Teaching and Learning in the academic context: Instructional Tools and Students’ Distributed Leaderships

Abstract

The paper focuses on the instructional tools that can foster the development of Students’Distributed Leadership (SDL) in the academic context. A“student leader”of the formative process (Dugan & Komives, 2007; Seemiller, 2013) should be self-regulated, motivated and engaged. In order to set up the conditions for the development of SDL, teachers should use flexible teaching
strategies (Felisatti & Rizzo, 2007; Domenici et al., 2016) and instructional tools (Bonaiuti et al., 2007; Hattie, 2016) that could favor active students’engagement (Kuh, 2009). Designing teaching and learning processes focused on students could be an effective strategy to enhance the development of qualified educational settings in the academic context (Margiotta, 2007).
In the exploratory research were used mixed-methods (Baldacci, 2001; Creswell, 2013). The hypothesis of the research is that the use of instructional tools that enhance dialogue, reflection
and collaboration can foster the development of LDS in the academic context. The research involved 495 students enrolled in the Department of Education of Roma Tre University.
Data analysis highlights that the instructional tools that were analysed in the research can be a strategic resource for both didactics and SDL development, with particular reference to dialogical lessons and group activities. Students who used them have achieved positive outcomes and expressed a perception of increased competence, motivation and sense of responsibility in the
study.