Scuola dell’infanzia as an educational interstice
Francesca Capone, Serena Allena, Maria Gagliano, Barbara Peretti, Paola Pagin, Maddalena Zafettieri
This contribution presents the systematization of a documentary action research project conducted by a group of early childhood teachers, aimed at critically investigating the pedagogical identity of the 3-6 age segment within the Italian educational system. Within a complex historical and policy framework, this segment is interpreted as an interstitial space, positioned between 0–3 services and the first cycle of education, and called upon to mediate among different pedagogical and organizational models. The study is based on a comparative analysis of key policy documents (National Guidelines, 2012; New Scenarios, 2018; 0-6 Pedagogical Guidelines, 2021), followed by a preliminary exploration of the 2025 National Guidelines. The analysis of the first three documents highlights the persistence of shared foundational principles — the centrality of the child, the importance of context and learning environments, the relational nature of learning, educational continuity, and reflective and collaborative teacher professionalism — while also emphasizing the role of policy discourse in shaping representations of curriculum and professionalism. The exploration of the 2025 Guidelines suggests emerging tensions in the relationship between curriculum, assessment, and teacher professionalism. Documentary action research, as embedded in professional practice, emerges as a tool for professional reflection, supporting the repositioning of early childhood education within the integrated 0–6 system and within a curriculum spanning from 0 to 19 years.
Keywords
Preschool, Early childhood curriculum, Documentary action research, National Guidelines, Integrated 0-6 system.
