Conference Program

The "Learning to Learn" (L2L) competence, recognised as one of the key European competences for lifelong learning, is now considered strategic for fostering autonomy, educational equity, and active participation throughout one's life. International literature has highlighted its multidimensional nature, integrating cognitive, metacognitive, motivational, and socio-relational dimensions, whilst emphasising the difficulty of observing its developmental trajectory across different educational contexts (Stringher, 2021). Despite its centrality in European documents and in the learning outcomes of higher education (European Council, 2006, 2018), pedagogical support for this competence still appears patchy, particularly during transitions between educational levels, where students are required to employ advanced self-direction strategies (Pellerey, 2006) without necessarily having received explicit training.

This paper presents some findings from an exploratory study conducted within the Primary Teacher Education Course at Sapienza University of Rome, aimed at investigating students' perceptions of study strategies (Traversetti, 2017) as an observable dimension of L2L in the university context. The research assumes that the study method, understood not as a technical repertoire but as a strategic competence capable of integrating the planning, monitoring, and regulation of learning processes, constitutes one of the most significant operational expressions of L2L in academic contexts.

Data were collected using the Strategic Skills Perception Questionnaire (QPSS) (Bay et al., 2010), administered to 157 students across the five years of the degree programme. The descriptive results show that 56.1% of participants stated that they had never participated in their previous educational experience in activities explicitly dedicated to study methods, whilst over 70% perceived the need to develop new strategies to tackle university study effectively. These data suggest that the development of strategic learning competence remains largely implicit and discontinuous across different educational levels, relying more on individual processes of adaptation than on intentional forms of pedagogical mediation.

Particularly significant is the perception that university study requires not only a greater quantitative investment of effort, but a qualitative reorganisation of learning practices, especially in relation to time management, self-monitoring, and strategic flexibility (Rizzo & Traversetti, 2024). From this perspective, the transition to higher education emerges as a critical juncture for observing latent vulnerabilities in the developmental trajectory of 'Learning to Learn' (Hautamäki et al., 2022).

Based on these perceived needs, a laboratory-based intervention was designed and launched, focusing on the organisation of study time and metacognitive reflection, through small-group activities, guided exercises, peer discussion, and critical debate. The educational framework draws on active pedagogical traditions that conceive the laboratory as a space for reflection on action and the transfer of learning (Dewey, 1938; Le Boterf, 2000), making the strategic processes involved in learning explicit and shareable.

The case of initial teacher training is particularly relevant, as supporting the strategic competence of future teachers can also influence future educational practices in school settings. The paper, therefore, reflects on the need to strengthen vertical continuity between schools and universities, so that 'Learning to Learn' does not remain an implicit and unevenly distributed competence, accessible mainly through individual resources rather than through a deliberate and equitable educational project.