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Embodied Education for Sustainability and Inclusion: An Experimental Study in Lower Secondary School

Giovanni Tafuri, Lucia Ariemma, Davide Di Palma

Abstract

The integration of Embodied Education, sustainability and inclusion is an innovative area of contemporary teaching, in which body and mind collaborate in the learning process, promoting a more equitable and conscious educational context. This experimental study aims to investigate how an approach based on bodily experience can help raise students' awareness of the Sustainable Development Goals of the 2030 Agenda and promote inclusive practices in schools. The six-month project involves a sample of 100 secondary school pupils, with a specific focus on students with special educational needs (SEN), with a migrant background, from disadvantaged socio-economic backgrounds or with high levels of academic achievement. These groups, which are often exposed to forms of marginalisation, are placed at the centre of the intervention to transform inclusion and sustainability into everyday practices shared by the entire school community. The methodology adopted is mixed, qualitative and quantitative, and involves the use of validated tools to measure students' inclusion, well-being and ecological awareness, with the aim of analysing the effects of this integrated approach on their personal and social development. The project is expected to improve social inclusion, increase awareness of environmental issues and enrich the overall educational experience.

Keywords

Embodied Education Inclusion Sustainability Innovative Teaching Body

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