Student Voices, revitalizing the school system Erasmus Project

Project Title

Student Voices, revitalizing the school system

Project Key Action

This project related with these key action: Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices

Project Action Type

This project related with this action type : Strategic Partnerships for school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

In the “Student Voices” project the partners will find an innovative way to develop their schools and contribute as well to the development of the education systems in their countries. Each participating school has already got a reputation for good educational results and innovative approaches in teaching and learning. The schools are all popular among students and parents and have a important role within their communities or neighborhoods. The Service Centre in Iceland is a coordinating centre within the City of Reykjavik, with the role of connecting schools and other organizations run by the City. Among other duties it has is to support and counsel parents and students on the selection of schools, to support students with learning or social difficulties, etc. The partnership represents a cooperation of schools and municipalities that can become exemplar for other communities in Europe.

The education systems in all the four countries of the partners are facing different challenges and changes. In Iceland graduation period in upper secondary schools has been cut from four to
three years, as well as opening up the possibility of shortening primary/secondary education from ten to nine years depending on the capabilities of the students and their outcome from a national test implemented in 9th grade. In Denmark and Finland students have graduated 19 year old from upper secondary level but would like to improve their results in science and mathematics. In Scotland students can graduate from upper secondary level at the age of 18. Part of the project will be to examine the education systems and curriculum’s and to define best practices from each country that can be promoted and perhaps transferred to other schools and countries.

The innovative approach in the “Student Voices” project is the dialogue between experts, teachers and students focusing on student’s involvement in the designing, developing and testing of new approaches in learning and teaching. Teachers will be trained in using coaching methods to enhance the student’s active participation in the project activities.

Within the partner’s organizations there is a vast number of professionals with considerable experience in teaching, counselling, research and development. Within the participating schools there are students with unlimited imagination and new perspectives on the digital future. The “Student Voices” project creates a process were these perspectives and roles are integrated, where teachers and the schools listen “for real” to the ideas of students on how they learn and how new learning styles and methods can enhance their interest and improve their academic results. Both students and teachers will benefit from the involvement of outside experts visiting classes and participating in the training of teachers and their preparation.

The project will include all the necessary results in order to be successfully implemented. A total of 6 partners from 4 different countries, including both schools and regional/community organizations. The project includes 5 intellectual outputs (O) that is O1 Comparative study of education systems and best practices in partners countries, O2 Students Voices analysis within 3 different age groups/classes in each country, O3 curriculum and teaching methods adjustments or planing for O4 pilot teaching of new approaches/methods and O5 Student Voices platform presenting the project results to other schools, classes and countries. Partners have also defined strategies for management and implementation, quality assurance, dissemination and exploitation as well as 4 multiplier events, including 3 local seminars and a final conference. The project will impact over 3700 people, directly about 800 professionals, experts, teachers and students that will actively participate and indirectly at least 2900 people participating in multiplier events (meetings and conferences), receiving news letters or being parents to students involved.

Participating countries have a lot to learn from each other. In the time of constant changes in the education systems and the world in the new Millennium it is important to create a dialogue where different perspectives can be discussed and innovation can occur between countries, students, teachers and other professionals.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 247073 Eur

Project Coordinator

City of Reykjavik Skóla og fristundasvið & Country: IS

Project Partners

• Landakotsskóli
• Ingrid Jespersens Gymnasieskole
• Kvennaskólinn í Reykjavík
• Kemnay Academy
• Munkkiniemen yhteiskoulu