Collaborative research across borders Erasmus Project

Project Title

Collaborative research across borders

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 2016

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development); Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning; International cooperation, international relations, development cooperation

Project Summary

After having worked together for more than a decade the Österåkers gymnasium from Akersberga in Sweden and Van der Capellen SG from Zwolle the Netherlands decided to bring their partnership to a new level. Both schools felt a great desire to improve students’ cross-cultural awareness as well as their skills and knowledge. Another goal was to implement the international project within the existing curricula in both countries.This project has 3 main objectives:1. Develop a guide / handbook ‘how to organise a successful, in the curriculum embedded, international research project’.2. Increase the knowledge and skills of staff at both schools in transferring research skills / activities.3. Students develop research and cross cultural skills and carry out a comparative research projectGuide / handbook ‘how to organise a successful, in the curriculum embedded, international research project’. In order to ensure that the knowledge gained about ‘how to set-up an international research project’ will not be lost for our schools and can also be shared with other schools in Europe, an English handbook will be assembled identifying key steps that should be taken as well as possible problems that can encountered. This guide will be written during our first year of the project, after which it will be revised added to in the last two years.Teachers will be confronted, inspired and challenged with new teaching methods, pedagogical approaches, bilateral communication, and it will serve as an incentive to further develop their professional skills. We will especially focus on gathering good practices in teaching research skills These methods of teaching and assessment will be gathered and worked out in a clear schedule making it possible to easily share these new ideas with orther colleagues and teachers. The students will carry out Comparative Research Project, focussing on similarities and differences between the Netherlands and Sweden. This will be part of the ‘Dutch Profiel werksktuk’ in which the students have to produce a ‘Masterpiece’ in their field of study. The Swedish Paper is known as ‘Gymnasiumarbetet’ and is an important proof to illustrate the knowledge and skills the Swedish have attained when graduating. In Sweden the students will also receive marks for English.Students will write a research Paper:The research will be collaborative and comparative. The paper should contain an introduction, main + sub questions, hypothesis, conclusion, discussion and evaluation.The following activities will be organised:1. Bilateral comparative research projectStudents will be carrying out research comparing the Netherlands and Sweden in relation to a topic they have chosen. 2. Student exchange weeks. Students carry out their actual research and gather the necessary data.3. Presentation of final results at own schools.Students will present the outcome of their research project as well as their international experience in front of teachers, parents, students, friends and others. As far as we are aware there are no other schools in both the Netherlands and Sweden that have a similar international project that is perfectly embedded into the national curricula. The handbook that will be produced may be used as a tool for other schools with the desire to develop similar international projects that are embedded into the curriculum. Such a guide is not available yet and may help develop international collaboration amongst schools in Europe.Another innovative aspect of this project is that it targets to improve knowledge and awareness amongst teaching staff concerning the way in which schools in different countries teach their students how to gain skills in the field of conducting ‘scientific’ research . Good practises will be exchanged and disseminated amongst staff. By doing this we are aiming for teachers to be inspired and develop new activities and ideas for both schools.The final products will be disseminated through our school networks. Our final products will be made available to them and explained in meetings. Staff will be informed through school info bulletins and on ‘study days’. Presentations of the students’ research projects will be taking place in both schools in front of other students, teachers, friends and family. The project coordinators will also share their findings through E-Twinning and local media in order to inspire and help as many other school organisations interested in these topics as we can.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 53800 Eur

Project Coordinator

Van der Capellen sg & Country: NL

Project Partners

• Österåkers gymnasium