Conference Program

This contribution examines an attempt to sustain pedagogical innovation through the deliberate integration of two complementary learning experiences situated at the intersection of formal and non-formal education in Reggio Emilia, Italy: the Delivery Museum (DM) and Scuola Diffusa (SD), a form of Widespread Education.

Research conducted by the Centro di Ricerca su Insegnanti ed Innovazione Didattica (CERIID) at the University of Modena and Reggio Emilia has documented the effectiveness of out-of-school learning experiences in enhancing student motivation, promoting meaningful learning, supporting inclusion and democratic participation to learning, and fostering students' metacognitive awareness. However, a recurring challenge remains: the effects of such experiences tend to fade once students return to the routines of school life, and teachers find it difficult to sustain more participatory and democratic pedagogical approaches in classroom settings.

In December 2025, Reggio Emilia Civic Museums brought thirty objects to a primary school (DM), creating a freely accessible space in which classes were invited to organise learning activities around museum artefacts and to reflect on curatorial practices. In January 2026, one class subsequently participated in SD — organised by Officina Educativa, the educational department of the Municipality of Reggio Emilia — spending a week immersed in an architecture exhibition, engaging in observation, inquiry, and collaborative reflection alongside teachers and educators through processes of co-researching, co-designing, and co-teaching.

The educators from the Museum and Officina Educativa, the classroom teachers, and a CERIID researcher collectively designed the integration of the two experiences. To make the connection explicit for students, a mosaic from DM was brought into the SD exhibition space. Adults anticipated that students would recognise both experiences as inquiry-based, and anticipated reflection on "design" as a shared process across contexts.

Following SD, the researcher conducted two focus groups with students, investigating their perceptions of learning, peer relationships, and metacognitive strategies. The photovoice methodology was employed to explore students' representations of the wonder of learning, the beauty of knowing, the challenges of learning, and the strength of collaborative inquiry.

Results indicate that students recognised skills developed in DM — observation, inquiry, collaborative problem-solving — as directly transferable to SD. Both image sets were drawn upon in the photovoice activity, confirming the meaningfulness of each context. Notably, certain concepts, such as the beauty of knowing, were more frequently represented through DM imagery. Students demonstrated an emerging capacity to identify and articulate strategies for enhancing their own understanding. Moreover, they recognized the power of learning in groups, with both adults and peers. Exchanging ideas, changing points of view, asking and answering questions collectively, emerged as ways not only to enhance understanding and learning, but also to discover the marvel of knowledge and buster motivation for all.

For teachers, the collaborative design of research instruments deepened their understanding of students' learning processes and enriched their observational practices. Reflective dialogue among all adult participants generated renewed pedagogical insight into how teaching methodologies might be transformed to foster more participatory and democratic approaches to learning.