Conference Program

Research consistently shows that positive and functional collaboration among teachers improves the quality of classroom practices and is associated with higher job satisfaction and well-being. These benefits extend to students, fostering participation, motivation, learning, and the development of social skills. In the Italian context, teacher collaboration is shaped by organisational features such as school structure, staff stability, and the overall quality of professional relationships (Aquario et al., 2017).

Studies highlight that teachers’ positions within professional networks influence key work-related attitudes, including self-efficacy and job satisfaction. Teachers who are more centrally connected tend to feel more confident and satisfied, benefitting from greater opportunities for exchange, feedback, and support (Uberti and Zanga, 2026). Moreover, the literature shows that students of well-integrated teachers often obtain better academic outcomes, indicating that collaboration can enhance both teaching quality and student achievement (Moolenaar, 2012; Siciliano, 2016; Daly et al., 2010).

For the first time in Italy, a large-scale survey explored how teachers perceive networking within their school environment. A total of 4,822 teachers answered questions on the perceived organisation of collaboration, their own position within working networks, the availability of trusted colleagues with whom to discuss work-related challenges, and the climate of cooperation or conflict within the school.

The study addresses the following research question: how is teachers’ job satisfaction linked to their perception of professional relationships with colleagues and the organisation of the school?

Preliminary findings confirm earlier evidence. Teachers who perceive their school networks as integrated, open, and non-hierarchical report the highest levels of job satisfaction. Those who instead perceive rigid hierarchies, fragmentation, and limited communication between organisational levels tend to report lower satisfaction. Regarding personal positioning, teachers who see themselves as part of cohesive groups show the greatest satisfaction, whereas isolated teachers report the lowest. The presence of at least one trusted colleague with whom to discuss professional issues is strongly associated with higher satisfaction.

These patterns remain robust after controlling for a wide range of individual and contextual characteristics. The analyses include controls for personal socio-demographic factors (gender, age, caregiving responsibilities), professional factors(career mobility, union membership, previous work experience, current and past roles, motivations, perceived job security, and subject area), and school-level characteristics (geographical location, infrastructural conditions of school buildings, and the availability of facilities). The study also replicates the analyses using measures of teachers’ self-efficacy, finding similar associations between perceived network integration and positive professional outcomes. These results underscore the importance of supportive professional environments and suggest that strengthening collaboration may contribute to improving both teacher experience and school functioning.