TEACHERS’ PERSPECTIVES ABOUT SUSTAINING EFFECTIVE INITIATIVES TO PROMOTE YOUNG PEOPLE’S WELLBEING AND POSITIVE MENTAL HEALTH

Helen Askell-Williams

Many school-based programs to promote student wellbeing and positive mental health are well designed, implemented with fidelity to program goals, and evaluated to have positive benefits for participating students. However, there are concerning reports, nationally and internationally, about poor program sustainability once start-up enthusiasm and resources are exhausted. The aim of this paper is to raise awareness and understanding about how effective educational initiatives, delivered into complex systems such as schools, can be sustained over longer terms. Interviews were conducted with 17 teachers about features of wellbeing programs in their schools that did, and did not, support program sustainability. Four main themes emerged, namely, the limitations of relying upon a local champion; the need for support from school and community leaders; professional education that is available on an ongoing basis to existing and new staff; and iterative program evaluation, adaptation and renewal.

Teacher-child relationship quality and socio-emotional competence in a sample of preschool-aged children: a comparison between two schools

 Stefania Sette, Tania Di Giuseppe, Emma Baumgartner, Erika De Crescenzo

The teacher-child relationship quality and children’s socio-emotional competencies may play an important role in preschoolers’ success in peer relationships, especially in a context that supports teacher-child relationship quality. The purpose of the present study was to analyze the teacher-child relationship quality and children’s socio-emotional competencies in two schools with a different educational approach: Montessori method and traditional method. Participants were 79 Italian children (35 children of Montessori preschool; 44 children of a traditional school) aged between 36 and 77 months (M = 62.46 months, SD = 10.31 months). Results showed that children of Montessori school displayed higher levels of close teacher-child relationship than children of traditional school. In Montessori school, anxious and withdrawn children were perceived by teachers to have a conflictual relationship with them. Therefore, in the traditional school, teachers should be aware that secure and close relationships are related to socially competent behaviors with peers. Conversely, in the Montessori school, teachers should have more secure relationships with anxious and withdrawn children.

Multiculturalism at school: preschool and primary school teachers’ beliefs

 Ylenia Passiatore, Sabine Pirchio, Traute Taeschner

The study examines teachers’ beliefs about multiculturalism at school through an interview administered to 33 teachers of preschool and primary school (average age of 46 years). The teachers’ answers were analysed through themethodologyof Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) and the frequencies of linguistic clauses in each topic were calculated. Results show teachers’ positive attitudes towards multiculturalism at school, which is considered as a positive experience both for the teachers and for the students. The perception of the teachers’ difficulties in managing the relationship with immigrant parents and in finding solutions to front the poor immigrant students learning came out. The results have interesting implications for the implementation of training events to welcome teachers’ needs and promote intervention programmes in order to answer to teachers’ real difficulties at school. 

Seating arrangements: the effect on classroom activities

Veronica Jotta, Francesco Sulla, Dolores Rollo

Seating arrangements are important classroom setting events because they have the potential to help preventing disruptive behaviours that decrease student attention and diminish available instructional time. An Italian observational study, conducted in nine primary classrooms and five lower secondary classrooms, aimed to determine which arrangements of desks best facilitate pupils’ on-task behaviour. In primary school, the more facilitating arrangement resulted to be the horseshoe, while in lower secondary school an arrangement in scattered benches was more effective; moreover, horseshoe arrangement promoted on-task behaviour both when the teacher introduced a new topic or during revision and individual tasks.

Teachers’ metaphors on their professional identities: guides, acrobats, gardeners, and more

Silvia Di Ricco, Carlo Cecci, Enrica Ciucci

This paper aims to explore, by metaphors, the professional identity of 63 primary and middle school teachers and the emotions associated with the perception of their work. Among the most frequently used, the metaphor of guide and gardener attribute to the adult the responsibility of caring and recognize pupils’ characteristics and potentialities; the prevailing emotions are enthusiasm, wonder and curiosity. Other metaphors, such as that of acrobats, evidence anxieties, fears and difficulties of teachers’ profession. Altogether, metaphors show the school as an emotional arena.

The school psychologist between norms and expectations 

Giammaria Carriere, Maria Beatrice Ligorio

After outlining the relevant historical background, this paper compares legal and educational structures in the US with several European countries, exploring how these structures are foundational to the role of the school psychologist. Attention then turns to the Italian context, closely interrogating two regional areas (Abruzzo and Puglia) in which specific regulations have been developed. Data sources include relevant laws and regulations, as well as online material, and research into the role of the school psychologist. Close analysis demonstrates that, in the face of a growing need in the school context, there is a serious gap in the definition and formation of this profession in Italian schools. The paper concludes with some critical reflections, including a call for higher standards of training.