Skip to main navigation menu Skip to main content Skip to site footer
FrancoAngeli Journals

Articles

No. 2 (2025)

When the Educator Enters the Nursery: Constructing Reflective Practices and Shared Visions in Induction Pathways

DOI
https://doi.org/10.3280/erpoa2-2025oa23791
Submitted
settembre 21, 2026
Published
2026-10-23

Abstract

Access to Early Childhood Education and Care (ECEC) services is essential to providing all children with the necessary competencies for lifelong learning, with particular attention to those from disadvantaged backgrounds. However, ensuring access alone is not sufficient; it is crucial that these services maintain a “high-quality” standard, as emphasized by the European Council Recommendation on High-Quality Early Childhood Education and Care Systems. One of the key factors in ensuring such quality is the professionalization of staff, which includes continuous in-service training.

This study explores induction programs as fundamental tools for supporting newly hired educators in acquiring professional competencies and developing a professional habitus suited to contemporary educational challenges. Specifically, it presents the training program promoted by the Municipality of Foligno.

The initiative addressed the need to support the integration of new professionals, tackling the challenges posed by the diversity of their educational and professional backgrounds while ensuring an effective transmission of best educational practices. The training program integrated moments of collective reflection, hands-on experimentation, and documentation of practices, fostering a culture of continuous professional development. The adopted model was based on a workshop-based training approach.

Furthermore, the program provided a dedicated space and time for shared reflection, facilitating a phenomenological-hermeneutic inquiry aimed at fostering critical self-reflection among newly hired educators. Through an analysis of their lived experiences, the program helped identify both critical and supportive elements in their interactions with children and families, ultimately enhancing their professional practice.

References

  1. Alderson P. (2000). Young children’s rights. London: Jessica Kingsley.
  2. Amatori G., Maggiolini S., Macchia A (a cura di) (2022). Pensare in Grande. L’educazione inclusiva per l’infanzia di oggi e di domani. Pensa Multimedia.
  3. Bennett J., & Moss P. (2011). Working for inclusion: how early childhood education and care and its workforce can help Europe’s youngest citizens.
  4. Savio D., Bondioli A., & Bobbio A. (2024). Materiali per il sistema integrato 0-6. Mondadori Università.
  5. Bondioli A., & Savio D. (2018). Educare l’infanzia. Temi chiave per i servizi 0-6. Carocci editore.
  6. Buccolo M. (2024 a). Verso una pedagogia dell’infanzia 0-6. Comunità di pratiche per un sistema formativo integrato degli insegnanti e degli educatori. Lifelong Lifewide Learning, 21(44), pp. 383-393.
  7. Buccolo M. (2024 b). ECEC practice: progettare contesti inclusivi nei servizi 0/6 tra spazi, tempi e routine. Q-TIMES WEBMAGAZINE, 1(1), pp. 687-708.
  8. Buiskool B. J., & Linderboom G. J. (2013). Quality in early childhood education and care. Study of the Directorate-General for Internal Policies of theUnion (European Parliament) -- https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/etudes/join/2013/495867/IPOL-CULT_ET(2013)495867_EN.pdf.
  9. Dewey J (2019). Come pensiamo. Raffaello Cortina.
  10. D.lgs. 65/2017. Istituzione del Sistema integrato di educazione e istruzione dalla nascita sino ai 6 anni. (GU n.112 del 16-05-2017 – Suppl. Ordinario n. 23). -- www.normattiva.it/uri-res/N2Ls?urn:nir:stato:decreto.legislativo:2017-04-13;65!vig=.
  11. Decreto Legislativo 13 aprile 2017, n.65.Istituzionedelsistemaintegrato di educa-zione e di istruzione dalla nascita sino a sei anni. -- http://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/eli/id/2017/05/16/17G00073/sg.
  12. European Commission (2020). Early Childhood Education and Care How to recruit, train and motivate well-qualified staff. -- https://edeuropa.eu/en/publication-detail/-/publication/47ba3c3a-6789-11eb-aeb5-01aa75ed71a1.
  13. Feinman-Nemser S. (2001). From preparation to practice: Designing a continuum to strengthen sustains practice. Teachers College Record, 10(6), pp. 1013-1055.
  14. Ferro Allodola V. (2014). Metodi di ricerca qualitativa in Medical Education: ap-procci, strumenti e considerazioni di rigore scientifico. Education sciences & society, 5, pp. 121-144.
  15. Mangione G., Pettenati M.C., Rosa A., Magnoler P., Rossi P.G. (2016). Induction Models and Teachers Professional Development - Some results and insights from the pilot experience of Newly Quali ed Teachers 2014/2015, Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 12(3), Special Issue for EM&M Conference 2015.
  16. Wang J., Odell J.S. & Schwille S. (2008). Effects of teacher induction on beginning teachers teaching. A critical review of the literature. Journal of Teacher Educa-tion, 56(2), pp. 132-152.
  17. Legge 107/2015. Riforma del sistema nazionale di istruzione e formazione e delega per il riordino delle disposizioni legislative vigenti. (GU Serie Generale n.162, 15 luglio 2015). -- https://www.gazzettauffi-ciale.it/eli/id/2015/07/15/15G00122/sg.
  18. Langdridge D. (2007). Phenomenological psychology: Theory, research and methods. London: Pearson.
  19. Lauro Grotto R., Papini M., and Tringali D. (2014). I tumori cerebrali infantili: relazioni di cura. Santarcangelo di Romagna: Maggioli.
  20. Lazzari A. (2016). Un quadro europeo per la qualità dei servizi educativi e di cura per l’infanzia: proposta di principi chiave (pp. 1-112). Zeroseiup.
  21. Mangione G., Pettenati M.C., Rosa A., Magnoler P., Rossi P.G. (2016). Induction Models and Teachers Professional Development - Some results and insights from the pilot experience of Newly Quali ed Teachers 2014/2015. Journal of e-Learning and Knowledge Society, 12(3), Special Issue for EM&M Conference 2015.
  22. Mantovani G., and Spagnolli A. (2003). Metodi Qualitativi in Psicologia in Bologna [QualitativeMethods in psychology]. Bologna: il Mulino.
  23. Montesperelli P. (2001). L’intervista ermeneutica. 2nd Edn. Milano: FrancoAngeli.
  24. Ministero dell’istruzione (2022). Orientamenti nazionali per i servizi educativi per l’infanzia. D.M. n. 43 del 24 febbraio 2022.
  25. Ministero dell’istruzione (2021). Linee pedagogiche per il sistema integrato zero-sei. D.M. n. 334 del 22 novembre 2021.
  26. Montessori M. (1952). La mente del bambino: mente assorbente. Milano: Garzanti.
  27. Montessori M. (1991). Educazione per un mondo nuovo. Milano: Garzanti, 1991.
  28. OECD (2001). Neuman M., & Bennett J. (eds). Starting strong: Early childhood education and care. OECD.
  29. OECD (2007). Moss S. P.(eds). Bringing politics into the nursery: early childhood educationas a democratic practice. European Early Childhood Education Re-search Journal, 15(1), pp. 5-20. -- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/249047375_Bringing_politics_into_the_nursery_Early_childhood_education_as_a_democratic_practice.
  30. OECD (2017). Starting Strong, Paris.
  31. OECD (2011). PISA in Focus 1: Does participation in pre-primary education translate into better learning outcomes at school?. OECD: Paris.
  32. Reid K., Klowers P. and Larkin M. (2005). Exploring lived experience. Psycholo-gy, 18, pp. 18-23.
  33. Restiglian E. (2021). Passano gli anni e qualcosa è cambiato. La formazione iniziale degli Educatori nei servizi per l’infanzia. ZEROSEIUP MAGAZINE, (4), pp. 33-39.
  34. Romero García C., & Buzón García O. (2023). Renovación pedagógica y formación del profesorado en competencias para una educación sostenible. Olga - Madrid: Dykinson. - Conocimiento contemporáneo, 112 -- Permalink: http://digital.casalini.it/9788411227209 - Casalini id: 5667918.
  35. Salvadori I. (2021). Leadership professionale come asset strategico per processi di qualità in ambito di Early Childhood Education Care. In: Piccioli M. (2021). Qualità e equità nell’educazione 0-6. Modelli teorici, strumenti e proposte didattiche per l’inclusione. FrancoAngeli: Milano.
  36. Smith J. A. (2003). Beyond the divide between cognition and discourse: using interpretative phenomenological analysis in health psychology. Psychol. Health, 11, pp. 261-271. doi: 10.1080/08870449608400256.
  37. Steinnes G. S. (2014). Common sense or professional qualification? Division of labour in kindergartens. European Early Childhood Education Research Journal, 22 (4), pp. 478-495.
  38. Tong A., Sainsbury P., and Craig J. (2007). Consolidated criteria for reporting qualitative research (COREQ): a 32-item checklist for interviews and focus groups. Int. J. Qual. Health Care, 19, pp. 349-357.
  39. Tringali D., Amato A. e Lauro Grotto R. (2022). Formarsi alla relazione di cura in medicina. Maggioli Editore: Santarcangelo di Romagna.
  40. Van Manen M. (2023). Phenomenology of Practice, Meaning-Giving Methods in Phenomenological Research and Writing Second edition.
  41. Wang J., Odell J.S. & Schwille S. (2008). Effects of teacher induction on beginning teachers teaching. A critical review of the literature. Journal of Teacher Educa-tion, 56(2), pp. 132-152.
  42. Wilson A. A guide to phenomenological rese April 2015. Nursing standard: official newspaper of the Royal College of Nursing, 29(34), pp. 38-43.
  43. UNESCO (2004). Curriculum in Early Childhood Education and Care. UNESCO Policy Brief on Early Childhood, 26. UNESCO: Paris.
  44. UNITED NATIONS EDUCATIONAL SCIENTIFIC AND CULTURAL ORGANIZATION (2005). Guidelines for Inclusion: Ensuring Access to Education for All. -- https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000140224.

Metrics

Metrics Loading ...