Conference Program

This contribution focuses on learners’ autonomy in studying as well as student agency within school-based Service Learning (SL) experiences developed in the context of the Avanguardie Educative (AE) Network (Giunti et al., 2023). These experiences are interpreted as privileged contexts for the development of self-regulatory competencies, responsibility, and active participation. Drawing on established theoretical frameworks concerning autonomous learning, metacognition, and self-regulation (Boscolo, 2012; Cornoldi et al., 2018), SL is conceptualized as a pedagogical device capable of integrating disciplinary learning, social engagement, and student protagonism (Furco, 1996; Nieves, 2006).

The experiences documented within the AE Network indicate that students are involved in all phases of the learning process: from needs analysis to activity design, from the implementation of interventions to the evaluation of outcomes. Throughout this process, learners are required to independently plan their work, manage time and resources, collaborate with peers, and monitor the results of their actions. Such practices foster the development of self-regulation skills, metacognitive reflection, and awareness of one’s own study methods. In the SL projects implemented within the AE Network (Orlandini et al. 2020), a high degree of autonomy in managing activities emerges clearly, as responsibilities are directly entrusted to students, who organize their work, identify intervention strategies, and assess the effectiveness of their contributions. Research activities, material production, documentation, and dissemination of experiences stimulate sustained forms of self-directed learning, in which students become responsible for their own educational pathways and for the social impact of their actions (Lotti et al., 2025). The analysis of the documented practices also highlights how SL promotes a distinct form of situated agency, grounded in the assumption of responsibility toward oneself and the community (Mortari, 2017; Culcasi, 2025). Students do not merely carry out assigned tasks; rather, they act as intentional subjects capable of making informed decisions, solving problems, and adapting their strategies according to contexts and objectives. In this sense, service experiences become opportunities to develop a sense of self-efficacy, intrinsic motivation, and conscious engagement (Mortari, 2008). From an educational perspective, SL functions as a learning environment that makes learning processes visible and strengthens their reflective dimension. Through moments of self-assessment and reflective re-elaboration, students are guided to recognize their progress, identify critical issues, and improve their study strategies.

In conclusion, this contribution suggests that SL experiences significantly contribute to the development of students’ autonomy in learning and their agency. They promote a conception of learning as an active, responsible, and socially situated process, contributing to the formation of individuals capable of self-regulation, critical participation, and the conscious construction of their personal, cultural, and civic development trajectories.

This paper presents the findings of research conducted by INDIRE within two projects promoted by the Municipality of Trento and aimed at secondary school students across the territory: Reagenti (for upper secondary schools) which engages students in various roles of representation and active participation (school representatives, Link Group members, peer tutors, civic education laboratory participants, and Provincial Student Council delegates); and Strabene (for lower secondary schools), which fosters youth agency through actions centred on the care of common goods, European citizenship, and school democratic participation (Parlamentino).

Both projects are structured spaces for youth protagonism in which students act as active agents in school life and in the local community. Now in its second year, the research adopts a mixed-methods approach combining quantitative and qualitative tools: for Reagenti, pre-post questionnaires administered to all student groups involved and focus groups with teacher coordinators; for Strabene, an innovative photo-elicitation pathway — a qualitative methodology using photographs or drawings as reflective stimuli — integrated with teacher assessment grids and student self-evaluation forms. The instruments for both projects were developed drawing on two European frameworks: the RFCDC (Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture) and LifeComp, covering the areas of values, attitudes, skills, and critical knowledge for democracy, as well as personal, social, and lifelong learning competencies.

Findings from the first year of Reagenti show that groups with higher levels of active engagement report strong development of collaborative, communicative, and civic competencies: over 90% of students report having learned to listen to and respect differing opinions and to represent the group's ideas in order to achieve a shared outcome. The vast majority recognise in their experience the defining features of Service Learning and call for greater formal recognition within the curriculum. The photo-elicitation pathway of Strabene, by contrast, gives access to more tacit and emotional dimensions of experience, revealing how visual language enables students to articulate transformations in their sense of belonging, civic awareness, and responsibility towards the community that would be unlikely to surface through traditional instruments.

Across both projects, a significant misalignment emerges: while students perceive substantial growth in democratic and transversal competencies, teachers tend to frame these experiences as occasions for personal development that are difficult to integrate into the formal curriculum. The second year of the research aims to address precisely this critical gap: through longitudinal comparison of pre-post data and the explicit introduction of Service Learning as a shared pedagogical framework with teachers, the study seeks to examine whether and to what extent a more intentional integration between project activities and the formal curriculum can foster greater recognition of the democratic competencies developed by students and strengthen the school's role as a Learning Hub and Civic Center.

This paper presents the design and early empirical insights of Service Learning 2.0: ColLab, an Erasmus+ strategic partnership between European 6 universities and 3 civil society organizations, aimed at institutionalizing service learning (SL) through a digital and collaborative ecosystem connecting universities, students, and civil society organizations (CSOs).

Positioning service learning as both a pedagogical strategy and a mechanism for institutional reflexivity, the project adopts a participatory, multi-stakeholder approach to the co-creation of SL practices. A series of collaborative workshops engage (1) academics in defining learning objectives, assessment frameworks, and integration within the Moodle LMS; (2) CSOs in designing mentorship structures and support mechanisms for student engagement; and (3) students in shaping user experience, gamification elements, and personalized learning pathways. Complementarily, focus group interviews with students from disadvantaged backgrounds explore barriers to participation, inclusion needs, and enabling conditions for equitable access to experiential learning. Additional focus groups with CSOs investigate strategies for engaging vulnerable youth in community-based initiatives.

These activities generate qualitative data (workshop artefacts, reflective notes, and focus group transcripts) that capture how institutional actors negotiate roles, expectations, and responsibilities when embedding service learning systemically. Preliminary analysis highlights three key dynamics: (a) service learning as a catalyst for rethinking curriculum–community boundaries (Saltmarsh et al., 2009; Butin, 2010, Saltmarsh & Hartley, 2011) (b) co-design processes that redistribute agency toward students and community partners (Cook-Sather et al., 2014; Petri, 2015; Bovill, 2020), and (c) the importance of structured mentorship and digital accessibility for inclusive participation (Waldner et al. 2012; Burgstahler, 2015).

By examining SL as a co-constructed institutional practice rather than an isolated course innovation, the paper contributes empirical evidence on how universities can foster student empowerment while simultaneously transforming organizational cultures and partnerships. The findings offer practical and methodological implications for higher education institutions seeking to scale service learning sustainably and inclusively.

Service-Learning (SL) has gained significant international recognition as a pedagogical approach that promotes situated learning, civic engagement, ethical responsibility, and the integration of academic knowledge with real-world challenges. Positioned within democratic and transformative educational frameworks, SL is frequently described as a powerful strategy for connecting universities with communities. However, its rapid expansion across higher education systems has also revealed a series of tensions and structural barriers that require critical examination if its transformative potential is to be preserved.

One major barrier concerns the methodological instrumentalization of SL. In some contexts, SL is reduced to a technical sequence of stages or activities, detached from its ethical and political foundations. When the primary focus is placed exclusively on student learning outcomes, the service dimension risks becoming subordinate to curricular objectives. This imbalance may weaken reciprocity and mutuality between universities and community partners, leading to hierarchical relationships or to projects designed primarily to fit academic requirements rather than being co-created in dialogue with communities. In such cases, the service component can become symbolic, superficial, or tailored to educational convenience rather than grounded in genuine social needs.

A second barrier relates to organizational and institutional constraints. High-quality SL requires sustained coordination between universities and community organizations, careful planning, risk management, and alignment of academic calendars with community timelines. Without institutional structures that provide administrative support, recognition, and long-term commitment, SL often depends heavily on individual faculty dedication. This reliance can generate professional overload, burnout, and project discontinuity. Furthermore, when SL is not adequately recognized within academic career progression systems or credit structures, it remains structurally marginal despite its rhetorical endorsement.

From a research perspective, additional challenges emerge regarding methodological rigor and epistemological coherence. The pressure to publish and demonstrate impact may encourage studies with limited sample sizes, short-term evaluations, or overly generalized claims. There is also a tendency to privilege positive findings, which restricts a balanced understanding of limitations, unintended consequences, or negative outcomes. Moreover, insufficient attention is sometimes paid to assessing long-term social impact, particularly from the perspective of community partners. Without robust and critical inquiry, SL risks being legitimized through advocacy rather than through sustained scholarly examination.

Finally, the growing popularity of SL has produced dynamics of academic fashion and mimetic adoption. Institutions may embrace the label of SL to enhance reputation, access funding, or align with policy priorities, without ensuring deep pedagogical coherence or ethical commitment. When expansion prioritizes visibility over substance, the emancipatory and justice-oriented foundations of SL can be diluted.

These barriers do not undermine the value of SL. Rather, they highlight the need for stronger institutional reflexivity and ethical vigilance. In a global context marked by democratic fragility, social inequality, and geopolitical tensions, the challenge is not merely to multiply SL initiatives, but to safeguard their integrity, rigor, and reciprocity. A critical acknowledgment of these tensions is essential if SL is to function not as a pedagogical trend, but as a genuine democratic laboratory within higher education.

Developed within the SCOPERTA research programme at the Department of Political and Social Sciences, University of Catania, this work aligns with the Department’s civic and public engagement agenda by orienting research tools and outputs towards strengthening the local educational community. Through field-based activities involving students, doctoral researchers, and grant holders, the programme combines situated learning with a community-facing service: collaborating with schools and third-sector organisations to co-produce usable knowledge and mapping tools that support coordination, orientation, and access to opportunities for actors engaged in countering educational poverty. As a specific empirical phase and output of SCOPERTA, this work reports findings from an empirical study conducted in the urban context of Catania, focusing on educational networks operating in areas affected by persistent socio-educational disadvantage.

The study contributes to sociological debates on educational poverty, conceptualised as a structurally multidimensional phenomenon that cannot be reduced to economic deprivation or limited educational provision. Rather, educational poverty is understood as the outcome of relational and institutional inequalities and uneven access to opportunities. Within this framework, educational networks are conceived as key social infrastructures: their configurations shape the circulation of resources, the accessibility of support, and collective capacity to respond to social needs.

Methodologically, the study adopts a mixed-methods design integrating quantitative and qualitative approaches. Secondary institutional data and documentation were analysed to reconstruct the local socio-educational context and to identify urban areas at higher risk of educational poverty. Questionnaires were administered to teachers and relevant operators. Semi-structured interviews were conducted with school actors (including principals and teachers in coordination roles), alongside representatives of third-sector organisations, families, and other local stakeholders involved in student support. Interview data were also used for network elicitation to identify additional actors and collaboration ties. Social network analysis was then applied to the resulting reported networks, focusing on network density, central actors, and brokerage roles, and examining how different relational configurations enable—or constrain—access to educational opportunities and coordinated responses.

A central contribution is the comparison between “official” mappings of educational sites and services and the representations emerging from fieldwork. By examining the gap between institutional listings and practice-based accounts of operational ties, the study problematises local governance mechanisms and assesses whether existing representations capture the complexity of educational networks on the ground. Empirical materials were synthesised through a mapping workflow that led to the construction of digital maps of educational networks, conceived both as analytical devices for visualising relational complexity and as resources made available to the local educational community. The work concludes by discussing the analytical and practical potential of integrating social network analysis and digital mapping to support reflexive governance and coordinated action in unequal urban contexts.

This contribution offers a theoretical and methodological reflection on the concept of Service Learning (SL), understood as a complex and multidimensional phenomenon characterized by multiple meanings and by strong ethical, value‑based, and social components. Within the architecture of educational systems, SL activates processes that engage students, teachers, and territorial actors in an integrated way, positioning itself as an educational practice with significant formative and social impact. The dialectic that shapes SL experiences revolves around three main axes: (i) strengthening collaboration between educational institutions and local stakeholders; (ii) enhancing the relationship between students and their territory by fostering the development of life/soft skills; and (iii) innovating teaching practices through the virtuous cycle generated by external activities, educational research, and teachers’ professional experience. Positioned within the broader debate on Third Mission activities and the social impact of education at different levels, the contribution presents the results of a content analysis as a survey conducted on an extensive corpus of scientific publications. The aim is twofold: to reconstruct the meanings attributed to SL by practitioners, and to identify – through a realistic evauation – the social mechanisms and contextual factors that activate the development of soft/life skills in students. The proposal thus highlights the multidimensionality of SL, the cross‑cutting nature of its formative effects, and the relevance of local contexts in shaping the quality and impact of such experiences.

In recent years, Service Learning (SL) has established itself as a socio-pedagogical approach capable of integrating academic learning, civic engagement and social impact, placing itself at the intersection between innovative teaching and Third Mission (Palumbo, Scardigno 2024). This paper presents the results of a research study on the development and monitoring of SL initiatives promoted by the University of Bari Aldo Moro, with particular attention to their configuration as public engagement and civic engagement practices and to the evaluation evidence reported in the ANVUR reports (Carrera et. al., 2025). The University of Bari Aldo Moro has launched several service-learning projects and proposals, following the objectives of the Italian University Network for Service-Learning (UNiSL) and its manifesto, which aims to integrate teaching and community service, social justice, and sustainable development (Albanesi et al. 2023, p. 10). The research hypothesis is that the University of Bari Aldo Moro monitors all its initiatives to highlight the institution's role as an agent of regional development. In particular, we believe that actions within the SL framework impact the degree of reflexivity in teaching, while simultaneously underlining the institution's responsibility towards the social, cultural, and change processes of the surrounding society. The research adopts a methodological design based on documentary study and interviews, in addition to the staff in charge of the Third Mission and Public Engagement offices, with teachers and students engaged in awareness-raising activities on issues that can no longer be postponed, such as combating extreme poverty and designing a more sustainable society that is more attentive to inequalities.