Educational emergencies between Italy and Sierra Leone: rethinking school in the face of crises and transformations

Abstract

The dynamics of emergency that permeate the social fabric daily also redefine the meaning and function of
schooling. Building on this awareness, this research aims to explore the meaning and educational potential of
emergency within a transformative perspective, that is no longer (or not merely) alarmist. The research, designed
according to a qualitative and ethnographic framework, involved 40 primary school teachers working in eight
public schools located in different contexts in the cities of Rome (Italy) and Freetown (Sierra Leone). The findings
confirm the importance of a new approach to emergency, which, acting primarily in the context of teacher education,
enables a different interpretation of contingencies, allowing them to be seen no longer solely as obstacles,
but as opportunities to rethink pedagogical action by valuing dialogue, critical reflection, and conscientization.
The data collected, interpreted through an interpretative-phenomenological lens, also provide insights from an
intercultural perspective.