Abstract:

Lower secondary education is often characterized by strong disciplinary fragmentation, which may lead to superficial learning and cognitive overload for students (OECD, 2020). Indeed, excessive information and poorly structured knowledge can reduce their capacity to develop meaningful understanding (Sweller, Ayres & Kalyuga, 2011). Several education systems, such as Portugal, have recently undertaken curriculum reforms aimed at identifying essential knowledge and transversal competencies (OECD, 2018). In Italy, national curriculum guidelines emphasize competence-based education and the identification of core disciplinary concepts (MIUR, 2012). However, lower secondary education still tends to be characterized by extensive content coverage and limited integration between disciplines. This paper explores how curriculum restructuring around core disciplinary concepts can act as a driver of educational innovation within this context.

This research forms part of a broader doctoral project investigating how educational leadership can support innovation processes in Italian comprehensive schools. The study adopts a mixed-method case-study approach, with a qualitative focus, within the framework of the International Successful School Principalship Project (ISSPP) (Day & Gurr, 2024).
The conceptual framework integrates Bronfenbrenner’s ecological systems theory with complexity theory to analyse how innovation emerges from interactions between actors and contextual factors across multiple levels. The case study was conducted in a comprehensive institute in Northern Italy. Data collection included interviews with the principal and staff, focus groups with students and parents, teacher and headteacher surveys, and research observations of school practices. The analysis explores how organizational structures, pedagogical practices, and leadership strategies interact to support curriculum innovation.

Findings indicate that redesigning the lower secondary curriculum around core disciplinary concepts enabled teachers to prioritize essential knowledge and reduce the fragmentation typical of subject-based teaching. This restructuring was accompanied by several organizational innovations, including the use of subject-based classrooms, the integration of tablets as learning tools, and collaborative work within subject departments to produce shared teaching materials. Curriculum prioritization allowed teachers to dedicate more time to practice-oriented activities such as collaborative work and authentic tasks, and to design learning experiences connected to real-world issues. By “pruning” non-essential content, the school created space for differentiated instruction, manual and creative activities, and initiatives aimed at fostering student wellbeing and social development. This approach contributed to a learning environment that values both cognitive and human dimensions of education.

The case study illustrates how curriculum redesign can function as a key lever for educational innovation. Focusing on core disciplinary concepts reduces cognitive overload and supports deeper learning, while also enabling experential learning and more flexible pedagogical approaches. Within constrained education systems, curriculum prioritization may therefore represent a promising pathway for improving both student engagement and the overall quality of learning experiences.

Keywords:

School innovation, Italian lower secondary school, Italian comprehensive institutes, ISSPP, successful principalship, school leadership.