Science Olympics Erasmus Project

Project Title

Science Olympics

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 : School Exchange Partnerships

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2018

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Natural sciences; ICT – new technologies – digital competences; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills

Project Summary

The project partnership constituted of three primary schools from Poland (coordinator) , United Kingdom, Spain and was dedicated to students aged 10-12. The project tried to answer the important students’ problem which is lack of critical, logical thinking stemming from maths, science and daft usage of TIK and English used for instructions and for reading comprehension in our schools. This in turn resulted in poor or hardly satisfactory results in final exams at Maths, Science and English and low motivation to study these subjects diminishing in this way future prospects of employment. Another issue addressed by the project was distinctively smaller number of girls than boys interested in maths, science and IT and gaining relatively worse results. Also the inclusion problems among children with fewer opportunities and immigrants (North Africa, Syria, Ukraine) was tackled in the project.
Our main aim is to increase students’ motivation and interest in Maths and Science as key subjects and upgrade their practical competences. This will result in better school performance and better results during final exams in all partner schools, gaining new skills and practical competences as well as upgrading command of English through practical international meetings.
The core activities of the project are connected with organising three editions of “Science Olympics” in each partner country. These carefully prepared, five-day contests each time included such activities as: Opening Ceremony, Maths Challenge, Specific Discipline Contest different for every school and Robotics Challenge. Finally there was a Closing Ceremony. In the afternoon integration activities were organized such as visiting the local spots of beauty. All students each time were divided into five international “colour groups” and for five days they competed against each other learning Maths, Science and Robotics, using English and getting to know each other and scoring points in all challenges. Between meetings each school was obliged to run a scientific natural experiment and keep record of it. At every meeting the findings were presented and compared. Over the lockdown period we presented them online. The project was properly managed and communication between partners was on high level. We run e-Twinning live group as a diary to document all our activities. All schools were responsible for communication and dissemination activities in each region, and for adding information for interim and final report.
Project brought many palpable results. Firstly, students are now better motivated to study Maths, Science and ITC and they get a little higher score at final exams, also more girls got interested in science and maths in our respective schools. The project also helped fight prejudice and radical thinking so popular in today’s world as it ensured bigger openness to other cultures, higher self-assessment and tolerance for others. Another benefit is that students who travelled abroad gained independence and self-reliance. Teachers exchanged opinions and teaching practices which adds up to their professional position. Parents of students who were hosting students also gained more knowledge and openness for others. In the long run the project gave our schools higher position and respect of educational authorities. This in turn has made all the teachers more interested in future involvement in other projects, introducing in this way stronger position of teachers and bringing about a change in the approach of teaching and organising work in schools

Project Website

http://sp2.proszowice.pl/erazmus-1/

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 83952,5 Eur

Project Coordinator

Szkola Podstawowa nr 2 w Proszowicach & Country: PL

Project Partners

• BATTLE HILL PRIMARY SCHOOL
• OZEL TEKSEN ORTAOKULU
• FUNDACIÓ PRIVADA ESCOLA VICENCIANA-ESCOLA SAGRADA FAMÍLIA
• Dimotiko Sxoleio Koronis