School inclusion remains one of the most pressing educational challenges at the dawn of the new decade. Building on more than fifty years of Italian legislative and pedagogical development—from the pioneering integration policies of the 1970s to the present—the focus has shifted from mere placement of students with disabilities to the design of learning environments that are genuinely welcoming, flexible, and responsive to the needs of all learners (Ianes & Canevaro, 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) further exposed structural inequities within schooling systems, underscoring the urgency of re-examining inclusion as a foundational educational paradigm rather than an ancillary concern. This article maps the chief theoretical developments in inclusive education up to 2021, highlighting critical tensions as well as emergent policy and practice trajectories. It also considers the cultural and professional factors that now shape inclusive pedagogy, drawing on contributions from both Italian and international scholarship
Inclusione scolastica e paradigma educativo: prospettive teoriche e pratiche emergenti per il nuovo decennio
Teodora Pezzano
2022-01-01
Abstract
School inclusion remains one of the most pressing educational challenges at the dawn of the new decade. Building on more than fifty years of Italian legislative and pedagogical development—from the pioneering integration policies of the 1970s to the present—the focus has shifted from mere placement of students with disabilities to the design of learning environments that are genuinely welcoming, flexible, and responsive to the needs of all learners (Ianes & Canevaro, 2018). The COVID-19 pandemic (2020-2021) further exposed structural inequities within schooling systems, underscoring the urgency of re-examining inclusion as a foundational educational paradigm rather than an ancillary concern. This article maps the chief theoretical developments in inclusive education up to 2021, highlighting critical tensions as well as emergent policy and practice trajectories. It also considers the cultural and professional factors that now shape inclusive pedagogy, drawing on contributions from both Italian and international scholarshipI documenti in IRIS sono protetti da copyright e tutti i diritti sono riservati, salvo diversa indicazione.
