Abstract:

This paper aims to explore the strategic importance of school middle management figures in Italy in the development and promotion of inclusive practices, policies, and cultures. Specifically, teachers holding the role of "Instrumental Function for Inclusion" (in Italian "Funzione Strumentale per l'Inclusione") can serve as true points of reference for all teachers in a school, guiding and supporting actions related to inclusive practices.

Teachers holding the "Instrumental Function for Inclusion" are selected annually from the teaching staff of each individual school. In the Italian system, there is no specific training program, and the role is assumed as an additional activity to teaching. This aspect raises significant issues related not only to financial aspects but also to more in-depth implications.

Addressing the topic of school middle management in the context of inclusion must not be limited solely to issues related to leadership and how it is exercised, but must also consider ethical questions that cannot be overlooked and that must be clarified in order to analyze the school system and what can make it a quality system.
Some scholars in Disability Studies, particularly Italian ones, see the role of the teacher with an "Instrumental Function for Inclusion" as a figure who can act by guiding a transformation of society and its predominant models, and can truly lead to a shift in the dominant paradigm in the approach to disability.

Starting from the assumption that a context can be "enabling" or "disabling" depending on how it is conceived and organized, we intend here to describe the role of teachers with an "Instrumental Function for Inclusion" in light of their potential to transform their context. These possibilities for change are confirmed by the relevant literature and by a recent exploratory study we conducted.

Finally, the findings regarding the issues of agency, role continuity, and training are related to some ethical aspects that cannot be overlooked. Disability Studies literature recommends the need for decision-making roles, especially in schools, to act as "allies" to people with disabilities (Oliver, 1990; Barton, 2013; D'Alessio, 2013; Piccioli, 2025).

Considering this topic essential, it seems necessary to reflect on the importance of the value framework adopted by each school middle management figure, as it guides the direction of their decisions and has a direct impact on the people for and with whom they work.

This would help overcome one of the main obstacles to inclusive processes: the gap between theory, norms, and practice. At the same time, exploring these fundamental aspects allows us to restore the centrality of teachers with Instrumental Functions in inclusive processes, enhance their role, and restore the centrality of the ethical dimension of those who shape and inform the school system.

This paper does not claim to be exhaustive, but rather aims to encourage scholars, teachers, and stakeholders to consider whether and how those involved in school middle management are truly aware of the scope of their role, and whether they are trained for it, paving the way for future research.

Keywords:

Inclusion at school, School middle management, Funzione Strumentale per l'inclusione, Disability Studies, inclusive teachers.