Peer mediation at school Erasmus Project

Project Title

Peer mediation at school

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: Civic engagement / responsible citizenship; Teaching and learning of foreign languages; ICT – new technologies – digital competences

Project Summary

Peer mediation at school

Context / background / objectives of the project:
Conflicts are part of everyday school life: As in all interpersonal relationships, conflicts between pupils occur every day. Cyberbullying in particular is widespread. However, if these conflicts put such a strain on the students involved* that they impair school success, there is a need for action. It is therefore important to create favorable conditions for the resolution or settlement of conflicts. The acceptance of solutions is promoted by the fact that the disputes are resolved by the pupils themselves without the intervention of a teacher. The project “Peer mediation at school” teaches students the skills they need to solve conflicts independently. At the same time, the pupils improve their linguistic skills, as they learn to express themselves in English in conflict situations. The exchange between the partner schools strengthens understanding and empathy at the European level. The experience that conflicts can be solved by facing communication is an essential part of the project idea.

Number and profile of participants:
The directly participating pupils, between 10 and 36 per participating school from Italy, Slovakia, and Germany, were 13-15 years old at the beginning of the project (in Lower Saxony grade 8). They have completed the arbitrator training, which lasted one school year. In grade 9, these pupils regularly offered consultation hours for younger classes to counteract conflicts such as exclusion, bullying, and fear of school failure. In the second half of grade 9, the dispute mediators completed a media coach training course in which they were sensitized to bullying situations on the net (cyberbullying). Following the project, they will offer short workshops as media coaches in the lower grades to train them in dealing with social networks.

Activities carried out:
The project was divided into 4 phases:
Phase 1) Students have looked at different definitions of the term “conflict”. The students have learned to analyze conflicts using different theoretical models (“spider web analysis”, iceberg model). Perpetrator-victim constellations as well as different causes of conflict were examined. The students have learned to express their own feelings, they have trained the ability to listen actively, and have practiced representing their own interests appropriately.
Phase 2) The students have learned the principles of dispute resolution such as impartiality, confidentiality, and appreciation. They have acquired the standardized procedure of a mediation discussion, including the appropriate language repertoire, and have mediated typical school conflict situations in role-plays. The students also experienced the limits of mediation and were sensitized to the fact that there are situations in which external help must be sought.
Phase 3) The peer mediators presented their work in the new 5th grade (or first year of secondary school). In addition to regular consultation hours, they have also offered dispute mediation in cases of acute need. The arbitrators were further supported in their work by their trainers.
Phase 4) The peer meditators were trained as media coaches. They were sensitized to different mobbing structures with a focus on cyberbullying and developed positive action patterns for behavior in social networks. Here they have gained expertise on new information technologies and legal principles. The pupils reflect on their own behavior on the net. In the future, they will offer workshops on the topic of “social media” in the 5th grade.

Results / Longer-term benefits:
The training and work of peer mediators is a long-lasting process. The participating schools have or want to establish the training and work of the arbitrators in the schools on a permanent basis. During the project work, contents, methods, and English vocabulary have been collected in a digital handbook, which will be available to future generations of peer mediators.

Project language: English

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 64908 Eur

Project Coordinator

Bischöfliches Gymnasium Josephinum & Country: DE

Project Partners

• Istituto Istruzione Scolastica Superiore “Carlo Alberto Dalla Chiesa”
• Spojena skola sv. Frantiska Assiskeho, Klastorne nam. 1, Malacky
• FURNESS ACADEMIES TRUST