This study analyzes the critical aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. The social changes of the last two decades have profoundly impacted teachers’ well-being, putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose, we interviewed twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) from different areas of Italy and analyzed data using the grounded theory method. Through a data analysis, we summarized and emphasized eight core themes. The results show the effects of the gradual impoverishment of the recognition for the role of the teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers in renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for developing a teaching methodology that is attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of their pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context where a competent organizational function is often absent. The practical psychological implications of this are discussed.

Down syndrome (DS), due the presence of an intellectual disability and a precarious health condition, involves important challenges for developing skills at school. The study explores the relational dynamics between teachers and students with DS and how the latter influence the processes of socialization and learning at school. The study involved 15 (n = 15) special education teachers (M _age = 40.4; SD = 9.3) from primary schools in Italy who were or had previously been in charge of a pupil with DS. The teachers were interviewed through a semi-structured interview, built ad hoc. The data were analyzed through the grounded theory method supported by ATLAS.ti software. Data analysis produced 20 (n = 20) categories grouped into 6 (n = 6) macro-categories: (1) psychophysical characteristics; (2) learnings; (3) relational aspects; (4) collaborations; (5) extracurricular activities; and (6) teacher training. The research shows that students with DS have good relationships with their peers; however, there are still some important critical issues, including poor training of teachers on certain topics and on the application of collaborative and relationship support strategies, the limited collaboration between support teachers and curricular teachers, and the absence of support from ad hoc professional figures.

The present study investigated the effects of leisure activities and online peer relationships on the development of psychological difficulties in adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown in Italy. Data were collected in April and May 2020. The parents of 1,020 Italian adolescents aged 14–18 (51.9% girls) completed questionnaires about the experiences and behaviors of their children before and during the lockdown. A moderation regression analysis was applied to test the research hypotheses. The findings indicated that adolescents who were more active in sports and social activities prior to the COVID-19 pandemic showed greater psychological distress during the lockdown. Moreover, increased reading, game playing, and exercise during the lockdown effectively compensated for the interruption of pre-pandemic sports and social activities, and represented a protective factor for adolescents’ mental health. Finally, increased online contact with peers during the lockdown protected against the development of psychological difficulties, regardless of adolescents’ engagement in sports and social activities prior to the pandemic. The findings provide new and useful information about the role of leisure activities and online contact with peers in protecting against psychological difficulties in adolescents, especially during situations of isolation and social distancing, as in the COVID-19 national lockdown.

Il contesto scolastico rappresenta un luogo privilegiato per rispondere alle sfide della complessità del reale, promuovendo una metamorfosi del rapporto apprendimento-insegnamento (Morin, 2001). La gestione dei contesti educativi, caratterizzati per natura da molteplici differenze di cultura, abilità, genere e sensibilità (Dovigo, 2008), richiede lo sviluppo di un corpo di competenze che consentano all'insegnante di operare in una direzione interculturale e inclusiva. Il contributo presenta l'articolazione e gli esiti di un percorso di formazione sulla riduzione del pregiudizio etnico rivolto a docenti pre-servizio iscritti al Corso di Laurea in Scienze della formazione primaria della Sapienza, Università di Roma. Tra gli obiettivi principali dell'intervento formativo, quello di ridurre il pregiudizio implicito ed esplicito degli studenti in una prospettiva più ampia di promozione delle loro competenze interculturali.

This study analyses key aspects of the professional life of primary school teachers in a southern European context. In the social changes of last two decades profoundly impacted the well-being of teachers putting a strain on their ability to adapt to sometimes unfair working conditions. For this purpose twenty teachers (M = 38.85; DS = 9.17) were interviewed from different areas of Italy, data were analyzed using the Grounded Theory Method. Through data analysis were summa-rize and emphasize eight core themes. The results show the effects of a gradual impoverishment of the recognition of the role of teacher, highlighting the difficulty for teachers of renegotiating more flexible workload assessments and of reinforcing psycho-emotional skills for the development of a teaching methodology attentive to the psycho-emotional needs of pupils. Schools emerge as a rigid working context, in which a competent organizational function is often absent. Practical psychological implications are discussed.

The present study investigated protective and risk factors for psychological difficulties in children and adolescents during the COVID-19 lockdown. Specifically, the role of increased use of digital devices (DDs) for recreational purposes and the role of free time spent with parents were explored. Furthermore, the possible mediating effect of increased use of DDs in the relationship between free time spent with parents and psychological difficulties was tested. Participants were 4412 Italian children and adolescents, divided into two groups: children aged 6–10 years (n = 2248) and adolescents aged 11–18 years (n = 2164). Data were collected in Italy during the national lockdown and questionnaires were completed online by parents, who reported on their children’s habits. The daily use of DDs increased significantly during the lockdown compared to the previous period, in both children and adolescents. Additionally, psychological difficulties increased in both children and adolescents during the lockdown, with a more severe impairment for children. Increased use of DDs during the lockdown positively predicted psychological difficulties (children: beta = 0.18, p < 0.001; adolescents: beta = 0.13, p < 0.001), while free time spent with parents was protective (children: beta = −13, p < 0.001; adolescents: beta = −0.12, p < 0.001). For children (but not adolescents), increased use of DDs mediated the effects of free time spent with parents on psychological difficulties (children: beta = −0.01, 95% CI [−0.018, −0.002]; adolescents: beta = −0.003, 95% CI [−0.009, 0.003]). The findings provide new insights for education and research.