Spaced learning in secondary school: A cross-border teaching proposal

Spaced learning is a teaching methodology that structures time to optimize students' attention, concentration, and long-term memory consolidation. Kelley and Whatson (2013) developed this approach to investigate whether delivering brief inputs at structured intervals could facilitate the encoding of complex information into long-term memory. This methodology frames the educational setting as a dynamic environment capable of fostering students' active engagement and metacognitive awareness. Building on these premises, this study aims to design and test a spaced learning pathway within upper secondary education, specifically targeting core subjects in vocational institutes for food and wine services and hospitality. The objective is twofold: to enhance learning outcomes in vocational subjects and to promote inclusion and school well-being, which are central to educational quality and academic success. The five-phase educational intervention comprises three cognitive input sessions interspersed with two breaks featuring distracting activities. Within this framework, motor activity plays a strategic role, supporting knowledge consolidation by integrating bodily experience with cognitive processes. This approach is particularly relevant from an inclusive perspective, as it may prove especially effective for students with special educational needs, fostering a more accessible, participatory, and motivating learning environment. Operationally, the pathway alternates lesson time with ten-minute sessions of motor activities and interactive games, aiming to support a more effective, relaxed, and meaningful learning process. Applying spaced learning to vocational subjects in food and wine studies and hospitality is thus intended not only to strengthen technical skills but also to positively influence participation, inclusion, and perceived well-being. The experimental research will be conducted over two years, involving a sample of 500 students equally distributed between Italy and Tunisia. Through this comparative and transnational perspective, the study seeks to analyze the methodology's effectiveness across different educational contexts, contributing to the scientific debate on innovative teaching strategies oriented toward academic success, inclusion, and the promotion of well-being at school.