional development and careers.
First at all, in order to answer the research questions, a critical review of the literature was performed through reading and analysing about one hundred texts of various types (monographs, articles, degree-master-doctorate theses, conference proceedings, national and international surveys, regulatory provisions). They are mainly in Italian (but also in English as regards the international surveys carried out by organisations such as Eurydice and OECD), published since 2000 (the year in which school autonomy was officially introduced – Presidential Decree 275/99). A specific consideration and evaluation was paid to all those passages presenting information and data on the opinions of Italian teachers concerning research topics; This was accomplished by setting the advanced search filters with at least one of the key words and concepts such as: Career - Valuing - Evaluation - Professional development - Social and economic recognition.
As no work or research was found that gives an up-to-date, complete and rigorous representation of the issues being researched, it is necessary to supplement the research project with an experimental part using the tools of the interview, questionnaire and focus group.
Method
To answer the research questions and to test the research hypothesis, a qualitative-quantitative research design was chosen. The quantitative methodology envisages the administration of an online questionnaire to a sample of 400 teachers representative of the identified population (about 22,500 tenured teachers of Lombardy middle-schools). In addition to a first part referring to socio-personal and contextual data, the questionnaire includes questions with multiple closed answers with a Likert scale set with values from 1 to 6. However, the item 'Other' is provided for in order to guarantee greater flexibility of the instrument. A pre-test is planned to validate the questionnaire (especially for the latent constructs) and introduce necessary corrections. In the data processing phase, we will use comparative trend analysis together with cross-tabulation (in order to filter the results). The analysis will mainly consist of a restitution of the data in graphical or tabular form, to highlight the distribution of the different characteristics of the sample according to the various dimensions considered. To prepare the questionnaire items, a panel of experts (scholars, representatives of professional associations, Ministry officials) will be consulted through semi-structured interviews. This introduces the qualitative part according to an explanatory research design. The semi-structured interview method was chosen because it is the closest to the aims of the survey. On the one hand, in fact, we wanted to avoid directive conducting methods that could, if not distort, at least influence the results; on the other hand, it was decided not to use completely open and free forms so as not to run the risk of a dispersion that would make the information gathered scarcely usable. Interviews will be conducted primarily in person, with audio recording and transcription. Whether this is not possible, for practical-logistical reasons or for other needs of the interested people, the online mode will be applied, with simultaneous video recording and subsequent transcription. Content analysis will be used to study the data collected. Lastly, in order to analyse the issues proposed in the questionnaire, three focus groups will be constituted at different Institutes in Lombardy identified on the basis of geographical, socio-economic-cultural criteria. Data collection will take place through observation, notes and audio-recording. The analysis of data and information will be conducted at two levels: - content-informative (to classify and synthesise the information obtained); - relational (to describe the dynamics that have developed and the ways in which collective opinions are formed and expressed).
Expected Outcomes
The involvement of a Panel of experts by means of semi-structured interviews, the administration of the questionnaire to a representative sample of the reference population (made up of tenured teachers of middle schools in Lombardy, equal to about 22,500 units) and the activation of some in-depth focus groups aim to: • Obtain as snapshot (as reliable and accurate as possible) of the opinions, ideas, expectations and concerns that state secondary school teachers have with regard to the assessment, valorisation, and recognition of their professional activity and career development prospects • Understand which aspects the teachers interviewed perceive as facilitating or hindering a possible professional development and enhancement system; • Provide guidance to policy-makers and the Ministry officials regarding the possible introduction of a career and evaluation model for teachers.
References
•Argentin, G. (2018). Gli insegnanti nella scuola italiana. Ricerche e prospettive di intervento. Il Mulino. •Cavalli, A. & Argentin, G. (2010). Gli insegnanti italiani: come cambia il modo di fare scuola. Terza indagine dell’Istituto IARD sulle condizioni di vita e di lavoro nella scuola italiana. Il Mulino. •Colombo, M. (2017). Gli insegnanti in Italia. Radiografia di una professione. Vita e Pensiero. •Commissione europea/EACEA/Eurydice (2021). Insegnanti in Europa: carriera, sviluppo professionale e benessere. Rapporto Eurydice. •Gavosto, A. (2022). La scuola bloccata. Laterza. •Guerrini, V. (2018). Valutazione e autovalutazione degli insegnanti. Riflessioni per promuovere processi di professionalizzazione in un’ottica life long learning, Lifelong Lifewide Learning. https://doi.org/10.19241/lll.v14i31.116 •Hattie, J. (2016). Apprendimento visibile, insegnamento efficace. Erickson. •Ianes, D., Cramerotti, S., Biancato, L., Demo, H. (2019). Il manuale dell’expert teacher. Erickson. •OECD – Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (2023), Education at a Glance: OECD Indicators. OECD Publishing. •Paletta, A. (2020). Dirigenza scolastica e middle management. Distribuire la leadership per migliorare l'efficacia della scuola. Bononia University Press. •Pellegrini, M. & Vivanet, G. (2018). Sintesi di ricerca in educazione. Basi teoriche e metodologiche. Carrocci Editore. •Romei, P. (2000). Autonomia e progettualità. La scuola come laboratorio di gestione della complessità sociale. La Nuova Italia.
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