JOINT PROJECT REPORT: COMENIUS 1 SCHOOL PARTNERSHIPS 2004-2005 

The focus of this joint project report is your project partnership, its organisation and management. Responses should not normally exceed a maximum of two A4 pages.

UK co-ordinators have been provided with this proforma to facilitate the reporting process. The report should be jointly agreed by the project partnership and assembled by the co-ordinating school.

A copy of the final agreed version (written in the main communication language of the partnership) should be sent to all partners by 31 July 2005.The deadline for submission to the British Council is 30 September 2005.

SECTION A: PARTNERSHIP ACTIVITIES 

What activities have been carried out by the partnership in the past school year?

Briefly describe the project activities, which have taken place locally within the participating institutions, as well as the transnational mobility activities of staff and pupils. Explain what went well or less well than expected and why.

The 2004-2005 activities for the group have been developed and agreed at a number of meetings in Iceland , England and Portugal . These meetings have allowed collaboration between the partners and a sharing of best practices and ideas. The significant development has been the range of activities that have been discussed and implemented under the common theme of ‘Social Inclusion'. Allowing all students to access a relevant and suitable curriculum, and overcoming barriers that exist in hindering the success of the young people in education, is a wide-ranging issue with many diverse solutions. The group sought to examine the solutions relevant and suitable to each local scenario. These solutions have been tried, discussed and evaluated by the project. The evaluation of ‘best-fit' solutions and the adaptation of the solutions in the differing cultures and systems has been the greatest success of the partnership during this term. Evaluation has occurred through verbal and visual feedback and in some cases with evidence of improved student attainment data.

The meetings and subsequent communication (via email) provided a good structure and support mechanism in developing the work. The developments include:

•  All the members have worked to submit Multiple Intelligence information about a selected pilot cohort of students.

•  All member institutions have produced analysis examining the influence of MI on the project members' own teaching development. Please refer to the summary report issued in March 2004.

•  These developments have been discussed and adapted and disseminated across a wider audience of teachers in all institutions.

•  The adaptations of the work allowed the groups to target social inclusion, ‘drop-out' levels, performance of male students, higher-level achievers and the impact of mentorship on learning.

These new and revised practices have had a significant impact on the engagement and attainment of young people in all the participating countries.

The next phase of the project was agreed to further disseminate the findings of the group across a wider group of teachers, school, local authorities and teacher training institutions. Seminars are being planned at which each participant will present and disseminate their work, initially in Italy and Portugal . The target audience and expected outcomes have been the subject of much debate by the group. The presentations are to be adapted according to regional structures and cultures in the host educational systems.

The purposes of the transnational meetings were:

•  To set the agenda for the forthcoming coordinated work.

•  To review progress of work in individual institutions.

•  To provide feedback on progress made.

SECTION B: END PRODUCTS

What kind of product(s) have been produced collaboratively by the project partnership in the course of the past school year?

Which of these are ‘joint' project results and which have been produced separately by the participating institutions? How have these products been disseminated and to whom, both within and outside the partnership? How were they received?

The dedicated website is the major development of ‘product' from the project. The website hosts copies of all the materials used in the development and research work, case studies and documentation that is reflective and evaluative of the work. Links to the Multiple Intelligences sites, Learning style sites and other related sites are also to be present in the final domain site.

The group conducted a survey across all of the institutions. This research and its results, found in the Summary report (March 2004) created a much-needed audit of the present situation in each country. More importantly the group were able to discuss the strengths and development areas from each country and determine why there were cultural differences. The group was able to look at the reasons for strengths and discuss this best practice in other cultural environments. For example: The UK institution was able to use this information to develop policy about coursework deadlines based upon the ethos of other countries.

The group used the JUNG 144 personality test to develop an understanding of the young people in each target cohort. This information, coupled with other knowledge of their preferred learning style, allows the class teacher to prepare lessons, materials and tasks that are relevant to the students and their situation. These lessons were styled to allow greater access the curriculum, engaged more young people into the activity and learning environment and included all students into lesson structure. These lessons were shared and discussed at length by the group, allowing the dissemination of successful lesson styles across the partner countries.

Each institution developed the material and themes to the requirements of their own situation. These developments and the progress made was regularly discussed and shared by the group. The materials produced were specific to the cohort, lesson and students preferred style. By this nature the lessons could be transferred only in pedagogical support, rather than actual lesson materials.

Examples of work:

Italy : The JUNG 144 assessment was used with the target group and linked to the development of their English studies. Students have developed a growing awareness of different personalities and different ways of tackling problems.

Experimental lessons were planned, taught and reviewed, using the new teaching styles developed through the work of the group. These lessons, with a focus on Italian and English Literature have been a great success

Students filled in a final feedback questionnaire/survey about the different ways that classwork was organised during the English lessons. Their suggestions have been accounted for in the curriculum planning for the next academic year.

Ways of intertwining the results of the Comenius work and the projects on the support work that the school is currently offering are being explored.

UK : All students in the College were tested, and their preferred learning style was included alongside other data for all class teachers. The teachers all received training the delivery of lessons in a style suitable to the learning style of the group. More teachers begin to take risks with their teaching style and operate outside of their normal, usually auditory, comfort zone. This allowed more active, innovative lessons that improved student's inclusion, engagement and ultimately their attainment.

The work of the project participants has impacted upon the work of the whole College and been the catalyst for policy change. The Accelerated Learning Programme (ALPS), VAK analysis for all students, Changes to the pastoral structure, changes to the length of lesson time, adaptation of the Key Stage 3 strategy modules and the onset of Vocational accreditation and opportunities, are all borne out of the research and developments that the Commenius group have instigated.

The BTEC Sport and Exercise Sciences course has studied the cohort and produced a detailed analysis of the group. The student's preferred learning style and their personality have influenced the teaching styles and tasks. This is a direct result of the analysis and research of the group. The students have been involved in the process and have a clear understanding of using this information to inform assignment production and revision styles. The indications are that the cohort is performing well above the expected level in the assessed assignments.

Iceland : Diaries have been issued to the entire target group to allow the students to be more self reflective of their work and issues surrounding them. This evaluative process is allowing the students to become more aware of issues and assists them in developing greater self-esteem and self-confidence. This in turn allows a greater engagement with the curriculum and greater standards of attainment. The pilot cohort has been successful and the project is now being extended to all the first year students.

The diaries are introduced to have an impact on the social and emotional aspects of the holistic person and the sharing of the experience, with the teacher or confidential friend has allowed a greater student orientated focus and impacted on their well-being.

Attendance at the institution has improved, there is greater engagement with the institutional structure outside of the curriculum and this engagement allows personal issues to be dealt with effectively and sensitively.

The Icelandic institution has developed policy of Orientation for all new students. This programme addresses issues of seclusion and loneliness, whilst also impacting on attendance and social engagement.

Portugal : The Portuguese institution recognised that there is a need to train the teachers in most aspects of the use of preferred learning styles. The institution adopted the DfES Key Stage 3 Strategy unit 19 and used this as the basis for the training of all the teachers. The teachers became more aware of the process and are now more attentive to which senses are engaged when learning in different situations.

The target cohort had an initial population of 14 students. These targeted students were particularly at risk of ‘drop out' from the curriculum. After the first year, 5 students had dropped out with no monitored reason. During the second year, using the preferred learning styles approach, the remaining nine students remained to the conclusion of the course. In Year 3, only one of the 12 students in the new cohort dropped out, the institution knows the reason for which. The VAK approach has had a significant and positive effect on the engagement and inclusion of the students.

Further examples of the related work include changes in the group structures within the institution and changes to the lesson timings.

SECTION C: BALANCED PARTNERSHIP / COMMUNICATION & COOPERATION

How effective was the collaboration between the participating institutions?

How was the distribution of tasks agreed and progress monitored? How was the communication organised? What communication language(s) has/have been used? Were there any major obstacles to a satisfactory cooperation? How have these obstacles been overcome, if at all? How important were the staff mobility activities? How important were the pupil mobility activities?

English was adopted as the main communication language for the group; bi-lingual members of the group supplied translation. All the progress and coordinator meetings only involved the teachers, no pupils were mobilised transnationally in the development work. The pupils were engaged in the project activities in each institution.

The group members were all in regular email contact, sharing practice, materials, reports and ideas. The group met up for progress meetings, during which all work was reviewed, developed and coordinated all the work.

The group overcame any obstacles to the progress by the professional, cooperative and enthusiastic approach. There were no obstacles that hindered the progress of the work. An indication of the strength of the project was the continuation of the high quality work irrespective of the changing personal in the coordinators group.

SECTION D: EVALUATION

Has the partnership undertaken any joint evaluation of project activities and progress made?

If so, what are the main methods, conclusions and consequences of this evaluation? Were expectations met? Does the partnership wish to continue its cooperation, within a Comenius project or otherwise?

The group evaluated its work in all progress meetings. The feedback was used to develop further the programmes being trialled in each institution.

This project started with the target of minimising the number of young people who drop out of the curriculum. The research and discussion escalated the theme into an investigation into how to ensure the engagement of young people in education. The project has developed a range of methods, all of which have had significant impact on the lives of the young people.

Being in possession of their students' characteristics such as personality and learning style, teachers can cooperate in order to ensure the success of learning.

The consciousness of our own learning styles has consequences in the way that we interact with others. Acting as teachers it is our responsibility to assure that the students can process information being taught, in the most suitable and effective way. Having identified the students learning styles, we are able to diversify the means through which in information is passed. At the same time, the students being aware of their own preferred learning styles are more able to understand and process information as well as to develop their own potentials. Recognising multiple intelligences allows the students and teachers to know that there is always another, more suitable and inclusive way of learning.

The extension work for the project should be to develop teaching materials to supplement the work within Multiple Intelligences. The project has proved that the teachers need to be educated in the benefit MI knowledge, we now need to provide material to make this knowledge operational within the class by developing support materials to create links between lesson theme and MI related task styles. The production of teaching resources is a Comenius 2.1 funded programme. Nevertheless we hope that the planned dissemination of the group's findings will create a great interest in diversity of teaching styles, which will entice educators to experiment and hopefully further disseminate the good practice around a larger community.

DATA PROTECTION ACT: The British Council is registered under the Data Protection Act.

Some of the information provided on this form will be recorded on computer. Any information held in relation to your project activities may be accessed and inspected by you on request, in accordance with the Data Protection Act.

------------------------------------------------

COMENIUS REPORT “LEARN IN STYLE” 2003-2004

Summary Report on the product of this Comenius project’s work over the past year.

Working together the five nations involved in the project planned, defined and refined a series of audit questions that sought to gain information from pupils and teachers regarding the styles of learning that they experienced and their preferences in and expectations of school life.  The intention of the project was to discover similarities and differences represented by the nations participating in the project and promote the use of learning styles analysis (Armstrong, Gardiner et al) in a sample from each school.

The two project meetings during the past year have focussed upon a quality of questionnaires that could be appropriately applied to each school in the member nations.  Once agreed the questionnaires were drawn up and collated by members of the group and the analysis conducted in each school.  The resulting information presented in this report is sorted by the type of questionnaire completed.

The analysis of the results produced carries a number of precautions.

Precautions

§         The number of participants was not clearly stated in some cases and has so numbers have been determined by the responses.  

§         The response rate in some instances is greater than 100%. This is where there is a greater number of responses than expected on the raw data.

§         Some of the questions enabled participants to rate their answers on a scale from 1 to 5. In some instances the raw data contained just a total score for these questions and analysis is therefore not provided at this stage.

§         Some of the questions were open, in these cases prominent example responses are given.

§         Comparisons are made between countries where appropriate. It should be borne in mind however, that these differences may be due to factors such as age or gender, or the fact that some countries chose pupils from specific subject classes.

Perceptions

While it has not been possible to draw general overall conclusions from the data the following thoughts and perceptions have been drawn out to facilitate discussion of the research and clarify possibilities for future areas of interest and activity.

·         The responses to many of the questions in Survey 1 are similaracross the five countries.

·         There are however some significant differences eg

·         The greater proportion of pupils in Italy doing over an hour's homework each day.

·         The significantly higher proportion of pupils in Iceland who get assistance at home with their studies.

·         The small proportion of pupils overall who said they felt ‘badly’ in the classroom.

·         The proportion of pupils in Italy having a preference for auditory learning styles was greater than the other countries from which data was available.

·         Overall less than a third of all pupils had a preference for auditory learning styles.

·         What implication does this have for traditional teaching methods?

·         In survey 3a the majority of teachers agreed with almost all of the statements. The responses of English and Italian teachers to statements 7 and 15 are different from their colleagues in other countries.  Does this suggest there are similarities in the approaches of the two countries?

·         A far greater proportion of teachers in England thought they would be in educational management positions in three year's time.   Does this reflect differences in career opportunities and expectations across the countries involved?  Is the organisational structure of schools very different across the five countries?

·        In survey 3b fewer pupils in Portugal agreed with the statements compared with pupils from other countries.   Does
this have any implications for teaching styles?