Promoting Cultural diversity in primary and lower-secondary schools Erasmus Project

Project Title

Promoting Cultural diversity in primary and lower-secondary schools

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 : Partnerships for Creativity

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Recognition, transparency, certification; Pedagogy and didactics; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

European mobility and international migration are contributing to the change of the European society. However, recent OECD studies (2014 & 2016b) demonstrate that this diversified panorama rose intolerance and social exclusion instead of social inclusion, especially in school environment. Teachers and schools are directly interested by these social transformations and are required to be better prepared in order to support to newly arrived students, to address their specific needs, to foster tolerance, respect for diversity and civic responsibility.
Furthermore, the switch from offline to online learning caused by COVID-19 is likely to affect negatively those children, in primary and lower secondary schools, who have higher difficulties in adapting to the new online learning environment. The switch is also expected to exacerbate existing educational inequalities. More vulnerable students, such as for instance those from less advantaged backgrounds, are especially likely to fall behind during this emergency period. These students are less likely to have access to relevant learning digital resources and less likely to have a suitable home learning environment. Additionally, they may not receive as much (direct or indirect) support from their parents (JRC,2020).
In this regard, the project is aimed at promoting diversity in classroom as a key competence for students from primary and lower-secondary school. For teachers, it represents a framework to be possessed before entering the teacher profession (European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, 2013) as well as a competence that should be continuously updated in order to respond appropriately and effectively to future demands, challenges and opportunities of the society. The growing diversity in terms of cultures, ethnics and communities in European classrooms and societies, in fact, creates expectation in teachers who should possess the competencies to promote inter-group respect and understanding and to apply learner-centered teaching strategies, considering diversity as a benefit and resource.
In order to achieve such an aim, the project is proposing educational tools to equip teachers with relevant intercultural competencies and tools in both ITE and CPD in order to make students aware of the relevant educational resource diversity represents in classrooms, enrich the competencies and creativity of all students, promote inter-group contact, opportunities for reflection and peer-learning and cultural self-awareness.
Outputs:
1. Definition of Key Intercultural Competences based on the Conceptual and Operational Framework of Intercultural Competences (UNESCO) and on the King and Baxter Magolda’s developmental framework (2005) for intercultural maturity, the project intends to develop a framework of the most relevant intercultural knowledge and skills that students should acquire in order to benefit from cultural diversity at school. The framework will be structured in three levels corresponding respectively to EQF levels 1-3. Moreover, this framework will also be multidimensional, including the following three dimensions: how students see the world (cognitive), how they see themselves (intrapersonal), and how they relate to others (interpersonal). Taking into account these features, the competence framework will be characterized also by a practical dimension: it will be structured in different competence areas (e.g. communication, empathy, listening, respect, etc.).
2. Creation of a Multicultural Educational Tools and Guidelines for teachers. On the basis of the framework identified in the O1 an educational toolkit will be designed with the direct involvement of teachers and students from Partner organisations. Starting from the framework structure, the toolkit will be created in order to match it in terms of levels, dimensions and areas with specific topics and activities developed by students and guided by teachers to be integrated into a unique ICT based tool, accessible on the project website. Each group of students will be responsible for an activity and will cooperate with their peers from other countries through the use of e-Twinning.
DIVERS-CULT is expected to:
-Promote intercultural dialogue as a key channel for enhancing conflict resolution, mutual respect,
understanding, social cohesion, inclusion, democratic participation, empowerment of citizens and
international cooperation
-Build a framework for commonly shared values which fosters cultural diversity
-Disseminate these principles and tools of multiculturalism through quality education
-Strengthen teachers’ self-esteem and preparation on cultural diversity management.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 190197 Eur

Project Coordinator

HASKOLI ISLANDS & Country: IS

Project Partners

• HEARTHANDS SOLUTIONS LIMITED
• Colegiul National de Arta “Octav Bancila”
• Kauno Simono Daukanto progimnazija
• CRES Center for Research and European Studies – future business