Conference Program

This contribution, grounded in an interdisciplinary framework, fits within the contemporary pedagogical debate that recognizes the school as an agent and a “vital organ of democracy” (Calamandrei, 1950), called upon to foster educational conditions capable of supporting a democratic, equitable, and peaceful development of contemporary societies (Pastori et al., 2022). From this perspective, the right to educational democracy requires that school systems guarantee not only formal access to education but also the full, active, and meaningful participation of every student in the life of the school community. This implies a rethinking of teaching practices and teachers’ professional attitudes, so that valuing differences becomes a systemic resource for learning and identity development.

The research presents the preliminary results of a pilot project conducted in the province of Perugia involving forty preschool and primary school teachers over an eight-month period. The training program, carried out in collaboration with the Center for Democratic Initiative of Teachers (CIDI - Centro di Iniziativa Democratica degli Insegnanti), was structured into six training units and was guided by the “Everyone No One Excluded” (TNE - Tutti Nessuno Escluso) method, with the aim of responding to the growing relational complexity of contemporary classrooms and promoting a reflective professional posture among teachers.

Methodologically, the study is based on a qualitative investigation aimed at exploring changes in teachers’ participation dynamics and professional self-perceptions. Data were collected through three focus groups, conceived as spaces for collective reflection that allowed changes in teachers’ perceptions and experiences to emerge. Indeed, it is the teachers themselves who, alongside improvements in the classroom climate (inclusion of isolated children and relational fluidity), report a profound transformation of their professional posture. The analysis reveals strong emotional and operational engagement, as well as greater attention to problem-solving and conflict management, elements that can be traced to the activation of transformative agency (Fabbri, 2025). The most significant change concerns the reframing of educational time, involving a slowing down of school rhythms as well as a new recognition of themselves as agents capable of co-constructing enabling environments. Overall, the findings suggest that teachers’ professional empowerment and the development of students’ relational agency are interconnected processes that require organizational contexts open to reflection and pedagogical experimentation.

The TNE method was perceived not only as a set of techniques (such as the circle, counting, or listening games), but as a genuine “work on oneself” capable of restructuring the professional habitus of teachers. Despite the challenges that emerged related to organizational fatigue, the TNE method emerges as a potentially useful operational tool to support participation, group cohesion, and the construction of educational environments oriented toward equity and social justice.