Which Lexicon for a Democratic and Equitable School? An Exploratory Study of Inclusion Regulations in Italy

Abstract

This contribution intends to  illustrate the initial results of a research project aimed at investigating the actual coherence between the lexicon of regulations and that of documents produced by individual educational institutions, such as the Plan for the Triennial Educational Offer, the Inclusivity Plans, and the Self-assessment Reports (PTOF-PI-RAV), aware that the sharing of the same language is an indicator of the same cultural vision, especially with regard to the perspective of inclusion. Specifically, this paper will present the results of the quantitative analysis of lexical frequency within some significant Italian normative dictates to trace their diachronic evolution from 1971 to the present day. This intention stems from the consideration that a real correspondence between normative language and the language used by educational institutions may testify to the concrete intentionality in promoting inclusive processes capable of best meeting the educational needs of all, with the aim of realizing democratic and inclusive schools and societies.