Assessing digital transformation and inclusion in schools: a twofold level survey.

Since the late 70s, Information and Communication Technology (ICT) has become more integrated in school process’ of teaching-learning. Policymakers, including the European Union Council (2020), emphasize the importance of digital technologies in providing inclusive and high-quality education. Italy has integrated, at a regulatory level, digital skill development for teachers, crucial for modernizing education systems, in a more fairness perspective (Eurydice, 2019), starting with the PNSD and now with PNRR funds. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated the effects of disadvantage and poverty on children’s opportunities, expanding the “digital divide” beyond ICT’s possession to include digital skills and competencies (Pasta et al., 2021). This evolving divide risks reinforcing social inequalities, disproportionately affecting students from lower socioeconomic backgrounds (Marangi et al., 2023). This study would like to examine the digital transition in some Veneto’s schools, adopting a holistic approach by querying teachers and principals on the strategies employed in effectively integrate ICT in learning-teaching processes. Through a twofold questionnaire, the research aims to assess both the challenges and opportunities presented by ICT in education, offering recommendations to enhance inclusion and the effective use of digital technologies, addressing particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds or with disabilities.