Prospettive e pratiche di supporto scolastico da parte degli educatori delle comunità per minori. Uno studio etnografico-discorsivo

For children and young people living in residential care, academic inclusion represents a verifiable empirical predictor of future academic and social adaptation, as also an outcome of the collaboration of different professionals working with them, teachers and educators included. Yet, particularly in Italy, little is known about the scholastic support provided by their educators, principal – even if temporary – caregivers of out-of-home children. Filling this gap and drawing on a corpus of ethnographic observations and interviews occurred in two group homes based in Rome (IT), this article analyzes in depths professionals’ practices and discursive perspectives by means of discourse analysis’ tools. Results show a different scholastic support – therefore a different scholastic mission – of the two communities of practices, with different discursive constructions and rhetoric positioning. This comparison between two communities and with the literature of the field allow us to give back to these facilities specific reflections and to interrogate the entire alternative care sector on the school relation management and academic achievement of children. Finally, in the conclusions we advance some indications to field experts and researchers.