The TEO project (Trajectories of Education and Occupation of Immigrant Descendants) investigates the educational and labour market outcomes of immigrant descendants (IDs) in Italy. The research examines how school choices, particularly those made at the transition to upper secondary education, shape subsequent educational and occupational trajectories.
Focusing on the case of Milan, TEO specifically analyses how the territorial and school composition, together with migration background, influence the choice of upper secondary school, and how this choice, in turn, affects access to tertiary education and entry into the labour market. The research also places the agency of immigrant descendants and their families at the centre of the analysis, an aspect that has often been overlooked in studies of school choice.
TEO’s research design foresees a mixed-method approach, integrating quantitative, qualitative, and visual methodologies. Statistical analyses will map residential, school, and labour market inequalities affecting IDs. Qualitative methods (in-depth and biographical interviews) will uncover the mechanisms driving IDs school choice, including resources and constraints. Visual methods, such as milestone mapping and elicitation techniques, will further enrich the data collection process and analysis.
By connecting school choice to longer-term educational and occupational trajectories, TEO aims to raise awareness of educational inequalities, inform policy discussions, and contribute to strategies that strengthen education’s role in fostering social mobility for immigrant descendants.
Duration
2026–2028
LPS team
Giulia Marroccoli (PI), Marta Cordini, Carlotta Caciagli, Andrea Parma
Funding Body
Fondazione Cariplo