Physics for Primary School Teachers in Italy: Comparative Analysis in a Dedicated Survey

In Italy, a five-year university course “Scienze della formazione primaria”, which can be translated as Primary Education Degree Course (henceforth PEDC), is dedicated to train the future teachers of kindergarten and primary school (age range 3–11). The Italian project PLS-Physics (“Piano Lauree Scientifiche”), financed by the government and coordinated by J. Immè, has among its objectives the improvement of school-university cooperation, through a pre- and in-service teacher education. In this context, a group composed of PLS members (named PLS group 6, coordinated by M. Michelini) organized a national survey to gather information about the physics courses for PEDC in all the Italian universities. A picture of a living community that has chosen to confront and improve together has emerged. The aim of this study is to monitor the status of the art concerning the initial training of kindergarten and primary school teachers in Italy, as a first step for the creation of shared formative actions, also in a dialogue with the national government. The relation between teaching practice and physics education research has also been investigated.