Conference Program

Within initial training programmes for future educators, increasing attention is being paid to enabling students to develop a clear awareness of the professional roles they will undertake upon completion of their academic studies (Popov, 2020). This issue becomes particularly relevant in a context characterised by a growing crisis in the educational sector: despite the significant demand for educators within educational services, recruiting qualified staff is becoming increasingly difficult (Premoli, 2024). Supporting students in the transition from higher education to the labour market therefore requires the development of a personal “toolkit” enabling them to interpret professional contexts, design their own professional trajectories, and critically reflect on the experiences they encounter (Gambacorti-Passerini, 2019; Salerni, 2016). Within this perspective, the concept of lifelong guidance becomes central, and the internship represents a key educational context in which such processes can take place. As both an orientation device and a setting for the development of professional competences—and particularly as an in-between space (Mele et al., 2021)—the internship offers a privileged opportunity for students to gain awareness of the competences required of educators and of the complexity of educational practice.
This contribution aims to explore how specific pedagogical and organisational tools within internship programmes can foster students’ agency, reflexivity, and awareness of the educational profession, while also strengthening collaboration between the university and local educational services.
Within the internship pathway of the University of Parma, an organisational context analysis tool was introduced in the academic year 2023–2024 in order to promote an active and inquiry-oriented stance among students during their placements. The instrument supports students in analysing the organisational characteristics of the services hosting interns, including management structures and the types of services provided within the local area. In addition, to strengthen orientation processes before the internship experience, Open Days dedicated to the exploration of educational services were organised during the academic years 2024–2025 and 2025–2026 in collaboration with host organisations in the Parma area. Data were collected through the organisational analysis tool and through student satisfaction questionnaires related to the Open Day initiatives.
Preliminary findings suggest that the organisational analysis tool supports students in developing a more analytical understanding of the contexts in which they undertake their placements and encourages reflective engagement with organisational and professional dimensions of educational work. Furthermore, the Open Day initiatives appear to facilitate more informed and conscious choices regarding internship contexts, while also strengthening dialogue between the university and local educational services.
The study highlights the importance of designing internship pathways as reflective and participatory learning environments that support students’ agency and professional awareness. Moreover, the collaboration between universities and local organisations emerges as a key factor in fostering meaningful orientation processes and in promoting a continuous exchange between academic training and professional practice.