Analyzing participation in school contexts: triggering change through the use of indicators Analizzare la partecipazione nei contesti scolastici: innescare il cambiamento attraverso l’utilizzo di indicatori

This article presents results from the first phase of an action research process conducted together with a group of secondary school teachers, with the aim of experimenting with actions that reduce educational risk and improve inclusion and participation in schools. The ‘Framework for Participation’ tool (Black‐Hawkins, 2010) was introduced as a system of international indicators, to examine educational contexts in order to highlight different interpretations that can be associated with concepts of participation, inclusion, exclusion, disability, and special educational needs. The use of a system of indicators has made it possible on the one hand to stimulate systematic and rigorous reflection, and on the other to suggest sources of evidence that can facilitate the development of a model of ‘best practices’ and plan innovation paths.