Conference Program

The relationship between education and democracy has long been recognized as a foundational nexus for addressing the structural tensions of late-modern societies, from deepening inequalities to the erosion of civic trust. In the wake of global crises and widening socio-economic disparities, educational systems are increasingly called upon not only to transmit knowledge, but also to cultivate democratic culture, intercultural dialogue, and civic engagement. Within this framework, citizenship education is understood as a transformative process that equips students to confront complex and planetary challenges, fostering critical awareness, social responsibility, and commitment to justice.

Against this backdrop, our contribution explores the educational potential of individual international pupil mobility as a lever for strengthening citizenship education and promoting social justice awareness. Drawing on findings from the research project Civic Education and International Pupil Mobility, conducted in Italy in 2022 by Fondazione Intercultura and Associazione Per Scuola Democratica, the study investigates the pedagogical and organizational conditions under which mobility experiences can contribute to the development of civic competences and global citizenship.

The paper aims to contribute to a better understanding of the following thematic areas: a) how the international mobility experiences of a part of the students can offer promising potential for civic and citizenship education for all students; b) which conditions and risks should be considered by educational institutions intending to implement civic education programmes that significantly integrate international mobility experiences.

The qualitative research design involved semi-structured interviews with headteachers (N=11) and field experts (N=10), alongside four focus groups with teachers from upper secondary schools in Northern, Central, and Southern Italy. Schools were selected based on their consolidated experience in student mobility and/or civic and citizenship education initiatives. Data collection focused on four analytical dimensions: (1) the implementation of civic education; (2) the conceptualization of its international dimension; (3) the organization and management of outgoing mobility; and (4) the reintegration and educational valorization of students upon return.

Findings reveal a persistent disconnection between individual mobility experiences and structured civic education pathways. In most cases, schools frame international mobility as a predominantly private undertaking, centered on the student and their family, with limited pedagogical spillover effects. Non-mobile students are rarely involved in reflective or dialogical processes that critically examine similarities and differences between sociopolitical contexts. Likewise, systematic strategies to integrate returnees’ experiences into curricular activities or collective learning processes are largely absent.

Overall, the study highlights the lack of coherent and institutionally embedded approaches linking international mobility with democratic and citizenship education. By identifying both critical gaps and promising practices, the final section advances actionable recommendations for educators and policymakers. These include the development of structured pre-departure and re-entry modules, whole-class reflective practices, and cross-curricular projects aimed at transforming mobility from an individual experience into a shared democratic learning opportunity. In doing so, the paper argues for a reconceptualization of international mobility as a strategic resource for fostering inclusive, participatory, and justice-oriented educational environments.

This paper presents the implementation and preliminary outcomes of the pilot project “Schools in the World, the World in Schools”, developed over three school years (2023–2026) in Italian upper secondary schools. The project involved 17 schools, 17 classes, around 20 teachers and approximately 340-370 students. Each participating class included at least one student taking part in the annual international mobility programme promoted by Fondazione Intercultura, whose experience abroad was used as a starting point for educational activities involving the entire class. The project explores how international student mobility can be integrated with civic education to promote democratic and intercultural competences among all students, not only those directly involved in mobility experiences.

The pedagogical framework of the project draws on the Council of Europe’s Reference Framework of Competences for Democratic Culture and is grounded in a research–action approach. Schools were accompanied by a team of researchers and facilitators in designing and experimenting with educational pathways that connect internationalisation with civic education, transforming the mobility experience of individual students into a learning resource for the entire class. The underlying hypothesis is that international mobility can foster democratic learning processes within the classroom, while civic education activities can deepen the educational impact of mobility experiences.

The project was structured over three school years. The first year focused on activating curiosity and dialogue around cultural differences and experiences of international mobility, including the preparation of students who would leave for mobility programmes. The second year centred on classroom debates and exchanges with students abroad, as well as inquiry activities exploring issues related to the school and local community. The third year focused on collective reflection, public presentation of students’ projects and participatory decision-making processes within the school.

Learning activities included classroom discussions on global and social issues, dialogue with students abroad through digital tools, collaborative inquiry on school or community challenges, and the development of student-led projects aimed at improving aspects of school life or the local environment. Through these activities, the project aimed to strengthen students’ democratic participation, intercultural awareness and engagement with contemporary social issues.

The study combines quantitative and qualitative monitoring tools. A longitudinal student questionnaire administered over three years explores changes in democratic values, intercultural sensitivity, student agency and participation. Qualitative data include teachers’ reflective diaries, facilitators’ documentation of the co-design process, materials produced by students, and focus groups with teachers and students.

The analysis focuses on how the project was implemented across different school contexts and on the pedagogical and organisational conditions that facilitate or hinder the integration of internationalisation and civic education. More broadly, the project aims to generate insights into how international mobility can be transformed into a collective learning resource and to inform recommendations for scaling similar approaches in schools that may not have access to external facilitation. The presentation will also discuss the first results emerging from the ongoing analysis of the data collected during the pilot implementation.

In the 2020/21 school year, the Italian Ministry of Education introduced Civic Education as a compulsory subject within the national curriculum. The framework identified a broad range of themes to be addressed, including the Constitution, sustainability, and digital citizenship. However, an explicit international dimension of citizenship remains largely absent. Therefore, Fondazione Intercultura and Scuola Democratica conducted the study 'Citizenship Education and International Pupil Mobility', which explores how individual mobility experiences in secondary education may foster global citizenship competences. One of the most innovative features of the study lies in its ambition to generate an educational impact not only on pupils directly involved in international mobility, but also on the wider school community. The research was structured in three phases, and this paper presents findings from the first phase, which focused on the conceptual background of the project. The main aim of this phase was to identify the theoretical connections between civic education, globalò citizenship and international pupil mobility. The paper adopts a theoretical approach based on desk analysis and offers a critical overview of the principal perspectives on citizenship education, global citizenship education, and international pupil mobility, with particular attention to their educational implications and outcomes. The central argument is that one of the main learning outcomes of international pupil mobility is the development of intercultural competence. This may be understood as a constellation of knowledge, skills, attitudes, and values, including appreciation of cultural diversity, respect for others’ beliefs and worldviews, empathy, flexibility, adaptability, plurilingual competences, and cultural self-awareness. These components are also reflected in the Competences for Democratic Culture developed by the Council of Europe, which are regarded as a foundation for citizenship and civic education. From this perspective, the internationalisation of school education emerges as a promising pathway for rethinking citizenship education in contemporary schooling through an intercultural lens.

This contribution presents the results of a longitudinal study conducted on a cohort of upper secondary school students who participated in a study abroad program promoted by Fondazione Intercultura. The research was designed to investigate whether and to what extent an international mobility experience influences students' civic and intercultural development over time.

In the first phase of data collection, participants completed a structured questionnaire aimed at exploring a range of attitudinal and experiential dimensions. These included civic values and attitudes, openness toward cultural diversity, and selected aspects of the school experience. The instrument was designed to capture a baseline profile of students prior to – or at the outset of – their mobility experience, providing a reference point against which subsequent changes could be measured.

Following this initial phase, the same students were involved in a second round of data collection. This follow-up survey was built using an instrument developed in close coherence with the original questionnaire, ensuring conceptual and methodological continuity between the two measurement points. The response rate for the second wave stood at 33.3% relative to the first, a figure that reflects the inherent challenges of longitudinal panel designs, particularly when dealing with adolescent populations undergoing significant transitions. Despite this attrition, the paired dataset allows for meaningful analysis of individual-level changes across the dimensions under investigation.

The analytical focus of the study centers on the relationship between transnational educational experiences and processes of civic and cultural socialization. Specifically, the research examines in what measure exposure to a different national context – with its distinct educational system, social norms, and cultural practices – contributes to shifts in students' openness to diversity, their sense of civic responsibility, and their disposition toward active participation in public life. The longitudinal design is a key methodological strength, as it enables researchers to move beyond cross-sectional snapshots and trace trajectories of change attributable, at least in part, to the mobility experience itself.

The findings offer a nuanced contribution to the broader debate on citizenship education and international student mobility. They provide empirical grounding for understanding how living and studying abroad can function as a catalyst for the development of intercultural democratic competence – a set of values, attitudes, and skills increasingly recognized as essential for navigating multicultural societies and engaging as responsible global citizens.