Professional learning in complex settings thru reflection and portfolio Erasmus Project

Project Title

Professional learning in complex settings thru reflection and portfolio

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 school education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2015

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Inclusion – equity; Intercultural/intergenerational education and (lifelong)learning

Project Summary

The objective of the transnational project PROLEA was to develop, test, adapt and implement innovative practices in teacher professional learning based on a wide knowledge and experience of different European partners to face common challenges in teacher education in Europe.

The project supports the achievement of the European objectives formulated in the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training 2020 (ET 2020). The PROLEA project has a systemic approach. The conceptual framework is based upon a series of consecutive projects, which reflect the history of in-service education and professional development.

During the projects lifetime we have concentrated on the main themes that lead to an inclusive school development (Facilitating professional development, School context, Content of professional development, Evaluation and reflection), and we will use the knowledge and the experiences of all partners about instruments to strengthen reflection (portfolio/e-portfolio, video analysis, stories narratives) in our area of work.

All project activities were based upon the following learning activities:

– Learning from each other (peer-learning) with interdisciplinary teams,
– Exchange of experiences with target-orientated issues (portfolio work),
– Blended learning (in-person and virtual).

This lead to 4 products that were created within the project:

1. Common professional development modules which combine the themes of school development with instruments to a new approach of professional learning in complex settings,
2. Individual professional development modules from 6 partners to face the wide range of challenges in the different partner countries and to give others the opportunity to adapt and use the modules in their work,
3. Portfolio work of facilitators from the participating partner organisations each,
4. A narrative learning report of the inter-organisational development to enhance professional development and development as learning organisations.

The products were produced in the languages of the project, and are available freely on www.prolea.co and the beneficiary platform.
The transnational work had positive impact at different levels.

We had a high learning impact for the participating organisations due to a wide range of experiences within an international partnership. In total we will carryed out 5 joint staff training events with over 30 mobilities. These have risen the profile of the participating organisations and created new opportunities to extend the project and its results and developed new partnerships.

Sharing of the results enabled other stakeholders to benefit. The project results serve as examples and inspire others by showing what is possible in European cooperation.
By our dissemination and exploitation activities we have risen awareness, got engagement of more relevant stakeholders and were able to share solutions and know how.

The PROLEA multiplier final events helped us to maintain the communication of the results without interruption at the end of the project and thus gave suggestions to imitate and to work for the strengthening of the professional development of education and training paths of educators.

During the three year project we met and reached altogether more than 500 persons from different European countries and were able involve them in a professional discussion and to use our outcomes.

The main target group, the teacher trainers/educators and facilitators for school development, such as like counsellors, school coaches, school leaders, staff at school administration level and others who support schools in local education authorities were approached and worked with us. We stress that these people have an important role and direct influence in the continuing professional development of teachers.

The second target group which we addressed were key persons responsible for the organisation development of teacher education institutions.

In the project consortium 7 different institutions of teacher education from UK, Netherlands, Germany and Slovenia were working together.
They all operate on different stages of teacher education from first phase till in-service teacher trainings.
Applicant organization was the Senate Administration for Education, Youth and Family of Berlin (Germany).
During the projects lifetime. all partners acted equally in the project development and implementation.
Most of the project members belong to a group under the umbrella of the Association for Teacher Education in Europe (ATEE).
ATEE is a non-profit European organisation, whose aim is enhancing the quality of education in Europe and supporting the professional development of teachers and teacher educators at all levels. The deep integration of the partners to ATEE helped to support the sustainability of the project.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 319243 Eur

Project Coordinator

Senatsverwaltung für Bildung, Jugend und Familie & Country: DE

Project Partners

• THE UNIVERSITY COURT OF THE UNIVERSITY OF ABERDEEN
• STICHTING FONTYS
• Staatliches Seminar für Didaktik und Lehrerbildung (Gymnasien)
• PLATform Opleiding, Onderwijs en Organisatie BV (PLATO)
• ZAVOD REPUBLIKE SLOVENIJE ZA SOLSTVO
• EBB Europaberatung GmbH