Improving Reading Comprehension and Summarising Skills in Primary School: A Quasi-Experimental Study

The paper reports the results of the evaluation of a programme aimed at improving reading comprehension and summarising skills of fourth graders through a quasi-experimental study conducted with 671 students (421 in the experimental group and 250 in the control group) in Italian schools. Students assigned to the experimental group received three months of the intervention while students in the control group continued with regular teacher practice. Results showed a statistically significant difference between the two conditions on reading comprehension and summarising skills. Students included in the experimental group outperformed students in the control group in both the measures used (dppc2 = 0.32 in the Summarising Test and dppc2 = 0.54 in the Summary Qualitative Assessment). No differences were found between students with different proficiency vocabulary levels in the experimental group. The implications for research practice and limitations of the study are discussed

Assessing the influence of source distance and hydroecoregion on the invertebrate assemblage similarity in central Italy streams

Increasing the river habitat safeguard level is one of the main actions proposed by the European Water Framework Directive in the field of biomonitoring. To do so, watercourses within the same hydroecoregions (that is, homogeneous areas based on climate, geology and topography) ought to be compared. In addition, the source distance was thought to play an important role in comparing rivers and then planning monitoring activities. The purpose of this study was to evaluate if both hydroecoregion and source distance affect the response (in terms of taxa assemblage) of one of the most used group in the river monitoring activities: the benthic macroinvertebrate. Here we proposed the comparative influence of hydroecoregion and source distance on the invertebrate assemblage in Mediterranean rivers of central Italy. Our statistical outputs highlighted how macroinvertebrate differed for both hydroecoregions and source distance ranks. In particular, no differences were found among sites of different (1) source distance ranks and (2) hydroecoregion (that is, when this two descriptors were analyzed separately), while the highest difference in the macroinvertebrate assemblage was observed between the same source distance ranks of different hydroecoregions. Our results showed how the use of both hydroecoregion and source distance should be considered for planning monitoring activities to properly manage rivers and water resources

The study method of students with LD within the ICF-CY perspective. Research data

The present paper illustrates the results of an exploratory research about the inclusive choices of the school, in order to acquire the study method in the classes attended also by students with specific learning difficulties (LD). The acquisition of a study method is fundamental importance for all the students in relation to develop both individual potential and the ability of “learning to learn”. The theoretical references, that make it as the first compensatory measure, encourage reflection about schools’ and teachers’ responsibility to improve facilitating environmental factors (attitudes, strategies and tools) able to positively develop the “human functioning” (WHO, 2001, 2007, 2017). The “human functioning” results from the positive interaction between individual characteristics and the facilitating or hindering environmental factors in which the person lives. The “human functioning” has cultural and pedagogical correspondences with the study method because their advancement needs same factors (environment, society, relationschips, etc.)

Comprensione del testo & Reciprocal teaching: un progetto di ricerca nazionale in una prospettiva inclusiva. Reading Comprehension & Reciprocal Teaching: a national research project in an inclusive perspective

L’articolo presenta una sintesi del progetto di ricerca Reading Comprehension-Reciprocal Teaching (RC-RT), creato dall’Associazione SApIE. RC-RT è stato implementato per promuovere lo sviluppo della comprensione della lettura nella scuola primaria. RC-RT è partito dall’individuazione di un problema particolarmente rilevante, come i bassi livelli di comprensione del testo nella scuola italiana. Dopo il confronto con le evidenze acquisite nella letteratura internazionale, il gruppo di ricerca ha individuato nel Reciprocal Teaching la strategia più promettente per il miglioramento della comprensione della lettura in un’ottica inclusiva. RC-RT è stato testato in classi di quarta di scuola primaria frequentate anche da allievi con disabilità intellettiva media, dislessia, disturbo della comprensione del testo o svantaggio. L’esperimento è stato condotto su un campione nazionale coerente. I risultati hanno mostrato l’efficacia del programma. Recentemente, RC-RT è stato ottimizzato ed è disponibile per tutte le scuole italiane.The paper presents a summary of the Reading Comprehension-Reciprocal Teaching research project (RC-RT) created by SApIE Association. RC-RT was implemented to promote thev development of reading comprehension in primary school. RC-RT started from the identification of a particularly relevant problem, such as the low levels of comprehension of the text in the Italian school. After the comparison with the evidence acquired in the international literature, the research group identifyed the Reciprocal Teaching as the more promising strategy for the reading comprehension improvement within an inclusive perspective. RC-RT was tested in fourth grade classes of primary school also attended by students with medium intellectual disability, dyslexia, text comprehension disorder, or disadvantage. The experiment was conducted by a consistent national sample. The results showed the effectiveness of the program. Recently, RC-RT was optimized and it is available to all Italian schools

Il metodo di studio come prima misura compensativa per l'inclusione degli allievi con DSA: progetto per una ricerca esplorativa sulle scelte inclusive nella scuola primaria e secondaria di I grado

The study describes framework, method and first results of an exploratory research conducted to examine how the italian school of full inclusion realizes education for all student, with specific attention to special educational needs. In detail, the research aims to describe the procedures used in primary and lower secondary school to facilitate the acquisition of a personal and flexible study method for students with learning difficulties and their classmates. In letterature, in fact, the study method is considered as the first balance measure for students with learning difficulties; consequently study method improvement is a very important school task. In addition, the school could ensure that the parents are able to support the development of children study method. According to this perspective, the study considers the environmental factors (WHO, 2007) of each school to highlight the interaction between the student individual condition and the context. The research examines four analisys dimensions related to the study method: cognitive and learning strategies, study planning and organization (use of materials, individuation of balance measures, timing, etc.), emotional management in study situations (learning motivation, students’ acceptance of balance tools, teachers attitude, etc.) and inclusive pratices in school

Wind-driven rain as a bioclimatic factor affecting the biological colonization at the archaeological site of Pompeii, Italy

The weathering role of Wind-Driven Rain (WDR) on buildings is widely recognised from a physical point of view, but the influence of WDR on Biological Growth (BG) on stone materials to cause biodeterioration is still not well studied. Following our previous results from the Roman area, the UNESCO site of Pompeii for its importance was selected to further test relationships between WDR and BG. We collated and analysed climatic data (rainfall, direction and intensity of winds) between 2010 and 2015 to delineate the thermo-pluvial diagram and extrapolate Dominant Winds (DW) and WDR. Data on BG, consisting mainly of cyanobacteria, algae and lichens, were also collected through sampling, direct observations and analysis of high-quality photos. The climatic elaborations highlighted a dominance of the West wind influencing WDR. The BG was more prominent on the northern and western exposures, while it was considerably less extensive on the southern walls. Our results also showed that water from WDR, together with the lower temperature in the northern exposure and poor ventilation, can all affect wetness and had a profound role in the promotion of BG. Our analyses suggest that the protection of building walls should be different according to the exposure conditions in the formulation of preventive strategies for conservation

Una proposta di code set ICF per l’elaborazione del profilo di funzionamento e per la predisposizione del PEI

Il contributo riflette sulle potenzialità dell’applicazione di code set ICF nella scuola, alla luce del concetto di “funzionamento umano”, della prospettiva inclusiva e del decreto legislativo 66/2017 Norme per la promozione dell’inclusione scolastica degli studenti con disabilità. In tale quadro, è stata realizzata una ricerca-formazione che ha coinvolto i referenti/coordinatori per l’inclusione di Chieti, Pescara e Teramo e dei relativi territori provinciali. La ricerca-formazione ha tenuto conto della possibilità offerta dall’ICF di fornire un quadro compiuto relativo al “funzionamento umano” anche in ambiente educativo-scolastico, come sottolineato dal Manuale d’uso dell’OMS ed ha inteso orientare gli insegnanti nel contribuire, per la loro parte, all’elaborazione del Profilo di funzionamento di ciascun allievo con disabilità, in vista della predisposizione del PEI. In particolare, vengono qui presentati i dati relativi ai fattori ambientali che, nella scuola primaria, sono stati rilevati quali barriere dell’apprendimento e della partecipazione degli allievi con disabilit

L’educatore professionale socio-pedagogico nei servizi educativi e scolastici tra sviluppo sostenibile e governance inclusiva: alcuni dati di ricerca

Lo studio propone alcune riflessioni sul profilo professionale dell’educatore socio-pedagogico nel quadro dell’educazione inclusiva. Nel nostro Paese, la Legge 205/2017 attribuisce un ruolo fondamentale all’educatore in relazione al dialogo, alla collaborazione e all’interazione da sviluppare all’interno della comunità professionale e del servizio scolastico, anche nella prospettiva del «long life learning». Come rilevato da alcuni dati di ricerca su base ICF-CY, la cui applicazione è stata di recente ribadita anche in campo formativo, l’educatore può funzionare efficacemente come collegamento tra la scuola, i bambini, gli allievi e le famiglie, contribuendo alla realizzazione del «Piano dell’educazione alla sostenibilità» e della «governance» dei Bisogni Educativi Speciali e valorizzando l’apprendimento formale, informale e non formale. L’educatore può infatti concorrere a costruire pratiche innovative e di trasformazione di tipo riflessivo mediante l’approfondimento e la ricerca, contribuendo ad identificare maggiormente e a qualificare la «governance» inclusiva. In tale quadro l’educatore, vero e proprio motore di relazione fattiva e di mediazione tra la scuola e il territorio, si afferma quale professionista in grado di agire proficuamente nell’ambito del rapporto dialettico e costruttivo con tutti i soggetti che operano nei servizi educativi e scolastici