Gabriella D'APRILE
Gabriella D’Aprile is Full Professor of General and Social Pedagogy in the Department of Educational Sciences at the University of Catania. She is President of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Education and Training Sciences (L-19) and Deputy Coordinator of the PhD Programme in “Educational Processes, Theoretical-Transformative Models and Research Methods Applied to the Territory”.
Her scholarship brings together educational theory, historical research and the design of educational practices, with a particular focus on childhood, intercultural education and the relationship between education, the environment and care. Her research explores educational models from an ecological perspective, teacher and educator development, and learning processes through a biopedagogical lens.
A distinctive strand of her research concerns the history of progressive education and the international New Education movement. In this field, she has uncovered previously unpublished sources relating to Adolphe Ferrière and Giuseppe Lombardo Radice, conducting archival research at the Archives Institut J.-J. Rousseau, the Fondation Jean Piaget and the Bureau International d’Éducation in Geneva. As the scientific representative for Italy, she has contributed to international research projects and European scholarly and publishing initiatives on New Education and the Active School movement, collaborating with the Université de Genève, Université de Picardie Jules Verne, Université Paris 8 and Universitat de Vic.
She is currently Principal Investigator of CARE – “CON-TATTO. Affective Education, Languages and Cultures for Childhood”, supported by the University of Catania’s PIA.CE.RI. research programme. The project integrates educational, linguistic and historical perspectives to advance emotional and relational education in childhood and the professional development of teachers and educators, with particular attention to multicultural settings.
She served as scientific lead and coordinator of the European Erasmus+ project SMILE, “Share the Music for Inclusive Learning in Education”, which explored music as an educational resource for school inclusion. Since 2003, she has contributed to university-funded research projects under the PRA, FIR, FIRD and PIA.CE.RI. programmes, serving as Principal Investigator or research team member. She has also participated in nationally funded research projects of significant interest (PRIN 2017) and international projects under the HORIZON programme.
Alongside her research, she is engaged in the professional development of teachers and school leaders. In the 2020–2021 academic year, she directed the postgraduate Master’s programme in “Organisation and Management of Educational Institutions in Multicultural Contexts”, offered within the national FAMI programme in collaboration with MIUR and CUNSF. She also coordinated the national action research and professional development project “Intercultural Leadership and Teacher Professionalism” for the FAMI school network, accredited through the Ministry of Education’s S.O.F.I.A. platform.
From 2018 to 2020, she served on the Executive Board of the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED) and as Managing Editor of its scholarly journal, Pedagogia Oggi. She directs the international book series “LIMEN. Studi e ricerche pedagogiche oltreconfine” (Pensa Multimedia) and “Formazione e Memoria Operante. Studi di Pedagogia e di Storia dell’Educazione” (Apogeo Education/Maggioli Editore), as well as the national series “EducAzione. Pedagogia e Didattica” (A&G CUECM). She serves on scholarly advisory boards and reviews manuscripts for academic journals and book series in education. She is a member of SIPED research groups focusing on intercultural education and on environmental education, sustainability and well-being.
The relationship between research and local communities also informs her public engagement work. She held scientific coordination roles in “Empatia inclusa. La comunicazione empatica in ottica inclusiva”, promoted by FIABA Onlus and co-funded by Fondazione Terzo Pilastro Internazionale, and “Eco-narrazioni. Atelier formativi per la cura educativa”, developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Ragusa. She co-founded the Green Education Lab with G. Bufalino, promoting community initiatives in environmental education and sustainability.
Her academic work is accompanied by a commitment to children’s rights, civic responsibility and peace education. Since 2009, she has been a founding member and Executive Board member of the association “Orti di pace – Sicilia”. She has also served as scientific lead for projects and professional development programmes for teachers and school leaders across the Sicilian school network. Since 2011, she has collaborated on cultural and scientific initiatives organised by the Centro studi, ricerche e documentazione Paolo Borsellino, Sicilia–Europa. She is the Ombudsperson for Children and Adolescents for the Municipality of Giardini Naxos, Sicily.
Awards and Recognition
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Filippo Basile Award, 2024 — Commendation for Excellence in the “Training Processes and Projects” category for the research and professional development project “Eco-narrazioni. Atelier formativi per la cura educativa”, developed in collaboration with the Municipality of Ragusa.
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Riccardo Massa Award, 2023 — For the essay “Del confine come limen, fondamento dell’essere”, published in Diritti, cittadinanza, inclusione, edited by S. Polenghi, M. Fiorucci and L. Agostinetto (Pensa Multimedia, 2018, pp. 95–106).
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Italian Pedagogy Award, SIPED, 7th edition, 2020 — For the book Memorie di una inedita corrispondenza. Lettere di Giuseppe Lombardo Radice ad Adolphe Ferrière (ETS, Pisa, 2019).
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Francesco Saverio Nitti International Award for the Mediterranean — For the book La terra come luogo di cura educativa in Sicilia. Metafore e tracce nel tempo, with M. Tomarchio (Bonanno, Acireale–Rome, 2014).
EDUCATION, ACADEMIC CAREER AND INSTITUTIONAL RESPONSIBILITIES
Academic Career
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1 March 2024–present — Full Professor of General and Social Pedagogy, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania.
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October 2021–February 2024 — Associate Professor of General and Social Pedagogy, in the same Department, with appointment effective from 1 October 2021.
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October 2012–September 2021 — Permanent University Researcher in General and Social Pedagogy, University of Catania, with confirmation in post in 2016.
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February 2010–January 2011 — Research Fellow in General and Social Pedagogy, working on the project “Empirical and Experimental Research in Education between the Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries: Theoretical Models in Pedagogy, Teaching Practices and Learning Processes”.
National Scientific Qualifications
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13 November 2020 — Italian National Scientific Qualification for Full Professorship, in academic field 11/D1, Pedagogy and History of Education, awarded by unanimous decision of the assessment committee (5/5).
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21 March 2018 — Italian National Scientific Qualification for Associate Professorship, in the same academic field, awarded by unanimous decision of the assessment committee (5/5).
University Education and Professional Qualifications
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2009 — PhD in “Foundations and Methods of Educational Processes”, 21st cycle, University of Catania, supported by a ministerial scholarship and awarded the grade “Excellent”. Thesis: Adolphe Ferrière (1879–1960) and les oubliés of the Active School Movement in Italy.
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2008 — Postgraduate Specialisation in Educational Support and School Inclusion, qualifying her to teach in a learning support role, School of Specialisation in Secondary Education, University of Catania.
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2005 — Postgraduate Specialisation and Teaching Qualification in Philosophy and History, teaching qualification category A037, University of Catania, with a final grade of 80/80.
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2002 — Degree in Education and Training Sciences, University of Catania, with a final grade of 110/110 cum laude. Thesis: Learning and Education between Biology and Pedagogy: Recent Contributions in Italy.
Academic Leadership and Doctoral Education
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November 2022–present — President of the Bachelor’s Degree Programme in Education and Training Sciences (L-19), Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania; appointed on 1 November 2022.
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October 2022–present — Deputy Coordinator of the PhD Programme in “Educational Processes, Theoretical-Transformative Models and Research Methods Applied to the Territory”, University of Catania; appointed on 6 October 2022.
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Member of the Academic Board of the same PhD programme, with responsibilities for doctoral research supervision and mentoring.
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Has served as an external academic reviewer for doctoral programmes at several Italian universities.
Programme Leadership and Institutional Service
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Academic year 2020/2021 — Director of the first-level postgraduate Master’s programme in “Organisation and Management of Educational Institutions in Multicultural Contexts”, University of Catania, within the national FAMI programme and the multi-year training plan for school leaders, teachers, and administrative, technical and auxiliary staff in schools with a high proportion of students of foreign nationality.
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2017/2018 edition — Academic Coordinator and member of the Scientific and Management Committee of the same Master’s programme, dedicated to the professional development of school staff working in multicultural settings.
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2021 — Appointed by ANVUR as an external reviewer for the Italian Research Quality Assessment exercise, VQR 2015–2019, and included in its register of reviewers.
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December 2020–October 2022 — Member of the Joint Staff–Student Committee, Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania.
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2017 — University appointment for the recognition of academic credits in General and Social Pedagogy, within the 24-credit teacher education pathway.
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2016 — Member of the Executive Committee of the Department of Educational Sciences, University of Catania.
She has also served as chair or member of study plan and internship committees, as a member of the degree programme’s Quality Assurance team, and on selection committees for teaching staff, tutors and applicants to teacher education programmes.
Learned Society Leadership and Memberships
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2017–2021 — Member of the Executive Board of the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED), serving from 28 October 2017 to 16 January 2021. During the same period, she was Managing Editor of “Pedagogia Oggi”, the Society’s scholarly journal.
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2021–present — Full member of the Italian Society of General and Social Pedagogy (SIPEGES).
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2018–present — Full member of the Italian Society for Educational Research (SIRD).
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2013–present — Full member of the Italian Society of Pedagogy (SIPED).
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2009–2014 — Member of the Italian Pedagogical Association (As.Pe.I.).
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Main Research Areas
Her research lies at the intersection of early childhood education, the New Education tradition, and intercultural and ecological perspectives. The relationship between care, human connections and educational processes provides a unifying thread across work that brings together theoretical reflection, historical inquiry and educational design.
Early Childhood Education
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Educational processes for children aged 0–6 and the professional development of early childhood educators.
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Emotional and relational education, with attention to the languages, cultures and everyday contexts of childhood.
Progressive Education and the History of New Education
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New Education and the Active School movement in Italy and Europe: models, themes, key figures and international networks.
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The thought and work of Adolphe Ferrière and Giuseppe Lombardo Radice: source-based research and perspectives for contemporary educational design.
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Outdoor education and teaching: experience, learning and educational innovation in natural settings.
Intercultural Education
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Intercultural care, educational relationships and formative processes.
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Teacher education and the development of intercultural competencies.
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Linguistic diversity and multiple cultural affiliations in educational settings.
Environmental Education and Ecological Models of Education
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Education for sustainability and ecological and cultural transition.
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Ecological approaches to the professional development of educators and the cultivation of green skills.
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Relationships between education, the environment and care for places.
Learning from a Biopedagogical Perspective
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Learning and formative processes from a biopedagogical perspective.
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Relationships between biological dimensions, experience and educational contexts.
Narrative Pedagogy
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Narrative as a practice of education, reflection and educational care.
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Narrative forms, meaning-making and the interpretation of experience.
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Eco-narratives in early childhood education for children aged 0–6.