Abstract:

Educational innovation is increasingly recognised as a key driver for improving student well-being, school climate, and the quality of learning environments. Within the national initiative Avanguardie Educative (AE) of INDIRE, which promotes new pedagogical and organisational models in Italian schools, this study - in collaboration with University Vita-Salute San Raffaele of Milan - investigates how innovative practices are perceived by students, families, and teachers, and how these perceptions relate to emotional, relational, and motivational well-being. The research adopts a multi-informant perspective with qualitative evidence gathered through structured focus groups involving school leaders and staff.

The theoretical framework draws on multidimensional models of school well-being, which conceptualise well-being as the interplay of emotional security, positive relationships, engagement, and a supportive organisational climate. The study also integrates conceptualisations of educational innovation as a systemic process that involves teaching practices, learning environments, organisational routines.

The participating schools represented both traditional contexts and institutions that had adopted innovative approaches, experimented within the network of AE. The quantitative phase used a set of coordinated instruments to capture perceived school climate, emotional functioning, motivation, and the extent of innovation. The multi-informant design allowed comparisons among the three groups of respondents, highlighting convergences and divergences in the perception of innovation and well-being. The qualitative phase employed focus groups with school principals and innovation teams, investigating the interpretation of quantitative results, perceived strengths/challenges, alignment between innovation and well-being, organisational vision, and implications for practice.

Results show that higher levels of perceived educational innovation are consistently associated with more positive indicators of student well-being. Students (n. 612), together with their parents and teachers reporting high innovation described stronger relationships with teachers and peers, greater satisfaction with schoolwork, and improved concentration. Parents (n. 332) with higher innovation ratings perceived their children as more engaged, more aware of their own learning processes, and supported by constructive relationships with teachers. Teachers’ (n. 167) evaluations were more moderate but aligned with the general trend of stronger well-being in more innovative contexts. The focus groups confirmed and deepened these findings: participants attributed the positive association between innovation and well-being to collaborative pedagogies, flexible learning environments, and shared organisational cultures promoting trust, participation, and professional autonomy. They also highlighted critical issues, such as uneven implementation and variability in teachers’ readiness for innovation.

Overall, the study demonstrates that educational innovation, when embedded in coherent school-wide strategies, contributes to stronger emotional, relational, and motivational well-being. By integrating multi-informant quantitative evidence with qualitative insights from school leaders, the research provides a comprehensive understanding of how innovative practices shape school experiences and offers concrete indications for guiding future actions within the Avanguardie Educative Movement.

Keywords:

Well-being, educational innovation, emotional security, teacher-student relationships, organisational climate.