Promoting democratic learning environments and teachers’ professionalisation through children’s active participation

The present contribution will propose some reflections drawn from the international study titled ‘Feel good: Children’s view on inclusion’, set within the framework provided by the EU-funded collaborative project ISOTIS (www.isotis.org). This international qualitative participatory research study involved 120 preschool children in areas characterised by high cultural diversity and social inequality in six European countries (namely, Germany, Greece, Italy, Norway, Poland, and the Netherlands). The main aims were to 1) explore what factors the young participants identified as promoting or undermining well-being and inclusion at school, and 2) elicit their suggestions to make school more welcoming and inclusive. The study adopted a multimethod approach and was intended as an opportunity for the children involved to be actively and meaningfully engaged and to experience citizenship and agency. The contribution will argue that the value of these participatory experiences is not limited to the impact on children. Rather, it can play a significant role also in teachers’ professionalisation, representing a powerful stimulus to review educational practices and promote (more) democratic and inclusive learning environments.