Engagement in Teacher Education: an Exploratory Study of Simplexity and the Six Thinking Hats

This study examines the potential of integrating the simplexity paradigm [1–2–3] with De Bono’s Six Thinking Hats method (1985) [4] in teacher education. Based on the premise that contemporary learning environments are shaped by complex cognitive, emotional, and social dynamics, the research aims to identify pedagogical strategies capable of fostering authentic and sustainable engagement in hybrid training contexts. The exploratory study involved 365 stu-dent teachers enrolled in the specialization program for support teaching at the University of Salerno, divided into a control group (in-person lessons) and an experimental group (online lessons). Participants attended a 30-h course on sim-plex didactics and the Six Hats method, during which they experienced their inte-grated application through metacognitive and cooperative activities designed to encourage reflection on teaching practice and the management of educational com-plexity. Data were collected using the adapted Italian version of the Engagement Questionnaire [5] and analyzed through t-tests. Results revealed significant differ-ences in the emotional dimension of engagement, with higher involvement among in-person participants compared to those online. Findings suggest that the synergy between simplexity and lateral thinking may effectively enhance behavioral and cognitive engagement even in virtual environments, while the emotional compo-nent requires further investigation to identify influencing factors. Nevertheless, this integrated perspective appears promising for promoting higher engagement levels in online learning contexts as well.