Università degli studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia

The article examines the notion of merit in educational discourse and its relation to individual emancipation from the perspective of engaged pedagogy (hooks, 1994) and the characteristics of present society. Neoliberal societies are characterised by deep and growing socio-economic-cultural inequalities and a considerable disparity in opportunities for learning, self-expression and competence development among children and young people. The essay explores the central role played by the rediscovery of the educational value of schools and the ethical position of teachers in nurturing individual abilities and talents. It emphasises the reduction of inequalities within the educational environment as a means to effectively address the problem of educational poverty.

This contribution attempts to respond to Biesta’s exhortation to rediscover the value of teaching within a democratic perspective, continuing the search for a third way that overcomes the dualism between teaching as control and freedom as learning (Biesta, 2017). In this sense, the goal is to identify the ethical position- ing of the teacher as a determining element in this process, delving into its characteristics, dimensions and significance. In particular, the aim is to investigate how a teacher’s reflexive competence, their work on self, through observation and analysis of their own actions and the motivations behind them, and, finally, their pre- disposition to dialogue and active listening, represent determining qualities in the teacher’s ethical attitude. In order to achieve these objectives, the contribution will focus on the analysis of the competence paradigm, and will then turn to the proposal to enhance teaching, exploring the role of the teacher’s ethical attitude in this regard. Finally, the contribution will conclude by putting forward the proposal of the project approach as a way of synthesising the redevelopment of the teacher’s role, from a socio-constructivist perspective.

This article intends to draw on neurosciences findings on the functioning of the human brain towards the novelty of describing a three-day immersive setting experiment in a Toddler centre for children and parents. The reflections that arise during the conception and realisation of this educational experience lead to an in-depth examination of the relationship between the educator and the parent-child pair during the settling in and, more generally, in the encounter between children and toddler’s institutions. The construction of educational alliances that outline a way of synthesising symmetrical and asymmetrical relationships is based on the educator's continuous work on himself in a perspective of self-realisation and will be the focus of this article.

This work intends to describe living experiences in nature and within enclosed spaces by a group of children in a Toddler Centre, as part of a design approach. Particular emphasis will be placed on the documentation process, on the relationship between the experience and its reworking, starting from the first years of life, as a place for self-knowledge, for the expression of one's emotions and for the development of strategies to solve problems encountered. The assembly therefore assumes great importance as a place for dialogue, the meeting of different points of view and the co-construction of knowledge. Nature is not just the background, but a real protagonist and actor in this relationship. This article will analyse these elements in the context of the experience of a children's section in a Toddler Center.