Maria Chiara Pettenati

Maria Chiara Pettenati serves as a Research Director at Indire (Istituto Nazionale Documentazione Innovazione Ricerca Educativa), where she has worked since 2014 on incoming and in-service teacher training as part of national plans entrusted to INDIRE by the Directorate General for School Personnel of the Ministry of Education. She is the scientific director of the Neoassunti project for newly appointed teachers and the 'OrientaMenti' national training plan for guidance tutors funded by the European Union. Additionally, she serves as an Ambassador for the EU Climate Pact since December 2020, focusing on implementing 'nudge' applications in schools to combat global warming.

• Research Director at Indire (since 2014)
• Scientific director of Neoassunti project
• Scientific director of 'OrientaMenti' national training plan
• EU Climate Pact Ambassador (since 2020)
• Representative in ASviS – Italian Alliance for Sustainable Development Working Groups
• Member of Professional Development Advisory Board for School Education Gateway (2021-2022)

Maria Chiara Pettenati's research focuses on teacher training and professional development, with particular emphasis on induction programs for new teachers, educational technology integration, and Education for Sustainable Development (ESD). Her work with eTwinning, Europe's largest community for teachers, has resulted in multiple publications analyzing how this platform impacts teacher professional development. She has also made significant contributions to climate change education through her EU Climate Pact role and publications on 'nudge' applications in schools.

Her recent publications show a strong focus on documenting and analyzing national teacher training initiatives in Italy, particularly the Neoassunti program that has involved approximately 300,000 teachers since 2015. Her work bridges educational research, policy implementation, and practical teacher training, with increasing attention to sustainable development education in recent years.

• The impact of eTwinning on continuing professional development of teachers in Italy (2023)
• The Teacher Training and Probation Year from 2015 to Today (2022)
• #Nextgenerationschools: case studies on sustainability education (2022)
• eTwinning and Teacher Training: Studies, evidence and perspectives (2021)
• Country Training: Overview of national teacher training experiences (2021)

Maria Chiara Pettenati provides guidance to numerous teacher training courses at regional and national levels on civic education, sustainable development, global citizenship, climate change, and ecological transition. Her advisory role extends to the professional development of teachers through the Neoassunti project, which has monitored and documented the training and probationary year for newly appointed teachers across Italy. She collaborates with universities including the Catholic University of the Sacred Heart and the University of Macerata on initiatives like the lifelong portfolio for the teaching profession.

Her work with the ASviS Alliance has resulted in significant contributions to Education for Sustainable Development in Italian schools, including editing the Notebook 'Target 4.7. Education for Sustainable Development and Global Citizenship' and the collection of case studies '#Nextgenerationschools.' As an EU Climate Pact Ambassador, she implements practical 'nudge' applications in schools to promote climate action through small, manageable interventions.