Debate as an inclusive teaching practice
Manuele De Conti, Daniela Di Donato, Lucia Iacopini, Elena Mosa, Silvia Panzavolta
The article explores the inclusive potential of Debate as an innovative teaching methodology in Italian schools, with a particular focus on engaging students with Special Educational Needs (SEN) and Specific Learning Disabilities (SLD). Using a mixed-method approach of quantitative and qualitative analysis, data were collected from 357 teachers, complemented by qualitative insights from focus groups. The findings highlight that Debate fosters communicative, prosocial, and metacognitive skills, contributing to a positive and inclusive classroom environment. The research emphasizes the value of Debate in empowering students by boosting self-esteem and self-efficacy, especially for those who feel marginalized. Additionally, the use of digital technologies facilitates personalized learning, offering diverse opportunities for expression and participation. Debate emerges as a practice that enhances every student’s contribution, transforming the classroom into a space of equal opportunities, in line with the principles of Universal Design for Learning. Despite these promising results, the study underscores the need for further research to generalize findings and strengthen evidence on the effectiveness of Debate as an inclusive tool in Italian schools.
Keywords
Debate, Inclusive teaching, Mixed method, Educational research, UDL.
