Daniela Fadda

The aim of this study is to provide a synthesis of the most recent empirical research examining the relationship between economic, social and cultural status (ESCS) and school education in Italy, in relation to learning outcomes, career guidance, and dropout rates. To this end, we conducted a scoping review. Analysis of the 26 studies reveals that the most investigated indicators are the parental education and poverty status. The relationship between ESCS and education has been predominantly studied in terms of learning outcomes, followed by its impact on school dropout. Results show a positive association between the indicators of ESCS and academic performance, with familial background influencing the choice of educational pathway and the level of education attained. Status socioeconomico-culturale e istruzione scolastica in Italia. Risultati di una scoping review. L’obiettivo di questo studio è offrire una rassegna degli studi empirici più recenti sulla relazione tra status socioeconomico-culturale (SSEC) e istruzione scolastica in Italia, in merito agli apprendimenti, all’orientamento e ai tassi di dispersione e abbandono. A questo scopo è stata condotta una scoping review che ha incluso 26 studi. I risultati mostrano come gli indicatori più indagati dello SSEC siano l’istruzione dei genitori e lo stato di povertà. La relazione tra SSEC e istruzione è stata studiata soprattutto in riferimento ai risultati di apprendimento e alla sua incidenza sulla dispersione scolastica. I risultati mostrano una relazione positiva tra gli indicatori dello SSEC e il rendimento, con le origini familiari che influenzano la scelta del percorso scolastico e il livello di istruzione dei figli.

The issue of students dropping out before completing secondary education is a global concern with significant individual and societal consequences. Various terms, such as Early School Leaving (ESL), Early Leaving from Education and Training (ELET), and school dropout, reflect different policy perspectives on this phenomenon. Despite international efforts to address school dropout, a comprehensive review identifying areas with strong evidence and research gaps is lacking. This Evidence and Gap Map (EGM) systematically reviews the evidence on programs aimed at reducing school dropout and improving intermediate outcomes (e.g., educational performance, attendance). Following the 2011 European Council Recommendations, interventions are categorized into three domains: prevention, intervention, and compensation. The EGM will provide school and policy decision-makers, as well as program developers, with an overview of research evidence useful for guiding efforts to reduce school dropout and design effective programs. By pinpointing research gaps, the EGM will help identify critical areas where further investigation is needed to better understand and address the impact of school dropout programs.

The interdisciplinary teaching of contemporary physics has become increasingly common in physics education, especially for high school students and teachers. This approach, which integrates content and methodologies from various disciplines, fosters scientific reasoning, enhances creativity, and increases student motivation and interest in physics. The use of digital technologies, such as social media platforms, supports these educational goals by facilitating the inclusive and cost-effective dissemination of scientific knowledge and the development of soft skills. This paper introduces the “Gravitas” project, an initiative that employs an interdisciplinary approach to present contemporary physics topics to high school students through social media. Coordinated by the Cagliari Division of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics (INFN) in Italy, the “Gravitas” project offers a non-traditional learning environment where students explore modern physics and philosophy and the history of science. Through the creation of educational materials, such as social media posts, students actively engage in their learning. In 2022, around 250 students from 16 high schools across Sardinia, Italy, participated in this project. This paper discusses the learning outcomes, highlighting the potential of integrating formal high school curricula with innovative educational and digital tools.

Gravity is, by far, one of the scientific themes that have most piqued the curiosity of scientists and philosophers over the centuries. The history of science tells us that when the creative effort of physicists and philosophers to solve the main puzzles of the understanding of our universe met, a new conceptual revolution has started. However, since Einstein's relativistic theories and the subsequent advent of quantum mechanics, physicists and philosophers have taken different paths, both kidnapped by the intrinsic conceptual and mathematical difficulties inherited by their studies. Is it possible to restore a unitary vision of knowledge, overcoming the scientific-humanistic dichotomy that has established itself over time? The answer is certainly not trivial, but we can start from school to experience a new vision of a unified knowledge. From this need, the Gravitas project has born. Gravitas is a multidisciplinary outreach and educational program devoted to high school students (17-19 years old) that mixes contemporary physics and the philosophy of science. Coordinated by the Cagliari Section of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, in Italy, Gravitas has started on December 2021 with an unconventional online format: two researchers coming from different fields of research meet a moderator and informally discuss about gravity and related phenomena. The public can chat and indirectly interact with them during the YouTube live. The project involved about 250 students from 16 high schools in Sardinia, Italy. Students should also create posts thought for social media whose content is based on the seminars they attended during the project. We present the project and discuss its possible outcomings concerning the introduction of a multidisciplinary approach in teaching physics, philosophy, and the history of contemporary physics in high schools.

Gravity is, by far, one of the scientific themes that have most piqued the curiosity of scientists and philosophers over the centuries. From Aristotle to Einstein, from Hawking to now on, scientists’ have always put a creative effort to solve the main puzzles of the understanding of our universe: why do things move, the birth of the cosmos, dark matter, and dark energy are just a few examples of gravity-related problems. Philosophers are interested in this field, too, and when they have met physicists’ needs, a new conceptual revolution has started. However, since Einstein's relativistic theories and the subsequent advent of quantum mechanics, physicists and philosophers have taken different paths, both kidnapped by the intrinsic conceptual and mathematical difficulties inherited by their studies. A question arises: is it possible to restore a unitary vision of knowledge, overcoming the scientific-humanistic dichotomy that has established itself over time? The answer is certainly not trivial, but we can start from school to experience a new vision of a unified knowledge. From this need, the “Gravitas” project has been born. “Gravitas” is a multidisciplinary outreach and educational program devoted to high school students (17-19 years old) that mixes contemporary physics and the philosophy of science. Coordinated by the Cagliari Section of the National Institute of Nuclear Physics, in Italy, “Gravitas” has started on December 2021 with an unconventional online format: two researchers coming from different fields of research (physics vs philosophy, history of science, scientific communication) meet a moderator and informally discuss about gravity and related phenomena. The public can chat and indirectly interact with them during the YouTube live using Mentimeter. The project involves about 250 students from 16 high schools in Sardinia, Italy. Students have also been involved in the creation of posts thought for social media platforms whose content is based on the seminars they attended during the project. We present the project and discuss its possible outcomings concerning the introduction of a multidisciplinary approach in teaching physics, philosophy, and the history of contemporary physics in high schools.

Background: Motivation is an important factor in the learning process and supporting students' motivation in mathematics is a significant challenge for educators. Educational technologies, such as digital games, offer potential for engagement in mathematics learning activities.Objectives: To contrast the general decrement in student motivation in mathematics, a multilevel meta‐analysis was carried out to synthesize the results of studies concerning the impact of digital games on K‐12 student motivation in mathematics.Methods: Standardized measure of effect size (dppc2) for pre‐ post‐control group designs was used, and different sources of dependency among the effects were taken into account. Moreover, through meta‐regressions, we examined whether specific characteristics of the participants, interventions and outcomes were associated with effect size differences throughout the studies.Results and Conclusions: A total of 20 primary studies (43 effect sizes) meeting eligibility criteria was included. Results showed a significant overall effect (dppc2 = 0.27; 95%CI = [0.14; 0.41]) and a great heterogeneity between studies. Moderator analyses showed differences in effect size associated to the duration of intervention and motivational construct in terms of expectancy and value.Implications: Overall, the findings indicate that digital games are effective tools compared to conventional teaching practices. The results are promising and could be useful for the design of digital educational interventions aimed at promoting motivation in mathematics.

This study proposed an improved representation of the factor structure of the Gaspard et al. (2015) value beliefs about math scale relying on bifactor exploratory structural equation modeling (B-ESEM). Using a convenience sample of 537 Italian students (327 males; M_age = 18.2), our results supported the superiority of a B-ESEM solution including nine specific factors (intrinsic, importance of achievement, personal importance, utility for school/job, utility for life, social utility, effort required, opportunity cost, and emotional cost) and one global value factor. The results further revealed that the specific factors (with the exception of personal importance) retained meaning over and above participants’ global levels of value. Finally, our results confirmed that global value beliefs predicted career aspirations, whereas expectancies of success remained the strongest predictor of math achievement.