Effectiveness of the internship for the development of critical awareness in future support teachers CENTRALITY OF EDUCATIONAL DESIGN

Abstract

In this paper we analyzed and discussed the outcomes of a training program organized at the University of Palermo for the specialization of the support teacher in primary and children’s school. The teacher training proposal, carried out from September 2017 to June 2018, aimed to developing critical thinking skills in 450 teachers in formation. We hypothesized that they would improve critical skills through design, evaluation and reflection on the practice experienced in the classroom; critical thinking skills are essential to the teacher’s professional competence and we drew them from a defined model. The results showed an interesting increase in critical awareness in the support teachers who participated in the teacher training program.