Conference Program

An inclusive school welcomes and values differences among both students and teachers. In a landscape where the presence and contributions of teachers with Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD; such as dyslexia, dysorthographia, dysgraphia, and dyscalculia) remain underexplored, this national survey breaks new ground. These are teachers with a wealth of knowledge and skills that have been developed over the years, which could (and should!) be more highly valued in the educational context (Bellacicco et al., 2022), as they lead to positive impacts on learning processes (Smith, 2017; Cuervo-Rodríguez & Castañeda-Trujillo, 2021; Ware et al., 2022; Grasmeder, 2023), inclusive practices (Gerber, 1998; Burns & Bell, 2010; Pritchard, 2010; Griffiths, 2012; Keane et al., 2018; Moore et al., 2020), and personal and classroom well-being (Ferri et al., 2001;). However, no research has yet undertaken a simultaneous analysis of the perspectives of teachers with SLD, their colleagues, and the parents of children with/without SLD.

This study, focusing on primary school teachers with SLD in Italy, explores their experiences, challenges, and contributions to the educational system. Conducted from May to October 2023, it includes perspectives from teachers with SLD, their colleagues, and parents of students both with and without SLD, offering a multi-faceted view of the issue.

The findings demonstrate that teachers with SLD possess a rich array of skills and insights, shaped by their personal and professional journeys. They significantly influence the learning process, inclusivity, and well-being within classrooms. However, these teachers also face substantial challenges like delayed diagnosis of SLD, societal stigma, and limited representation in teaching roles.

Despite these hurdles, most teachers with SLD view themselves as effective educators. Colleagues and parents often perceive them as equal or superior to their peers without SLD. Indeed, the study revealed the unique perspectives and empathetic approaches these teachers bring, especially toward students with SLD, thereby enriching the learning environment.

The research suggests the necessity of systemic reforms in teacher education and school policies to support and leverage teachers' abilities with SLD. It calls for increased representation of these teachers in primary education, underscoring their role in fostering a more inclusive and diverse educational landscape.

Organizational context is commonly interpreted as a set of situational opportunities and constraints that influence behaviors and the meaning of interactions within an organization (Johns, 2006). It encompasses the underlying environmental stimuli, the most salient situational features, and changes over time, providing constraints and opportunities that shape organizational behavior (Johns, 2006). However, despite its relevance, the impact of organizational context has received relatively limited consideration in research (Porter & Schneider, 2014; Felin et al., 2015). Specifically, within the realm of education, understanding teachers' perceptions of context is pivotal for enhancing teaching practices and encouraging their active involvement in classroom and school management (Botta & Stanzione, 2022). Unsurprisingly, the teaching profession in Italy necessitates the possession of specific, interconnected skills that contribute to teaching efficacy, organizational proficiency, and overall professional competence (MIUR, 2016). This study aims to delve into the contextual perceptions of Italian teachers across all grades. Data were gathered through the adaptation of the Indicator Tool Questionnaire for school settings (Guidi et al., 2012), which is integrated into the INAIL methodology (INAIL, 2017) for assessing work-related stress. This adaptation facilitated the expansion of dimensions and the inclusion of specific aspects, notably teachers' perspectives on inclusion processes. Preliminary findings reveal a significant correlation between teachers' perceptions of context and socio-demographic variables, contextual characteristics, and other pertinent aspects of their work. Analyzing teachers' perceptions of context can yield valuable insights for enhancing teaching practices and fostering an inclusive and dynamic school environment (Stanzione & Botta, 2023). This paper thus presents an empirical outlook on teachers' perceptions of context, underscoring the importance of acknowledging the organizational impact on teaching practices and teacher education. The results delineated in this contribution serve as a foundation for further exploration and interventions aimed at enhancing the effectiveness and inclusivity of education.

In France, Teachers and Senior Educational Advisors are trained in university-affiliated professional schools. This training is frequently the subject of reflections on the articulation between academic and professional learning (Benveniste, 2018; Perrenoud et al., 2008; Buhot and Cosnefroy, 2011). In particular, the idea of a hiatus to be overcome between initial training, deemed too "theoretical", and the "reality of the field" is often put at the heart of debates.

Against this backdrop, we felt it necessary to use a survey to examine how future Teachers and Senior Educational Advisors view their initial training and its usefulness in building their professionalism. We wanted to focus our study on a dimension of training that deals with social and gender inequalities. Indeed, at a time when the political will to build a fair and inclusive school is confronted with the persistence in France of the significant weight of socio-economic and cultural level and class attended on school results (PISA survey, 2022), it seems essential to objectify the reception of training against inequalities by future educators.

Using a questionnaire, we asked students enrolled in various education courses about the place of sociology courses on social and gender inequalities in their training, their perceptions of them, and their possible professional repercussions.

We collected 1,121 responses. We found that the overall perception of these lessons was very positive. Firstly, we will show that while the vast majority of respondents had not received any training on inequalities before joining university-affiliated professional schools, they did consider the fight against inequalities to be an important criterion in their choice of profession, and expressed a fairly high sense of self-efficacy in this respect. A second section will show that the vast majority of respondents consider these initial training to be "useful". In particular, an analysis of the responses to the open-ended questions will support the idea that these sociology courses on social and gender inequalities contribute to the construction of professional practices. Finally, we will present explanatory principles for the way in which these courses are perceived, using data on students' educational, professional and social trajectories, as well as their relationship with politics.

In French secondary schools, Senior Educational Advisors (Conseillers Principaux d’Education) are non-teaching staff (Bois et Jacquot 2022) responsible for "school life", which consists in "placing adolescents in the best possible conditions for individual and collective life, academic success and personal fulfilment" (Circulaire n° 2015-139 du 10-8-2015). Defining their professional identity is no easy task. Indeed, the official definition of the profession remains somewhat fuzzy as it includes a large range of tasks, from ensuring safety in schools to supporting pupils in their academic and career choices. In schools, the profession is strongly affected by contemporary neoliberal reforms given that its members are in charge of implementing education policies. They have no hierarchical responsibilities and nevertheless have managerial functions, as they are responsible for organising and leading the work of the team supervising the pupils. Finally, Senior Educational Advisors’ professional training has been upgraded to master level, as part of the European Higher Education Area.

In this paper, we study, in a sociological perspective, the profession’s definition in the light of the knowledge expected on the part of candidates wanting to enter it. The purpose, therefore, is to observe the way in which knowledge shapes the profession’s jurisdiction (Abbott 1988). In order to objectify this knowledge, we have chosen to analyse the recruitment process that takes the form of a national competitive exam. We consider the exam both as a 'barrier' to entry into the profession and as a 'level' within the professional group (Goblot 2010), insofar as it states a series of skills required to become a Senior Educational Advisor, that distinguish them from other professions. In addition to the explicit or formalised knowledge, we seek to reveal the implicit aspects of the exam: these make it possible to highlight the professional ethos or the relationship to knowledge that is sought in the candidates.

This paper draws on a wide range of qualitative empirical data. Firstly, we analysed all the texts governing the profession of Senior Educational Advisor and its competitive recruitment exam. We then observed oral recruitments tests between 2014 and 2018. Finally, we interviewed 10 members of the examination board.

We will show that the knowledge expected from candidates during the recruitment process reveals the imprecision of the institutional and social definition of the professional jurisdiction of Senior Educational Advisors. After presenting the different types knowledge involved and their lack of clarity, we will then show the extent to which they nevertheless refer to a specialised knowledge (Hughes 1971) which defines the specific nature of this profession. Finally, we will show that the study of knowledge points to an autonomation and specialisation process of the profession and that Senior Educational Advisors occupy an intermediate position in the school professional hierarchy.

The research I propose here emerges from a reflection stemming from several years of teaching sociology in the master's programs specializing in pedagogy at the University of Cagliari. Through discussions with colleagues, interactions with participating students and through discussions with graduates. The first element that emerges from this comparison concerns the fact that it is a "professionalizing degree." Despite the definition it does not lead to a "regulated profession" and does not possess a "Professional Order of Pedagogists" but instead has a professionally regulated profile by a decree of the State. This means that those who do not possess the academic qualifications cannot define themselves as pedagogues, nor can they participate in a public competition for pedagogues.

Some aspects of this professionalizing path have particularly struck me. The first concerns the extreme heterogeneity of the possible professional paths that new pedagogues can undertake. SIPED has given a clear definition of the profession of the pedagogue: "The pedagogue is a top-level professional who performs intellectual functions with his/her own scientific autonomy and ethical responsibility. The profession of the pedagogue includes the use of specific theoretical and methodological cognitive tools for pedagogical intervention and assessment, directed towards individuals and groups, in various educational and training environments, throughout life. It also includes teaching, research, and experimentation activities. It is a profession that generally is associated with childhood and youth age groups but, as the definition just cited, it diversifies deeply. Just to give an example, we can mention some of the more than 30 specializations of the pedagogue (Siped, 2017): family pedagogue; legal pedagogue; geriatric pedagogue; intercultural pedagogue; specialist in functional disorders; coordinator of services for early childhood; pedagogue of centers and communities of welcome, etc...

The other aspect that struck me the most is the very high number of student workers. Students already being employed, often in professional roles closely related to the role of "educator", a title obtained with the bachelor's degree. The professional path often begins before obtaining the degree. This data can be read both positively, as accumulated experience and practices over time, but also negatively, because it risks limiting the real role of the pedagogue, trapping professionals in roles and tasks undersized compared to the skills acquired in the academic path. Finally, the third aspect to emphasize concerns the significant role of the absorption of the pedagogue profession in the "third sector", a sector often considered residual but which in Italy plays a fundamental role in educational services, assistance, and care.

From these considerations arose the need to deepen the analysis of the employment condition of pedagogues in Italy and in Sardinian territory. Essentially, three elements are determining in the recognition of a profession: remuneration, the field of action (the sectors in which a pedagogue can intervene), and the training path that prepares for the profession. The analysis presented will use the data available by the Almalaurea Consortium and Istat data to deepen these three aspects and try to unravel some complexities regarding the profession of the pedagogue.