Conference Program

Contemporary educational systems are undergoing continuous transformation, placing increasing professional demands on teachers and reshaping the conditions under which they perform their work. Beyond individual competencies, growing attention has been directed toward contextual factors that influence teachers’ wellbeing, motivation, and practices (OECD, 2025), highlighting the need to understand how the professional environment supports teachers’ psychological functioning. Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017) offers a valuable framework for examining how contextual conditions influence teachers’ motivation and professional behaviour. According to SDT, the satisfaction of the basic psychological needs for autonomy, competence, and relatedness supports wellbeing, professional engagement, and the adoption of motivating teaching styles. For teachers, autonomy refers to the experience of volition and professional agency; competence reflects the perception of effectiveness in managing instructional tasks; and relatedness concerns feeling connected and supported by significant others within the school context, including colleagues and students. When these needs are supported, teachers are more likely to internalize professional values and enact teaching practices that support students’ motivation (Moè et al., 2022; Vermote et al., 2024). Among contextual factors, collegial relationships represent a crucial yet underexplored source of support for teachers’ psychological functioning. More specifically, perceived autonomy support from colleagues may foster a work climate that facilitates teachers’ basic psychological needs and, in turn, supports motivational teaching practices.

The present study investigates the role of perceived autonomy support among colleagues as a contextual factor associated with teachers’ psychological need satisfaction. A convenience sample of 150 lower secondary school teachers completed a self-report questionnaire assessing perceived autonomy support from colleagues and basic psychological need satisfaction. To measure perceived autonomy support, an adapted short version of the Work Climate Questionnaire (Baard, Deci, & Ryan, 2000) was used. Items were reworded to reflect the teaching work context and to assess autonomy support perceived from colleagues within the school environment. Exploratory analyses provided preliminary psychometric evidence supporting the internal consistency and structural coherence of this adapted autonomy-support measure. Basic psychological need satisfaction was assessed using a previously validated instrument (Germani, 2024). Correlation analyses indicated that perceived autonomy support from colleagues was positively associated with teachers’ autonomy satisfaction and with relational dimensions, both in relation to colleagues and students. In contrast, no significant association emerged with competence satisfaction, suggesting that feeling effective and capable in one’s professional role may be less dependent on work climate. These results indicate that autonomy-supportive climates may be particularly relevant for fostering teachers’ sense of professional agency and relational connectedness within the school environment. Although based on a small convenience sample, findings are consistent with recent international evidence emphasising the need to strengthen collaborative teaching practices and professional conditions that foster collegiality and shared responsibility (OECD, 2025). Promoting autonomy-supportive professional climates may therefore represent a meaningful pathway for enhancing teachers’ wellbeing and supporting the adoption of motivational teaching practices.

Increasingly multicultural classrooms require teachers to adopt different teaching approaches capable of responding to diverse learners (OECD 2025). Within Self-Determination Theory (SDT; Ryan & Deci, 2017), teaching styles range from motivating (autonomy-supportive) to demotivating (controlling) practices that influence the quality of classroom interactions (Aelterman et al., 2019; Reeve et al., 2022). Research suggests that teachers’ beliefs and contextual orientations — including their attitudes toward multicultural education — may function as important antecedents of how teaching styles are enacted (Buzzai et al., 2023). Multicultural attitudes are conceptualised as teachers’ awareness, acceptance, and valuing of cultural diversity, together with their disposition to integrate such diversity into educational practices. Beyond recognising diversity, education should also promote the skills, values, and conditions necessary for democratic dialogue across cultures and knowledge systems (UNESCO, 2021). These orientations are particularly relevant in learning environments, which play a crucial role in fostering inclusive attitudes and a sense of belonging among diverse learners (Gay, 2018). The present study, drawing on theoretical perspectives linking contextual beliefs to motivational teaching practices in multicultural settings, examines the relationship between multicultural attitudes and (de)motivating teaching styles among primary school teachers, while also exploring differences between in-service and pre-service teachers. Participants included 60 in-service primary teachers and 62 pre-service teachers enrolled in a degree program in Primary Education. More specifically, the pre-service teachers included in the sample were students who had completed at least 100 hours of supervised practicum in primary schools as part of their degree curriculum. Teachers completed validated self-report measures assessing multicultural attitudes using the Teacher Multicultural Attitude Survey (Buzzai et al., 2023) and perceived teaching styles using the Situations-in-School questionnaire (Moè & Katz, 2020). Correlational analyses indicated that more positive multicultural attitudes were associated with stronger endorsement of motivating teaching styles and lower endorsement of demotivating styles. Group comparisons showed that pre-service teachers reported higher motivating tendencies and more positive multicultural attitudes, whereas in-service teachers displayed relatively higher demotivating orientations. These findings align with recent international evidence (OECD, 2025), which suggests that teachers who have completed their training more recently tend to feel more effective in multicultural classrooms. Although based on a small sample, these results provide preliminary insight into how professional context and attitudes toward diversity relate to teaching styles. Interpreted through an SDT lens, the findings suggest that multicultural orientations are connected with the motivational quality of instructional practices. Importantly, differences observed between professional stages highlight the need to address multicultural awareness and motivation-supportive teaching approaches early in teacher education, before contextual pressures potentially reshape instructional styles. Supporting such competencies during initial training may represent a key lever for fostering inclusive and motivating primary classroom environments.

In the context of contemporary higher education, the initial training of socio-pedagogical educators is crucial for supporting their motivation, perceived self-efficacy, and readiness to face the complexity of educational practice (Fioretti, 2023). This study, conducted with 358 third-year students enrolled in Italian L-19 degree courses in Educational Sciences, aimed at examining how motivation to attend the degree program relates to the professional competences developed at the end of the course of study. Grounded in Self-Determination Theory (Ryan & Deci, 2017), the research investigates the role of different motivations (i.e., extrinsic and intrinsic) in sustaining the development of the two key professional competencies (Rionero, 2025a): psychological and pedagogical principles and methods to managing educational practice, which include the ability to apply theoretical frameworks to design and adapt educational interventions; and reflective autonomy and relational management, which concerns critical self-analysis and ethical relationship building with educational stakeholders.

The data were collected through an ad hoc questionnaire comprising: the SCOPE scale, developed to assess self-perceived professional competencies (Rionero, 2025a); and the Italian version of the Academic Motivation Scale (AMS-C) (Manganelli et al., 2019) to capture different forms of academic motivation along the self-determination continuum. Data reveal that socio-pedagogical educators are predominantly driven by autonomous forms of motivation, aligning with national reference literature (Fasan, 2019). Students enroll in the L-19 degree program to recognize the value of educational practice in the social context. Correlation analyses confirm that identified motivation is positively associated with both areas of self-perceived competencies measured by the SCOPE scale, as well as with intrinsic motivation.

Previous studies underscore the importance of active, practice-oriented learning environments (such as laboratories, project work, and internships) as crucial contexts for consolidating professional competences (Rionero, 2025b). These experiences foster the integration of theory and practice and play a key role in shaping students’ professional identity (Rosati & De Santis, 2020). They also represent formative opportunities to experiment with educational practice in protected settings, engage in collaborative learning, and develop reflective awareness of one’s strengths and areas for improvement. Overall, the results suggest that democratic and motivating university environments are essential for supporting autonomous motivation and, consequently, enhancing perceived professional competencies. In particular, it is essential to value students’ perspectives, promote reflection, and offer meaningful opportunities for initiative and collaboration. The study discusses implications for designing initial training pathways in Educational Sciences Bachelor’s (L-19), advocating for curricula that intentionally combine explicit and shared competence frameworks with pedagogical practices oriented toward metacognition, reflective autonomy, and the development of a solid professional identity.​

Themes and Purposes In an era dominated by digital acceleration and the "platformisation" of education, the human factor remains the most critical asset for democratic regeneration. This proposal presents the results and the pedagogical framework of "PerForma PA", a pioneering project led by the Comprehensive Institute "Francesco Dimo" (Taviano, Italy). The project coordinated a massive network of 22 educational institutions across the provinces of Lecce and Bari, involving hundreds of teachers and public employees in a transformative learning journey based on the European LifeComp framework.

The primary purpose of this contribution is to demonstrate how the systematic teaching of Life Skills—specifically Personal, Social, and "Learning to Learn" competencies—can act as a catalyst for professional excellence and democratic participation within public institutions. While the Italian National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) often focuses on technological infrastructure, our project argues that true innovation stems from the emotional and social resilience of the "human capital" that animates the school system.

Methodology and Content The abstract explores the three pillars of the certification path developed in collaboration with IDCERT:

1. Personal Area: Focus on self-regulation and stress management as tools to "educate for hope" and prevent burnout in the public sector.

2. Social Area: Leveraging neuro-didactics to foster empathy and conscious communication, transforming the school into a space for equitable conflict resolution and respect for the common good.

3. Learning to Learn: Promoting a "Growth Mindset" and critical thinking to navigate the complexities of algorithmic society and misinformation.

Innovation and Results The proposal highlights a unique model of "Institutional Generosity": after the initial phase, the I.C. Taviano decided to release the training modules for free to all Italian Public Administration employees. This move represents a shift from a competitive to a collaborative logic in educational policy.

Conclusions The study concludes that certifying non-cognitive skills is not merely a professional upgrade but a democratic necessity. By fostering empathy and critical awareness, the "Taviano Model" provides a replicable blueprint for schools to lead the transition toward a more human-centric and democratic Public Administration, capable of facing global challenges with resilience and social responsibility.

In the United States, teaching assistants (TAs) in public pre-kindergarten classrooms navigate unique positions when compared to K-12 teaching assistants; their roles and experiences remain understudied and misunderstood (Thompson et al., 2025). Early childhood teaching assistants are often the unseen backbone of the classroom and are an overlooked part of the early care and education workforce (Sosinsky & Gilliam, 2011). TAs most often share deep connections with the community, mirroring ethnic and racial backgrounds of the young children they serve and possessing personal associations to the neighborhoods where they teach (Cramer & Cappella, 2019; McLean et al., 2021; Thompson et al., 2025; Whitebook et al., 2006). In their daily practice, TAs take on more of the physical and mental work compared to certified teachers, as shifting responsibilities have moved them out of their prescribed roles into roles of direct instruction and behavior management. TAs are more likely to engage in forms of invisible labor (e.g., cleaning the classroom between activities, care tasks, driving the bus) for less compensation, less access to professional learning resources, and fewer opportunities for upward mobility than their counterparts (CSCCE, 2022; Press et al., 2024).

This presentation will highlight the roles teaching assistants play in early care and education environments in the United States, as evidenced through culturally responsive, community-based methods situated within two research-practice partnerships (RPPs): The Culturally Relevant Robotics: A Family and Teacher Partnership (CRRAFT) and the Trauma-Informed Preschool Studies Partnership (TIPS). Time-bound experiences of TAs across both RPPs will be explored through the implementation of two culturally relevant preschool robotics programs co-developed with educators and families. The narratives of nine teaching assistants will be amplified through this work. Using means of transformative qualitative analysis, semi-structured focus groups will be examined to understand their lived experiences. Focus groups for both partnerships took place over multiple time points during the implementation of the culturally responsive robotics programs. Ladson-Billings' (1995) culturally responsive pedagogy framework will be used to situate the voices and lived experiences of the assistant teachers.

This work amplifies teaching assistant voice-directed efforts across both RPPs and how democratic dialogue and shared meaning takes shape when assistant teachers are situated as equitable partners in the work. Our results suggest partnerships act as professional learning communities and are responsive spaces for all educators to engage in thought about their daily practice and forms of collective inquiry. TAs reflected on how they collectively navigated the early childhood classroom environment and structural systems that impacted them as educators. Preliminary results found that across both partnerships, there were times in which the assistant teachers felt capable of engaging in meaning-making and contributing to the democratic process. Results also demonstrated how TAs navigate daily practices and roles that shifted over time. This work is critical in understanding the intersection of structural and systemic factors that impact early childhood educators in the U.S., often impeding their work, limiting their participation, and reducing their ability to engage in the process of dialogic learning to better support young children’s learning and development.

Contemporary schools are increasingly characterized by complexity, diversity, and rapid social change. Educators are therefore required to develop professional attitudes and practices that go beyond traditional models of teaching. Drawing on the pedagogical reflections of Luigina Mortari, this abstract argues that teachers should cultivate a reflective, ethical, and care-oriented approach to education in order to respond effectively to the challenges of contemporary schooling. Mortari emphasizes the importance of reflective practice, where teachers continuously examine their actions, assumptions, and relationships with students. In complex educational environments—marked by cultural diversity, technological transformation, and evolving social expectations—teachers must become professionals capable of thoughtful judgment rather than mere transmitters of knowledge.

According to Mortari, education should be grounded in an “ethics of care,” which places attention to the student at the center of pedagogical action. This perspective requires educators to listen carefully to students’ experiences, recognize their uniqueness, and create learning environments that support personal growth as well as cognitive development. Such an approach also demands emotional sensitivity and relational competence, since teaching involves not only intellectual guidance but also the nurturing of human relationships. In complex school systems, where students bring varied backgrounds and needs, the ability to care, empathize, and respond thoughtfully becomes a fundamental professional skill.

Another key element highlighted is the importance of graphic reasoning. Teachers should develop the habit of reflecting graphically on their practice in order to interpret situations and make responsible decisions. Visualization allows educators to move beyond rigid methods and instead adopt flexible strategies suited to the specific context of their classroom. This stance also supports continuous professional learning, encouraging teachers to question routines, adapt to new challenges, and collaborate with colleagues in the pursuit of educational improvement.

Finally, educators must view teaching as a form of practical wisdom. Rather than applying fixed techniques, they are called to interpret complex situations and act with sensitivity, responsibility, and awareness of ethical implications. Mortari’s perspective suggests that the teacher’s role in contemporary schools is not simply to deliver curriculum content but to guide students in meaningful learning processes and support their development as persons.

In conclusion, facing the complexity of contemporary school requires educators who are reflective practitioners, ethically grounded professionals, and caring relational figures. Inspired by Luigina Mortari’s pedagogical thought, teachers can respond to educational complexity by cultivating attentiveness, and an ethic of care that places the human dimension of learning at the center of educational practice.