Conference Program

The article presents the results of a longitudinal analysis of educational outcomes based on the National External Assessments in Bulgarian Language and Literature (BLL) and Mathematics, focusing on two student cohorts in Bulgaria (born in 1999 and 2003). The analysis examines achievement at the end of primary education and at the end of lower secondary education. These temporal cross-sections allow for intergenerational comparison between students educated in different socio-economic and institutional contexts, as well as for tracing the persistence of inequalities over time. The quantitative analysis employs a Univariate General Linear Model (GLM) to examine the effects of three independent variables: gender (female/male), language spoken at home (Bulgarian/other), and type of settlement (capital city/regional city/small town or rural area). The dependent variable is the average score on the National External Assessments. The model enables estimation of both the main effects of each factor and their interaction effects (e.g., language × settlement type). The analysis of data from the two cohorts indicates that the Bulgarian educational system tends to reproduce socio-cultural inequalities rather than mitigate them. Linguistic, social, and geographical differences form a matrix of cultural and social asymmetry within which schooling operates. Building on the principal finding of the quantitative analysis—that the language spoken at home remains the strongest predictor of academic achievement—we applied a set of selection criteria to identify schools demonstrating stable and improving educational outcomes in the National External Assessments. Through qualitative analysis of the school environment and its key stakeholders (students, teachers, parents, local community, etc.), as well as of the implemented school-level activities, we identified the factors associated with improving outcomes as reflected in assessment results.

There is extensive scientific evidence on the improvement of educational results achieved by schools from very different contexts implementing Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) (Ruiz-Eugenio et al., 2023; Soler, 2015). A growing body of literature has also shown that schools within the same region implementing these evidence-based actions obtain significantly greater improvements than other schools serving similar populations (Flecha et al., 2025). However, there is a need for more scientific literature analyzing the longitudinal trajectories of adults who completed their primary education in schools implementing SEAs, particularly regarding how such schooling may contribute not only to academic achievement but also to democratic citizenship.

For the first time, this paper presents longitudinal evidence from five young adults with successful academic and professional trajectories who studied in a primary school implementing SEAs in a very low-SES neighborhood in a Spanish municipality. The school is located in a context historically affected by structural inequalities linked to poverty and social exclusión, with a majority of Moroccon and Roma population. The five Young adults are first-or second-generation immigrants from Morocco. We conducted in-depth interviews within the framework of the 1st Conference of Role Models organized in Spain, where these young adults reflected publicly on their educational and life trajectories. The analysis focuses on how they interpret the contribution of their primary schooling to their later success.

Results indicate that the five participants attribute both their academic and professional achievements to their experience in this school, in particular to participating in the SEAs implemented in it. They have completed university degrees in fields such as mechanical engineering, computer science, and statistics, and have entered qualified professional careers. They explain that participating in SEAs such as Interactive Groups or Dialogic Gatherings not only enabled them to achieve excellent academic results and develop a strong culture of effort, but also fostered solidarity, teamwork, mutual help, and high expectations regarding their futures.

Importantly, participants highlight that the school functioned as a democratic learning community. Through egalitarian dialogue, with the participation of the community (especially families) in learning and decision-making spaces, they experienced what can be conceptualized as democracy for learning: inclusive and dialogic interactions that enhanced cognitive development and academic success. At the same time, these practices promoted learning for democracy, as students learned to collaborate, respect diverse voices, assume collective responsibility, and contribute to the learning of their peers. These democratic experiences shaped their aspirations, self-confidence, and sense of agency, enabling them to overcome structural disadvantages and pursue ambitious educational and professional goals.

Dialogic Literary Gatherings (DLGs) have progressively established themselves as one of the most impactful educational approaches for the promotion of linguistic development, critical reasoning, self-esteem, and social inclusion within diverse learning contexts. Rooted in a dialogic and participatory conception of education, DLGs are grounded in a solid theoretical framework drawing on the socio-cultural theory of Lev Vygotsky, the constructivist and narrative perspective of Jerome Bruner, the critical pedagogy of Paulo Freire, the theory of communicative action elaborated by Jürgen Habermas, and the dialogic learning framework systematized by Ramon Flecha. These theoretical contributions converge in emphasizing the centrality of dialogue, social interaction, and egalitarian participation as key drivers of cognitive and socio-emotional development. This paper provides a comprehensive analysis of the pedagogical foundations of DLGs, outlining their operational structure and methodological principles. Dialogic Literary Gatherings are structured around the collective reading and discussion of classical literary works, in which participants engage in egalitarian dialogue, grounding their contributions in textual evidence rather than hierarchical authority. Through this dialogic dynamic, knowledge is co-constructed, and the learning process becomes a shared endeavor that values plurality of perspectives, cultural diversity, and mutual respect. The article further synthesizes empirical evidence derived from large-scale European research initiatives, including INCLUD-ED, REFUGE-ED, and REVERS-ED. These projects, focused respectively on educational inclusion strategies, the integration of refugee children through effective educational and psychosocial practices, and the analysis of long-term trends in educational inequalities and successful interventions to reverse them, provide substantial data supporting the effectiveness of DLGs across heterogeneous socio-cultural contexts. The findings consistently indicate that dialogic practices contribute to measurable improvements in linguistic competencies, enhanced reading comprehension, and the development of higher-order thinking skills. Moreover, participation in DLGs has been associated with a significant reduction in cultural prejudices and stereotypes, fostering intercultural dialogue and strengthening social cohesion. The creation of non-violent, respectful, and inclusive educational environments emerges as a recurrent outcome, particularly in settings characterized by social vulnerability. Crucially, the evidence underscores the importance of comprehensive teacher training and the co-creation of educational activities among educators, families, and community members as determining factors for the sustainability and success of the initiative. In light of these findings, the article advocates for the broader dissemination and institutionalization of Dialogic Literary Gatherings as an evidence-based educational practice capable of addressing structural inequalities, promoting democratic participation, and nurturing active and critical citizenship within contemporary pluralistic societies.

Educational inequalities in secondary schools remain a structural challenge across Europe, with early school leaving disproportionately affecting students from disadvantaged socioeconomic and cultural backgrounds (European Commission, 2020). In the Italian context, the Tuscan region has addressed this challenge through the large-scale policy “Leggere: Forte! Ad alta voce fa crescere l’intelligenza”, a regional programme promoting systematic reading aloud in schools as a tool for educational equity (Batini, 2021). Building on six years of implementation and previous results, the “Leggere Forte 4.0 (2025–2028)” research project, conducted by a team of researchers from the University of Siena and coordinated by Prof. Maria Rita Mancaniello, extends this intervention to secondary schools, investigating how reading aloud can function as a democratic educational practice capable of reversing structural inequalities. This contribution presents the theoretical framework and the preliminary research design of the 2025–2026 phase, articulated in three interconnected strands. The first develops a predictive model for dropout risk using cluster analysis and artificial neural networks, identifying individual, relational and contextual variables that signal disengagement from schooling. The second, grounded in Participatory Action Research (Orefice, 2006), explores the effects of reading aloud on critical-reflective thinking, the capacity to recognise one’s own desire (Recalcati, 2014), and an ironic forma mentis (Cambi, 2008; Carletti, 2024), pedagogical categories understood as resources for navigating complexity and fostering agency. The third introduces a case study that aims to analyse and validate the practice of silent reading in virtual reality environments, in comparison with traditional reading, focusing on comprehension, motivation, emotional wellbeing and attention management. Crucially, the project aligns reading aloud with the European LifeComp framework (Sala et al., 2020), mapping its effects across personal, social and learning-to-learn competences. This alignment allows the intervention to be interpreted not merely as a literacy practice, but as a transversal device for democratic learning, one that cultivates the civic, relational and metacognitive capabilities necessary for active participation in democratic life. The study involves approximately 300-400 pre-adolescents and adolescents in Tuscan secondary schools, with mixed-methods data collection including standardised instruments, observation grids, reflective diaries, focus groups and digital VR logs. The analytical approach integrates quantitative and qualitative methods through methodological triangulation (Mortari, 2007; Mortari & Ghirotto, 2019), consistent with the project’s naturalistic and transformative orientation (Lincoln & Guba, 1985). The contribution argues that reading aloud, when embedded within a participatory and critically informed pedagogical framework, constitutes a successful and scalable intervention for reducing educational inequalities. By enabling students to develop desire, irony and critical agency, it transforms the classroom into a space of democratic co-construction, where traditionally marginalised learners can become protagonists of their own educational trajectories.

This paper analyses the intersection between the local project DIMMI, implemented in Castagneto Carducci (Tuscany, Italy), and the European research framework REVERS-ED (University of Siena), which aims to reverse educational inequalities through dialogic and community-based approaches.

Adopting a participatory action research approach, DIMMI was developed within a structured public network involving the Municipality of Castagneto Carducci, local early childhood education services, G. Borsi Comprehendive School, and the social cooperative Convoi. Targeting preschool children (3–6 years old), with a particular focus on those with migrant backgrounds, the project concentrated on Italian language acquisition and/or enrichment through small-group, playful laboratories, narrative practices, and linguistic support. However, a substantial and defining component of DIMMI was the active engagement of parents, embedded within a broader set of school- and territory-based initiatives.

Rather than treating families as external stakeholders, DIMMI sought to position them as co-educators. Multilingual communication, the presence of cultural mediators, simplified institutional materials, and collective meetings were designed to lower symbolic and linguistic barriers. Family participation was further strengthened through collaborative events, community gatherings, and informal spaces for dialogue, all promoted by the school and local actors. In this sense, language support became inseparable from trust-building and from the co-construction of an inclusive educational environment.

REVERS-ED extended and systematised this participatory orientation by proposing additional experimentation beyond the implementation of Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) and the systematic analysis of the achievements. In particular, dialogic family sessions, interactive groups in classrooms, and Dialogic Literary Gatherings are practices aimed at fostering shared meaning-making and high expectations for all students. Through interviews, focus groups, and participatory meetings, REVERS-ED initiated a path of co-design involving children, teachers, parents, educators and school leadership across pre-school services (3-6 y.o.), primary and lower secondary schools. This process allowed for a contextualised understanding of needs, expectations and local resources, reinforcing the territorial dimension. According to the dialogic methodology, the school is more than a mere service provider and is conceived as a deliberative space, where interventions are shaped through collective reflection and shared responsibility.

Putting DIMMI in dialogue with REVERS-ED shows how early language support, parental engagement and dialogic pedagogies can converge within a multi-level public network. The case demonstrates that reversing educational inequalities requires not only early and situated interventions but also sustained processes of participation, epistemic recognition and community co-construction. Educational innovation emerges not from isolated projects, but from relational ecosystems where families, schools and territorial actors jointly redefine the meaning and practice of inclusion.

Interactive Groups (IGs) are among the Successful Educational Actions (SEAs) identified in the European research project INCLUD-ED as evidence-based practices capable of improving academic learning while strengthening social cohesion in diverse educational contexts (Flecha, 2000; Flecha & INCLUD-ED Consortium, 2015). Grounded in the principles of dialogic learning, Interactive Groups reorganize classroom dynamics through heterogeneous small-group work and egalitarian dialogue, fostering collaborative learning and the active participation of students, educators, families, and community members.

This paper presents the Italian fieldwork conducted within the Horizon Europe projects SHAR-ED and REVERS-ED, focusing on the implementation and experimentation of Interactive Groups in educational settings characterized by socio-economic diversity and the presence of students from migrant and vulnerable backgrounds. Rather than approaching IGs merely as a pedagogical technique, the study examines them as a community-based educational practice capable of reshaping relationships within schools and between schools and their surrounding social environments, in line with dialogic and participatory research traditions (Gómez, Puigvert, & Flecha, 2011).

The analysis draws on both quantitative and qualitative fieldwork conducted in Italian schools, including classroom observations, interviews with teachers and volunteers, and collaborative reflection with school communities engaged in the experimentation. Particular attention is devoted to understanding how Interactive Groups contribute not only to improvements in instrumental learning and classroom interaction, but also to broader processes of community participation and democratic engagement within the school environment.

Preliminary findings highlight that the involvement of volunteer parents and community members in classroom activities expands the educational space beyond the traditional boundaries of the school, strengthening relationships between families, educators, and the wider community. This participatory structure fosters inclusive learning environments in which students with diverse abilities and backgrounds collaborate and support one another, reducing segregation and enhancing mutual recognition.

The Italian experiences analyzed in this paper suggest that Interactive Groups can operate as a powerful mechanism for reversing educational inequalities, combining academic support with the mobilization of community resources and social capital. Beyond measurable cognitive outcomes, their impact extends to the relational and civic dimensions of schooling, contributing to the development of democratic learning environments where dialogue, solidarity, and collective responsibility become central elements of the learning process.

By documenting how Interactive Groups are implemented and experienced in the Italian context, this study contributes to the broader objectives of REVERS-ED, offering insights into how evidence-based educational interventions can promote academic equity, social inclusion, and community engagement while strengthening the democratic role of schools in increasingly diverse societies (Ruiz-Eugenio et al., 2023).

These findings contribute to current debates on how evidence-based educational practices can play a key role in reversing structural inequalities while strengthening democratic participation in education.