International Schools Station Erasmus Project

Project Title

International Schools Station

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 2019

Project Topics

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

Project Summary

The idea for this project emerged during an eTwinning project “Into the Space” carried out by 2 schools of the current partnership (Italy and Poland) and was inspired by the international cooperation on the International Space Station, after which the project took its title and structure: it consists of 3 modules in order to provide students with coherent activities in 3 areas of study: The Solar System, The Phenomenon of Flying, The Solar System Exploration.
The main objective of the project, based on the recognized needs, is to increase students’ motivation for learning science subjects. In order to achieve it, a set of specific aims was determined: to develop students’ skills in classifying, quantifying, predicting, controlling variables, interpreting and forming conclusions; to improve their performance in group working and cooperation; to have students acquire the ability to use their knowledge of different science subjects in an interdisciplinary way; to accustom them to working systematically according to the approved plan.
The partnership consists of 4 schools, which are public body, non-profit institutions. The total number of students participating directly in project activities is 345 (Italy: 90, Poland: 85, Portugal: 100, Romania: 70). The students are 12/13-14/15 years old and they are of various ability and motivation towards learning. The total number of teachers involved directly into the project is 42 (Italy: 10, Poland: 12, Portugal: 10, Romania: 10). They are mostly the teachers of science subjects and English.
The project is divided into 3 theme modules (arranged one after another): each consists of activities connecting scientific theory with its practical application. The activities are of 2 schemes: some of them require students to gain knowledge to apply it in practice, others provide students with new knowledge while completing practical tasks. They are arranged in subsequent increase of difficulty to prepare students for making final results. Namely, studying the solar system leads to designing the solar system models, studying the phenomenon of flying results in building rockets and learning about the solar system exploration finishes up with constructing rover-like robots.
The chosen methodology is kaizen small-step work improvement method: after each activity/task, students will be provided with the feedback of their achievement, which must develop their self-confidence and motivation for future work as well as conviction that they are able to deal with more complex tasks on the basis of completing the earlier/easier ones. Students will work in mixed ability groups to make use of peers teaching. Non-formal learning at science institutions, individual skills practice and various activating methods typical for group working interaction will be applied during completing activities at schools.
The results will be of 2 kinds: the physical ones (models of the solar system, a cosmic calendar, leaflets on the solar system and measurement methods, rockets and rover-like robots, a project common website) and non-physical ones, which are considered to be the project impact on participants (broadening students’ knowledge/skills/experience and increasing and their motivation for systematic studying of science subject as well as developing teachers’ competences in the areas of job planning, using innovative methods, assessing work effectiveness).
The long-term benefits include: shaping students’ positive attitude towards learning in a lifelong perspective, preventing teachers’ job burnout and broadening educational offer of the partner schools by using project physical results and experience acquired in this project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 106160 Eur

Project Coordinator

ZESPOL SZKOL SAMORZADOWYCH NR 1 W KRUSZWICY SZKOLA PODSTAWOWA NR 1 IM. JANA KASPROWICZA & Country: PL

Project Partners

• Agrupamento de Escolas da Batalha
• Scoala gimnaziala “Gheorghe Lazar” Barcanesti
• Istituto Comprensivo Figino Serenza