Instruction for Mathematics and Science in Primary and Lower Secondary Grades
Italian teachers at all school levels complete their education in a five year university degree program.
Teachers at the primary level are general classroom teachers. They enter the profession upon completion of the Scienze della Formazione Primaria degree. The academic component of the degree is the same for all graduates. After graduation, teachers specialize in a particular disciplinary field during their school internship.
Grade at Which Specialist Teachers for Mathematics and Science are Introduced
From the lower secondary level (Grade 6), teachers are subject specialists and are required to hold a degree related to the subject they teach. To teach mathematics or science, teachers must hold a mathematics or science degree (e.g., biology, life sciences, or geology).
Instructional Materials, Equipment, and Laboratories
In Italy, primary and lower secondary schools often are equipped with instructional materials and tools (e.g., interactive multimedia boards and tablets), to support instruction in the various school subjects. Textbooks still are the main medium of instruction.
Schools are encouraged to set up laboratories and other specially equipped spaces such as libraries, gymnasiums, and science and music laboratories; schools are responsible for purchasing instructional materials, instruments, and equipment, according to their school budget.
In the 2014–2015 school year, requirements were abolished for primary schools to adopt new textbooks every five years, for lower secondary schools to adopt new textbooks every six years, and for publishers to revise textbook contents every five years.24
Textbooks are chosen by school teachers and adopted by teacher committees with input from interclass or class councils and parent representatives. Primary school textbooks are free of charge for families, and the MIUR has established a cost limit for lower secondary school student textbooks.25,26
As of the 2011–2012 school year, schools are required to adopt textbooks that are available exclusively in a downloadable or mixed media format, and to promote the development of digital culture and computer literacy. As of the 2014–2015 school year, schools are invited to develop digital education materials for specific disciplines to be used as textbooks and teaching and learning resources. A supervising teacher is required to verify the scientific and educational quality of the materials in collaboration with other teachers and their students. The materials then must be sent to the MIUR, which will make them freely available to all state schools.27
Use of Technology
MIUR curricula have been updated with specific guidelines on the implementation of ICT, based on recommendations and common goals identified by the Lisbon Strategy and by Europe 2020. These changes, which began in the early 1990s, have contributed to the establishment of computer laboratories in many primary and secondary schools. In primary and lower secondary schools, computer science is now a taught subject.28 Although computer laboratories are not universal in primary schools in Italy, many primary schools are equipped with computer laboratories, and nearly all secondary schools have a sufficient number of computer workstations.
The development of students’ digital skills, particularly computational thinking and informed, risk-aware use of social networks and media, is one of the main educational objectives of the Italian school curriculum.29
Accommodation Policies for Instruction and Testing
In primary schools, students with learning difficulties, identified in the fourth grade, are taught under personalized study plans and engage in remedial activities in class during normal lesson times.30 For students with learning difficulties in the lower grades, the MIUR requires schools to develop personalized study plans and supplementary courses in each school discipline that students would pursue regularly. For all students with learning difficulties, from primary to lower secondary school, compensatory instruments are provided, including digital teaching tools. Some students also receive help from assistant teachers, who specialize in teaching children with special education needs and disabilities. For national assessments, at both the primary and secondary levels, the national evaluation center provides tests in special formats (e.g., tests recorded in MP3 audio files, tests in large print or Braille format for visually impaired children, and tests specifically adapted for deaf students).