The Role of Universities in Teachers' Professional Development: a Model Proposal

Teacher training is a critical investment area in Italy, aimed at fostering equitable, high-quality education nationwide. Recent regulations have established Multidisciplinary Centers for Teacher Training to promote collaboration between schools and universities, enhancing both initial and in-service training as avenues for educational research and best practices. The 30 and 60 CFU Qualifying Pathways pose significant challenges for Italian universities, necessitating the careful design and management of training programs for a large number of secondary school teachers. This paper examines the training plan developed by eCampus Telematic University for the inaugural 30 CFU Qualifying Pathway, which engaged approximately 14,000 teachers across Italy. The primary objective was to establish a model for managing large-scale teacher training that would be effective in both in-person and online environments. The study was structured in three phases: analyzing the CEMFI training offer and the methodological choices assumed by trainers; detecting if and how Padlet boards can be effective partners for Course designing and lecture managing; and collecting trainee feedback. Key findings reveal that the flexible design of the training program successfully engaged participants, despite challenges inherent in a fully online format. The shared Padlet platform proved invaluable for organizing content and facilitating interaction. eCampus tested a sustainable and adaptable model suitable for other academic contexts. The results highlight the role of universities as strategic hubs in teacher training and underscore the need for enhanced collaboration among universities to strengthen national teacher training initiatives and to share training models.