Family involvement and educational coresponsibility in ECE: a case study. Partecipazione delle famiglie e corresponsabilità educativa nella scuola dell’infanzia: un caso di studio

The process that changed the original socio-assistance function of educational services in a “socio- educational function”, has now been fully carried out. At the same time, the relationship between the educational services and families has also gone through a process of change. In fact, paying attention to children’s growth processes also means involving their families and the community in the educational service. The concept of “reciprocal circularity” between educational services and families refers to the importance of ensuring a continuity that connects in any ways the educational experience and the family background, so to enhance virtuous processes of educational alliance. On this conceptual basis an explorative research has been grounded, which includes and analyses a textual corpus of semi-structured interviews of 72 families involved in the Associazione di Promozione Sociale (Social Development Association, SDA) AgriBimbi, in Lecce province (Galatina), that is engaged in planning and developing experiential paths in nature, for 3- to- 6 year old- children. The collected results offer new paths of theoretical reflection and didactical action towards a desired review of educational activities in the ECE schools, that fully enhances the family involvement with the perspective of the harmonious education action and the education for sustainability.