Audio-visual Narrative and Inclusion in Primary Schools

to the film Finding Nemo (Stanton & Unkrich, 2003). The viewing was designed as an active and mediated educational experience, rather than a simple passive enjoyment of the audiovisual product. Before the viewing, the teacher introduced the narrative context and the main characters, stimulating the pupils' expectations and directing their attention to specific aspects relevant to the programme, such as the protagonist's difficulties, the relationships between the characters and the strategies for mutual help. During the viewing, there were breaks and short stimulating questions aimed at promoting understanding of the characters' emotions, situations of exclusion or support, and the consequences of the actions taken. Subsequently, guided discussions were proposed, both in small and large groups, with the aim of stimulating critical reflection and peer comparison. The discussions were structured around open questions and problem situations that emerged from the narrative (e.g., How does Nemo feel when he is underestimated? Why is the help of others important? What does it mean to feel part of a group?). Students were encouraged to express their personal opinions, emotions, and experiences, relating the story to their own daily experiences in the classroom and outside of school. The teacher acted as a facilitator of dialogue, promoting mutual listening, respect for turn-taking and the appreciation of different points of view. This way of working encourages the development of reflective thinking, communication skills and empathy, which are central elements in social and emotional learning (Goleman, 1995; CASEL, 2013). Finally, the programme included cooperative activities designed to translate the symbolic and emotional content that emerged from the storytelling into concrete collaborative experiences. Among these, particular importance was given to the design and creation of a board game on inclusion, conceived and built by the students themselves. The activity was divided into several phases: conception of the theme and objectives of the game, definition of the rules, design of the board and cards, material creation and testing of the game. The pupils worked in small, mixed groups, taking on different roles and collaborating to achieve a common goal. This experience required the negotiation of shared decisions, the enhancement of each person's skills and respect for individual time and contributions, promoting the development of social, relational and cooperative skills. Cooperative learning activities are recognised in the literature as effective tools for promoting inclusion, a sense of belonging and mutual support among peers (Johnson & Johnson, 1999; Canevaro, 2013). www.ijee.io Overall, the educational programme proposed to the experimental group integrated cognitive, emotional and relational dimensions, offering students structured opportunities for reflection, dialogue and collaboration. The use of audiovisual storytelling, in synergy with guided discussions and cooperative activities, promoted a deeper understanding of the values of inclusion and translated them into concrete practices of relationship and participation within the class group. The control group followed a different educational programme, participating in the normal curricular activities provided for in the school programme, without the introduction of specifically structured and intentional interventions based on audiovisual narration and the themes of inclusion. The control group's path therefore represented a reference condition, useful for comparing the effects of the experimental intervention with the ordinary course of educational and relational dynamics in the class (Trinchero, 2013). The activities carried out by the control group mainly included lectures, individual exercises and ordinary group work, in line with the teaching practices usually adopted in primary school. The lectures were aimed at transmitting and understanding the subject content of the curriculum, with the teacher guiding the teaching activity and the pupils mainly engaged in listening and individual reworking. Although not exclusive, this method is a widespread practice in traditional teaching and ensures that the curriculum content is covered (Damiano, 2006). Alongside lectures, individual exercises were proposed, aimed at consolidating subject knowledge and skills through reading, writing, calculation and problem-solving activities. These activities encouraged the development of autonomy in study and individual responsibility for one's own learning, without, however, providing for explicit and structured reflection on relational dynamics or inclusion issues. The course also included ordinary group work, used mainly as an organisational method for carrying out subject-specific tasks. Although these group activities encouraged opportunities for peer interaction, they were not structured according to the principles of cooperative learning nor explicitly aimed at promoting empathy, intentional collaboration or respect for differences (Johnson & Johnson, 1999). Collaboration between pupils occurred spontaneously and functionally for the task at hand, without systematic mediation by the teacher on the underlying relational processes. Although not involved in the experimental programme, the control group still benefited from the school's inclusive environment and the usual educational activities aimed at socialisation and civil coexistence, in line with the principles of inclusion that characterise Italian primary schools (MIUR, 2012; Ianes, 2005). In this sense, the control group participated in routine school activities, common class activities and cross-curricular educational initiatives that promote respect for rules, collaboration and participation in school life. 5. Results 5.1 Quantitative data analysis Quantitative data analysis was conducted to assess the impact of the educational intervention based on audiovisual storytelling on perceptions of inclusion, classroom climate and peer relationships, comparing the results of the experimental group and the control group, and focusing on pupils with physical disabilities in both groups. Data were collected using the Index for Inclusion in the pre-intervention and post-intervention phases, allowing for a comparative analysis of changes over time. In the first phase, a descriptive analysis was carried out of the average scores and response percentages for the dimensions investigated (perception of peer acceptance, collaboration, respect for differences, classroom climate, and sense of belonging). In the experimental group, post-intervention data showed an overall increase in positive responses (“often” and “always”) www.ijee.io of approximately 25-30% compared to the pre-intervention phase, with particularly significant increases in the dimensions of collaboration and respect for differences. In the control group, on the other hand, the changes observed between pre- and post-intervention were more modest, with an average increase in positive responses of between 5% and 10%, attributable to the normal dynamics of the class. Analysing more specifically the perception of acceptance by peers, in the experimental group, the percentage of pupils who said they felt accepted “often” or “always” rose from around 60% in the pre-intervention phase to over 85% in the post-intervention phase. In the control group, on the other hand, the same percentage increased more modestly, from about 62% to 68%. Similar data emerged for the class climate dimension, for which the experimental group showed an increase in positive responses of about 28%, compared to an increase of 7% in the control group. With regard to collaboration and mutual help, in the experimental group, the percentage of pupils who said they frequently collaborated with their classmates increased from 55% to 82%, while in the control group, the increase was around 10%. The dimension of respect and appreciatio