Abstract
School segregation regards the uneven distribution across schools of pupils based on socioeconomic, ethnic or other features and is one of the most evident expressions of educational inequalities since it can have significant effects both on the chances of social mobility of individuals and on spatial equality. Grasping the dynamics that lie behind this phenomenon also provides further knowledge of the relationship between educational inequalities and the territorial distribution of the population. Indeed, school segregation has recently become a relevant topic of investigation in Italy because of the increased immigration flows over the last three decades. The current significant quota of foreign students has highlighted a significantly different distribution of their presence in the school systems. This project aims to analyze if, and to what extent, school segregation is in play in Italian lower secondary schools (this level of education is mandatory and comprehensive) and to understand the drivers and the mechanisms leading to this form of segregation considering both students socio-economic background and their migratory status. For this purpose, the research design foresees a mixed-method approach, applying quantitative and qualitative research techniques in an integrated manner. Statistical analyses are used on available relevant micro-data (Invalsi micro-data on students’ learning tests, which also include students’ characteristics, local governments’ school registers, local government data population by neighbourhoods) to estimate segregation and detect some of its ecological drivers. Additionally, semi-structured interviews with some key figures - such as teachers, principals and students’ parents - are carried out to shed light on schools’ policies of distributing students (between schools and within classrooms) and parents’ (lack of) choices in selecting schools. The study expects to find socio-economic and ethnic segregation in Italian lower secondary schools, closely linked to neighborhood composition. Parents with higher socio-economic status are expected to be more likely to engage in active school choice, opting for schools perceived as higher quality or more socio-economically advantaged. Immigrant and low-SES parents may face barriers (information, transportation, social networks) limiting their ability to choose schools, leading to more homogeneous, segregated school populations. Teachers and principals may have varying attitudes toward integration, influencing policies that either promote or hinder heterogeneous classrooms. Results: The project achieved the following objectives: · Developed an understanding of the relationship between school and residential segregation in Italian urban contexts, considering both ethnic and socio-economic dimensions and identifying common patterns and local differences. · Investigated the mechanisms driving school segregation in Bologna and Milan, considering institutional frameworks, households’ school choices, and territorial characteristics, including residential composition and infrastructural factors affecting students’ mobility. · Analysed the functioning of local educational landscapes and their influence on school choice in socially mixed neighbourhoods. · Examined the interplay between school practices, family choices, and residential characteristics in reproducing social and educational inequalities during the transition from primary to lower secondary education. Publications Some of the project’s findings have already been published: · Cordini, M., & Parma, A. (2025). Scuole e territori. La segregazione scolastica a Milano e Bologna. Bologna: Il Mulino. · Parma, A. (2025). Quali scuole scelgono i genitori? Evidenze dal contesto milanese. Scuola Democratica, 17, 75–99. One article has been submitted to an international peer-reviewed journal, while two further manuscripts are currently being prepared for submission. The project also hosted an intern, who contributed to mapping school enrolment flows and analysing the structural characteristics of local educational landscapes. Conference Presentations and Dissemination Project results were presented at several national and international conferences and seminars: · 4–6 September 2024 – ESPAnet Italia Conference 2024 (Milan, Italy). Marta Cordini presented “Segregazione residenziale e scolastica in Italia. Le disuguaglianze nell'accesso alle opportunità educative.” · 8–9 October 2024 – International Workshop Unravelling Pathways of School Segregation: A Global Perspective (Cologne, Germany). Costanzo Ranci, Andrea Parma, Francisco Ferraioli, and Giulia Marroccoli presented “School Segregation and Its Differentiated Impacts on Learning Achievements: The Case of Urban Italy.” · 29 January–1 February 2025 – IX SISEC Conference (Pavia, Italy). Andrea Parma and Francisco Ferraioli presented “Understanding School Effects: How the Socio-economic and Ethnic Composition of Schools Affects Educational Achievement.” Marta Cordini, Giulia Dugar, Debora Mantovani, Giulia Marroccoli, and Federica Santangelo presented “Segregazione scolastica urbana in Italia: interazioni tra istituzioni, famiglie e dimensione locale.” · 21 May 2025 – Seminar La segregazione scolastica in Italia. Linee di ricerca (Bologna, Italy). The research team presented “Dai genitori alla scuola: scelte e pratiche nelle scuole secondarie di I grado di Milano e Bologna.” · 3–5 September 2025 – Mid-term Conference of the Bourdieu Study Group (Vienna, Austria). Giulia Marroccoli presented “The Mutual Influence of Middle School Habitus and Segregation Mechanisms at Entry and Exit.” · 16–18 September 2025 – XVII ESPAnet Italia Conference (Turin, Italy). Marta Cordini and Giulia Marroccoli presented “Between Agency and Constraints: School Choice Among Families with a Migratory Background in a Case Study of Milan.” · 12 May 2026 – Conference Scuole e territori diseguali. Dalla ricerca alle politiche (Milan, Italy). The research team presented the project findings. · 29 June–2 July 2026 – 23rd IMISCOE Annual Conference (Girona, Spain). Marta Cordini, Giulia Dugar, Debora Mantovani, and Giulia Marroccoli presented “School Choice and Segregation in Mixed Urban Contexts: Exploring Educational Inequalities in Italy.” Additional Dissemination Activities Four project meetings were organised throughout the project. A mid-term conference was also held in Bologna on 19 February 2025, bringing together invited discussants to present and critically discuss preliminary findings.
Project details
Unibo Team Leader: Debora Mantovani
Unibo involved Department/s:
Dipartimento di Scienze Politiche e Sociali
Coordinator:
Politecnico di MILANO(Italy)
Total Unibo Contribution: Euro (EUR) 61.153,00
Project Duration in months: 24
Start Date:
15/10/2023
End Date:
28/02/2026
