Conference Program

Stemming from transnational circulation and inscribed in a managerial conception of education (Woolven, 2021), the "inclusive school" is today considered a guarantor of justice by international bodies (UNESCO, 2009). To ensure the "effectiveness" of the school system, in terms of equality, it is no longer up to the student to adapt to the demands of the school: the school must respond to the "special educational needs" of each student. These SENs, initially conceived in relation to physiological disabilities, have been extended to any source of gap from school normality (social, cultural, linguistic, etc.).

In contradiction with the traditional meritocratic system of the French school, which since its origins has been based on the principle of equality of means (Prost, 2013), the inclusive school asserts the principle of "equitable equality of opportunity" (Rawls, 1987), which is supposed to depend as little as possible on starting positions. Applied to schools, this conceptual shift puts results (learning) at the forefront, which the implementation of means (teaching) must enable to be achieved, either by compensating for initial gaps (equity), or by seeking to erase the causes of inequalities (inclusion): this is "equality of achievement" (Crahay, 2012).

However, in the field, our survey (Charles et al., 2023) shows that the implementation of this new principle of justice, far from appearing as a global approach involving all players, relies on the close accountability of individual teachers isolated in their classrooms to "tinker" with the difficulties posed. Faced with an exponential growth in the number of SEN pupils enrolled in ordinary classes, teachers do not benefit from any significant increase in the resources allocated to their care (Katz et al, 2021). Torn between pedagogical differentiation and recurring problems of maintaining school order, they report a workload that is difficult to sustain. They also appear to receive little recognition, and are even made to feel guilty by their superiors: the expansion of control and evaluation on the NPM principles (Mons et Dupriez, 2010 ; Bezes et al., 2011), and the injunction to innovate in teaching, are experienced as a recurrent and unfair indictment of their skills (Garcia, 2023).

In short, while "inclusive schooling", the new slogan of French education policy, claims to deconstruct the social stigmas that contribute to inequalities in education, it actually contributes to the work-related suffering of the staff who are supposed to apply it, by incriminating their traditional professionalism and diverting new vocations (Charles et al, 2020).

"What are the lessons we learnt from the experience we just went through?" This question arose in many workplaces, especially in schools, at the end of the pandemic. It was important to retrace the steps that schools took to comprehend the situation better. Therefore, the research aimed to engage principals who were at the forefront during the pandemic, dealing with problems and having to prioritize issues. The initial issue appeared to be related to discrepancies in technological access, internet connectivity systems, and the opportunities they offer. The aim was to recreate the school system in the home environment as well as in the classroom. The everyday practice later showed that this was only a small part of the problem. Control systems and protocols were insufficient in protecting vulnerable individuals, often exacerbating their susceptibility. This highlighted the need to go further to ensure the safety and well-being of all students, especially the most vulnerable.

This article aims to answer some questions by conducting qualitative research, which involved interviewing 14 principals from comprehensive schools across Veneto, Trentino Alto Adige, Friuli Venezia Giulia, and Emilia Romagna regions. Later, in the second phase, six focus groups with some teachers belonging to the same institutes were conducted. The approach adopted was interdisciplinary, to cover both sociological and pedagogical perspectives. The analysis of the interviews shows that the principals’ profiles aligned with a - echoing Winnicott - 'Good Enough' model. They put effort into creating a flexible organizational system. They aimed to avoid getting stuck in rigid categorizations and instead sought to find different and sustainable solutions for day-to-day school operations. These solutions would effectively combine formal and regulatory requirements with human aspects such as recognizing and expressing personal uniqueness.

The experience of distance learning, where physical contact, visual connection, and sharing of spaces are absent, reinforced the perception that we might lose out on important aspects of education. This reminded us of the crucial role that schools play in shaping our learning experiences. One important “lesson learnt” was that the adoption of technology could provide students with access to resources, tools, opportunities, and a place for discussion. However, the use of technology should be accompanied by a new approach to learning, planning, and assessment in all its forms. As a result, this change in mindset has an impact on redefining the purpose of educational institutions. Through the experience of leading a school during an emergency, principals were able to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of effective leadership. They realized the significance of maintaining an open and ongoing exchange of ideas with their colleagues to ensure that they have a clear perspective of the situation at all times. This approach enabled them to quickly identify and address any issues or vulnerabilities that may arise. All the participants agreed that physical interaction between students and teachers is crucial in a school environment. In fact it provides an authentic and meaningful experience that emphasizes the importance of attending school.

Since the lengthening and massification of schooling in the last quarter of the 20th century, teachers have often cited lack of work as an explanation for academic failure. Part of a teacher's job is to "get students to work", to motivate them, to assess them so that they succeed, even though failure at school increases the risk of social exclusion.

But work at school is also relative with the changing relationship with work in society in general (Coutrot, Perez, 2022). Indeed, students' quest for meaning, fulfillment and recognition in their schoolwork, as well as a number of resistance phenomena, permeate the school experience, posing professional and pedagogical challenges for teachers. Over and above the results themselves, students experience major disparities in the very recognition of their efforts and work. (Barrère, 2003).

On the other hand, for many teachers, the reduction of the meaning of school work to concerns about efficiency, evaluation and the quest for performance calls into question the very meaning of the profession, at a time when students are experiencing strong "school pressure", or even competitive phenomena, or an invasion of learning by evaluation (Barrère, 2017).

In a school system where the preoccupation with training-employment adequacy has strongly legitimized the lengthening of schooling and the objective of equal opportunity, the finalization of the school career by insertion, to the detriment of other educational or socio-political stakes, such as inclusion, can then be questioned more broadly (Dubet, Duru, 2020). The very notion of success is then called into question, as some very good students marginally forgo excellent career paths for political or ecological reasons (Cassely, 2017).

Based on past and recent surveys of French middle and high school students and teachers, we will analyze the trials of working at school on both sides of the pedagogical relationship. These structural tensions experienced by school actors (Martuccelli, 2007 ) help us to understand some of the contradictions of today's schools, and suggest new avenues for research

It is generally accepted that teaching is among helping professions which are strongly related to the risk of burnout. This, as evidenced in the literature, refers to those professions that involve a significant relationship with users and where the profession is embedded within institutional contexts. The professional identity of the teacher, in fact, unfolds through diverse and complex levels, which often collude with overlapping roles and unclear boundaries.

This paper aims to start new avenues of reflection on the risks of burnout within the school context, focussing on the individual and social well-being of the teacher and the repercussions on the student's teaching-learning process, and on the consequent need to initiate prevention paths based on adult education.

In this regard, the paper intends to highlight the results of a qualitative research conducted in 2023 and involving secondary school teachers in the province of Palermo, subdivided by gender and type of institution in which they serve.

The main objective of the research, which fits within the framework of fundamental pedagogy of hermeneutic-phenomenological style, was to survey the subjective perception of the burnout phenomenon and teachers' job satisfaction, specifically referring to the pandemic emergency.

The basic assumption within which qualitative research is conducted is the importance of the subjective perspective in field research, through which it is possible to trace a precise idea of education: understood as a complex process characterised by a dynamic intersubjective confrontation aimed at the active construction of meanings, the rethinking of existing models and the elaboration of tradition.

The study involved a questionnaire with completion items designed to investigate the representation of the construct and the perception of the phenomenon, whether experienced with an individualistic or communal attitude.

The first aim of the study becomes access to the teacher's lived experience, with specific reference to the risk and protection factors that contribute to the definition of professional identity and ethics.

The broader aim is to promote more fruitful educational practices, insofar as they are communitarian, from the point of view of those involved.

The labour market for teachers represents a relevant area of study, extensively covered in existing literature. Its significance stems from the centrality of education in our societies and the considerable dimensions characterizing teaching systems. In Italy, investigations conducted by the IARD Institute (Cavalli, 1992; 2000; Cavalli and Argentin, 2010) have provided a crucial contribution in describing the living and working conditions of teachers in the country's public schools. These studies have also underscored the importance of teacher training and recruitment mechanisms. In this regard, Gargiulo (2017) identifies three distinct recruitment logics that have intertwined in various ways throughout the history of the Italian school system. The coexistence of these logics and their interplay complicated the professional path for many teachers, leading to situations of significant work discontinuity (Gremigni, 2013).
Recently, teachers’ recruitment challenges have been addressed through increasing use of an alternative and extra-ordinary hiring mechanisms. Among these, the Messa a Disposizione – so called MAD –, is a pathway to be used in extreme situation, such as the absence of any other available candidate to a teaching position. MAD is an online request presented to a school by those aspiring to work there, through which they make themselves available to be called upon to teach when necessary. MAD, due to its (supposed) extra-ordinary use allows schools and candidates to skip the strict regulation characterizing the Italian recruitment system.

Despite its wide use and several thousands of people working in the school system on the basis of a MAD recruitment, there is lack of evidence regarding who teaches in this position. We developed a large scale online survey to investigate the well-being and motivations of teachers employed through MAD. We reached a sample of approximately 450 individuals.

Our analysis highlights the highly heterogeneous composition of the sample, revealing significant differences along several variables such as age, educational background, previous employment status and educational career. Hence, MAD teachers are not only young people in the transition period from the attainment of their degree and their career in the school system. At the opposite, MAD teaching seems to be an occupational alternative also for unemployed or underemployed people far from the perspective of becoming teachers. To address this diversity, we adopted a categorization of the interviewed subjects into four subgroups, characterized by different socio-demographic profiles. Results show that the four MAD teachers’ types display also highly differentiated motivations to teach, self-efficacy and well-being.
Summing up, the MAD mechanism seems to be a channel providing alternatives into teaching to highly differentiated subpopulations of degree holders, from the ones aspiring to become teachers to those just interested in getting a wage while waiting for a better job. The consequences of this extreme heterogeneity of conditions, both for MAD teachers and their pupils, require further research.