Abstract:

This contribution presents the design, implementation and evaluation of an intensive training course aimed at nursery, primary and secondary school teachers from different Italian regions, developed during the 2024/2025 school year as part of Ministerial Decree 66 of the PNRR for educational and digital innovation. The initiative is based on the principles of Embodied Cognition and the onlife paradigm, viewing cognition as a situated, relational process distributed between the body, the environment and technology. The aim of the project was to support teachers in redesigning their educational settings as dynamic and integrated ecosystems, promoting the overcoming of an instrumental view of digital technology in favour of conscious, participatory and interdisciplinary practices.

The training module, structured in a blended format for a total of 25 hours, combined interactive lessons, experiential activities focused on physicality, collaborative exercises in small groups dedicated to the co-design of learning units, independent study on the platform and moments of metacognitive reflection. To assess the perceived effectiveness and professional impact of the course, an initial and final questionnaire were administered, consisting of closed-ended items and open-ended questions useful for gauging expectations, satisfaction, usefulness of activities and changes in practices.

The data show a high level of satisfaction, particularly with the embodied activities and the opportunity to collaborate on interdisciplinary design. These elements were recognised as decisive in rethinking the role of teachers in technologically enriched learning environments. However, the analysis also highlights the presence of significant resistance, mainly related to the difficulty of coherently integrating digital technology with physical and reflective approaches and the effort required to overcome established transmissive models. The qualitative responses show how prior technological familiarity, openness to change and the organisational culture of schools have a significant impact on participation and receptivity.

Overall, the experience suggests that a training model based on embodied learning and an onlife perspective can be an effective lever for promoting professional awareness, soft skills and design skills geared towards inclusive and situated teaching. At the same time, there is a need for additional support, mentoring and personalisation to assist teachers in the transition to practices consistent with the principles of Universal Design for Learning. The project thus opens up future research-intervention developments aimed at deepening the interaction between physicality, educational technologies and school culture.

Keywords:

Embodied Cognition, Onlife Education, Teacher Professional Development, Digital Learning Environments.