Arianna Lazzari is currently Senior Assistant Professor at the
Department of Education Science of Bologna University. She has been
working in the field of early childhood education for over ten
years, gaining professional and academic experience both in Italy
and abroad (UK, Ireland, Sweden). Her research focuses on:
- professionalism and professional development of practitioners
working in early childhood settings across Europe;
- pedagogical approaches to the education and care of young
children elaborated within different European traditions;
- ECEC policy developments in cross-national perspective.
She awarded the title of European Doctorate at Bologna
University in May 2011, with a thesis titled ‘Reconceptualising
professional development in early childhood education: a study on
teachers' professionalism carried out in Bologna province'.
During the same year (September 2011) her doctoral research
received the Best Student Research Award at the 21st EECERA
conference in Geneva.
From January 2010 to October 2011 she was involved in the European project ‘Study on competence requirements for staff in early childhood education and care' commissioned by the Directorate General for Education and Culture (DG EAC) of the European Commission and jointly conducted by the University of East London (Mathias Urban) and by the University of Ghent, Belgium (Michel Vandenbroeck, Jan Peeters and Katrien Van Laere).
As an independent researcher for SOFRECO (September 2011-June 2012), she carried out – under the supervision of Michel Vandenbroeck (Department of Social Welfare Studies, Ghent University) – a literature review on the participation of disadvantaged children and families in ECEC services in Europe commissioned by the DG Education and Culture of the European Commission.
From October 2013 to August2014 she has been
involved as a researcher in the Eurofound project ‘Assessing
childcare services in Europe' on the impact
of continuing professional development and working conditions of
staff on the quality of ECEC provision. Starting in September 2014, she participated, as a country-expert for Italy, in the project
commissioned by the DG Education and Culture of the European
Commission ‘Study on the effective use of early childhood
education and care (ECEC) in preventing early school leaving
(ESL)' exploring the link between high quality ECEC, successful
educational transitions and student's educational achievements in
compulsory school.
From September 2015 to May 2018 she was awarded a post-doc research position at the Department of Education Studies "G.M. Bertin" of Bologna University (UNIBO-EDU). As part of UNIBO-EDU research unit she took part to the Erasmus+ projects START "A good start for all: sustaining inclusive transitions in the early years" and TRACKS "Transitions, children and kindergarten" funded by the European Commission.
In November 2018 she was employed as Senior Researcher at the Department of Education Studies "G.M. Bertin" of Bologna University, with tenure track position. Since November 2021, she is permanently emplyoed as Associate Professor with research, teaching and institutional responsibility.
She is currently involved in several national and international projects, through which she collaborates with European universities, research organisations and NGOs. Since November 2021, she has been appointed as research expert supporting the the European Commission’s Thematic Working Group on Early Childhood Education and Care.
From February 2025 she undertook the role of UNIBO-EDU Delegate for International Relations.
