Constructing the self in school guidance: strategic competencies, e-portfolio, and educational mentoring

Contemporary schools are called upon to deal with the uncertainty of educational transitions, the fragmentation of biographies and the impact of digital languages, which re-define the ways in which we learn and express ourselves. In this scenario, guidance can no longer be seen as a marginal activity, but as a cross-cutting and continuous process of self-construction. This paper investigates the integration of Pathways for Transversal Skills and Guidance (PCTO), e-portfolios and educational mentoring, exploring their potential in the development of strategic skills. The study is part of the Ef.Ate research project—“From the Forge of Hephaestus to the Wisdom of Athena”—involving five upper-secondary schools; at present, activities are underway in three of them. In this preliminary phase, we conducted an exploratory survey by administering the Learning Strategies Questionnaire (QSA; Pellerey, 1996) to students in the final two years of upper-secondary school (years 4–5), with the aim of identifying trends and critical issues in the distribution of strategic skills. The results highlight differences between schools and provide a useful basis for the next stages of the project. They confirm the need to integrate digital tools, reflective practices and relational devices so that guidance can be a generative and inclusive experience, capable of promoting self-direction and self-regulation (Benadusi, Molina 2018).