Conference Program

In the context of contemporary higher education, the initial training of socio-pedagogical educators is crucial for supporting their motivation, perceived self-efficacy, and readiness to face the complexity of educational practice (Fioretti, 2023). This study, conducted with 358 third-year students enrolled in Italian L-19 degree courses in Educational Sciences, aimed at examining how motivation to attend the degree program relates to the professional competences developed at the end of the course of study. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017), the research investigates the role of different motivations (i.e., extrinsic and intrinsic) in sustaining the development of the two key professional competencies (Rionero, 2025a): psychological and pedagogical principles and methods to managing educational practice, which include the ability to apply theoretical frameworks to design and adapt educational interventions; and reflective autonomy and relational management, which concerns critical self-analysis and ethical relationship building with educational stakeholders.

The data were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire comprising: the SCOPE scale, developed to assess self-perceived professional competencies (Rionero, 2025a); and the Italian version of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C) (Manganelli et al., 2019) to capture different forms of academic motivation along the self-determination continuum. Data reveal that socio-pedagogical educators are predominantly driven by autonomous forms of motivation, aligning with national reference literature (Fasan, 2019). Students enroll in the L-19 degree program to recognize the value of educational practice in the social context. Correlation analyses confirm that identified motivation is positively associated with both areas of self-perceived competencies measured by the SCOPE scale, as well as with intrinsic motivation.

Previous studies underscore the importance of active, practice-oriented learning environments (such as laboratories, project work, and internships) as crucial contexts for consolidating professional competences (Rionero, 2025b). These experiences foster the integration of theory and practice and play a key role in shaping students’ professional identity (Rosati & De Santis, 2020). They also represent formative opportunities to experiment with educational practice in protected settings, engage in collaborative learning, and develop reflective awareness of one’s strengths and areas for improvement. Overall, the results suggest that democratic and motivating university environments are essential for supporting autonomous motivation and, consequently, enhancing perceived professional competencies. In particular, it is essential to value students’ perspectives, promote reflection, and offer meaningful opportunities for initiative and collaboration. The study discusses implications for designing initial training pathways in Educational Sciences Bachelor’s (L-19), advocating for curricula that intentionally combine explicit and shared competence frameworks with pedagogical practices oriented toward metacognition, reflective autonomy, and the development of a solid professional identity.​