Conference Program

This paper offers a critical analysis of the Italian academic literature on the teaching profession. After outlining the main findings and the most established research strands within the international scholarship, it highlights the specific features of the Italian debate. The contribution is based on a multidisciplinary review of education research—spanning pedagogy, sociology, psychology, and anthropology—drawing on articles published in leading specialist journals and major volumes over the past few decades. The review identifies three broad research axes: (a) teacher education and professional competences; (b) professional identities and expertise; and (c) the structural characteristics of the profession and career trajectories. The Italian system is marked by delayed entry into the profession and prolonged contractual precariousness, with negative repercussions for professional stability and motivation. Professional induction remains weakly institutionalised, continuing professional development is unevenly structured, and evaluation processes are increasingly shaped by accountability-oriented logics. These dynamics contribute to the profession's declining attractiveness, further exacerbated by occupational stress and burnout, and point to the need for systemic reforms grounded in robust empirical evidence. The paper concludes with a set of policy proposals to enhance teachers’ professional well-being.