New meanings of work and the construction of professional identity. A pedagogical reflection

Abstract

In pedagogical research, the meaning attributed to work is an area of recent interest and reflection in which an attempt is made to trace the frameworks of the sense of work and its formative function, as well as the worker's valuing and motivational dimension. The consequences of the Covid-19 pandemic include the emergence of new trends, and a reevaluation of the approach to work aimed at achieving a balance between work and personal time. In particular, the phenomena of the “Great Resignation” and “Quiet Quitting” have generated multiple impacts related to the function of work in terms of a system of meaning and a reference point for the construction of personal and professional identity. In this contribution, therefore, I propose a pedagogical reflection on the relationship between guidance, identity construction and the meaning attributed to work, which is now devoid of a shared system of meanings.