Teaching practices and school well-being: a dual perspective of teachers and students. Results of a quantitative analysis in lower secondary school

Abstract

Within the framework of the PRIN* project “Educational Poverty, Cultural Disadvantage, and Social Inclusion
Inside and Outside School. Teacher Professional Development and Research-Training in the Post-Covid Era”,
multiple case studies were conducted during the 2023/2024 academic year to explore indicators of socio-cultural
disadvantage and risk/protective factors in the 11-14 age group. This contribution presents the results of quantitative
data analysis from the Negri lower secondary school, Calasanzio Institute, in San Siro (Milan), a complex
multi-problem district. Data was collected from first and second-year classes through questionnaires distributed
to teachers (n = 31) and to students (n = 189), which explored aspects relating to school well-being and teaching
practices. The results reveal a significant discrepancy between what teachers reported and what students observed. The most critical issues concern consolidation practices and the active construction of meaning, particularly metacognitive strategies and the use of hands-on activities, as well as the perceived well-being of certain school classes.