Educational research for equity in the era of school autonomy: an opportunity to counter non-traditional factors of inequality and improve schools for all

Abstract

Educational research is crucial for school improvement and teachers’ professional development, representing a valuable device for initial and in-service training. In Italy, school autonomy allows it to be exploited as a resource at the organizational-systemic level to increase the efficiency and effectiveness of institutions. Here we delve into the school’s commitment to equity and the action of non-traditional factors of inequality, i.e., dynamics originated mostly unintentionally by the school itself that profoundly affect students’ educational paths. Through educational research, schools reflect and self-evaluate their work on equity: action research and training research appear to be the most suitable forms to act at the governance level, focusing on institutional and organizational-managerial aspects that generate inequality and collegially formulating equity-oriented institute educational policies.