Beauty Is Subjective Erasmus Project

Project Title

Beauty Is Subjective

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 Schools Only

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Teaching and learning of foreign languages; Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Inclusion – equity

Project Summary

B.I.S. (Beauty Is Subjective) project, lasting 24 months (2017-2019), has been based on collaboration between three state high schools: IES URBI BHI (Basauri / Spain), Liceo Classico Statale Tito Livio (Milano / Italy) and Athena Campus Pottelberg (Kortrijk / Belgium) which deal mainly with a pedagogical context of multilingualism, inclusion and prevention of aesthetic discrimination. IES URBI BHI is specialized in immersion and multilingual education through CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning), and deals with student marginalisation at school through yearly inclusion and socializing programs. Liceo Tito Livio is involved in a process that aims to teach foreign languages in the integrated CLIL methodology and not only as a separate subject. Besides, the school cares about inclusivity and no exclusion at all levels. In Athena Campus Pottelberg multilingualism and immersion are two important lines of action as well as inclusion policies relating to attention to diversity. Concerning participants, there have been 288 B.I.S. target students (ages 15-18, upper secondary students) from the three schools who didn’t have B2 level in English yet and studied English and contents through English. There have been 90 non-CLIL, non-target students. In total, 4142 students have participated and 2480 people have been indirectly benefited from the activities organised by the project. Moreover, one of the main objectives of B.I.S. project is the fact that students acquire English academic language skills mainly related to History of Art and Classics to B2 level, as well as linguistic competences in real-life situations by means of working collaboratively and interacting socially with foreign partners. Another major objective has been to develop artistic sensitivity and aesthetic sense in order to give a critical point of view about the variations suffered throughout history by fashion and beauty canons, which has enabled students to become aware that the concept of beauty is changeable and subjective. Other very important objectives have been those related to improving the ICT skills, multilingual and intercultural competences through interaction with foreign partners and the use of e-ELP (Electronic European Language Portfolio).
The most significant activities consisted of generating a collaborative glossary of words tied to classical fashion and body care, a collaborative aesthetic guide and a collaborative timeline about beauty canons. Besides, three times a year, the entire school community interacted with foreign students and teachers through face to face real-life communication. Thanks to that, during mobilities, students conducted workshop activities against aesthetic discrimination.
The methodology employed in B.I.S. project has been based on the CLIL teaching learning approach supported by ICT and the cross-curricular teaching. Collaborative work between international students’ groups and between international target teachers has been the basic support to achieve the project objectives as well as the use of e-ELP and the educational intervention to fight against aesthetic discrimination. That way, the expected results have been obtained. Regarding tangible results of the project, it is worth mentioning the glossary of 190 terms tied to classical fashion and body care, the collaborative aesthetic guide of 12 artworks from four museums, the collaborative timelines about beauty canons and the workshops against aesthetic discrimination. On the other hand, intangible results have been proved by assessment for the objectives tied to the improvement of linguistic competences, ICT skills, aesthetic sense, beauty canons, acceptance of one’s own body.
The degree of achievement of the objectives in the student final assessment has been highly satisfactory: 53 % of the students got more than 8 points out of 10 in the final assessment. 40 % got between 6 and 8 points. Only 6.5 % got between 4 and 6 points. Concerning the degree of achievement of linguistic competences in English, 85 % of the target students demonstrated B2 level in English in the final assessment, and all of them improved their English language skills. On the other hand, students gained new strategies to accept physical differences and their own body by analysing the beauty canons from a synchronic as well as a diachronic point of view regarding the European cultural history. It should also be emphasised that B.I.S. project has offered an artistic proposal from each country in order to carry a cross-cultural project structurally relevant that has made possible the synergy among the partners.
The potential longer term benefits are focused on using, developing, and disseminating most B.I.S. activities, methodology and outputs, by means of ensuring the continuity of project teacher team work and the cooperation between the three schools among them and with the Pedagogy Departments of the three local museums.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 70420 Eur

Project Coordinator

IES URBI BHI & Country: ES

Project Partners

• GO! athena campus Pottelberg 2de & 3de graad
• LICEO CLASSICO STATALE TITO LIVIO