Educatori, assistenti sociali, psicologi e insegnanti: uno strumento per l'autovalutazione delle rappresentazioni professionali degli studenti

The socio-psycho-educational professions present distinct professional curricula in Italy, due to the need to train professionals with a differentiated profile of skills. However, the social, educational and psychological work are often considered similar by students who are orienting themselves, for of an alleged common denominator, connected above all to the ethical aspects of the profession and to the recipients of the “educational or care actions” (eg children, frail subjects). It is not uncommon to find misconceptions and incorrect representations not only in the orientation phase, but also in students who have already arrived more than half of their studies, with the risk of generating drop out, transition to other courses or unsatisfied longterm professional disruption. It is therefore important to accompany students adequately to choose the professional field that best suits their propensities and attitudes, through the use of specific self-assessment tools. For this purpose, a self-assessment scale has been worked out for the socio-psychopedagogical professions. The tool was administered to the second/third year students of the study courses involved (educational sciences, psychological sciences, social service and teacher education), to identify the most frequent misconceptions, to inspire future interventions for the secondary schools.