Slow down education in the nature Erasmus Project

Project Title

Slow down education in the nature

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 2020

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Key Competences (incl. mathematics and literacy) – basic skills; Inclusion – equity; Quality Improvement Institutions and/or methods (incl. school development)

Project Summary

In cooperation of Stalgene secondary school from Latvia, Palade Primary school from Estonia, Lazo Angelovski Elementary school from The Republic of North Macedonia and Topoloveni technological secondary school from Romania has been created exchange of good practice “Slow down education in nature”.
All partner schools face a common problem – behavioral and learning difficulties, bullying at school and low motivation to learn STEM subjects. Bullying at school is a problem throughout Europe. According OECD research results about students who reported being bullied at school at least few times a month, highest results are in Latvia (30,6%); Romania ranks to 3rd place in Europa (23%), Estonia (22,2%).
We have found that there are several reasons for this:
1) Everyday life of students becomes too dynamic, fast, too stressful and full with different smart devices and apps even during free time. Some of students are unable to keep up in so fast daily life and they haven’t idea how to rest without screens and app.
2) Teenager age is very complicated: expectations from parents, teachers requests, the need to gain recognition from a peer. Every student faces it, but for some young people the tension is too high. That is why some students have a lack of motivation to learn, have behavioral problems, etc.
3) Pupils have too little responsibility, do not feel valued, do not get satisfaction because they are not involved in the processes.
The risk of early school leaving is observed for pupils for about 3 years before the pupil decides to drop out. Important is to identify and prevent risk before they occur. Because it is much harder to deal with the consequences, then to do preventive work.
Project idea is to do preventive measures to reduce tension for learners – dynamism in the learning process and during out-of-class time (lesson breaks leisure time), by organizing this time outside the school premises – in nature. Slowing down the daily rhythm, giving the opportunity to listen to themselves and nature and giving them time to accept themselves and what is going on around them. This would improve students’ soft competences.
The goal of project is: Initiation of slow education activities in learning process and leisure time by using holistic approach and innovative pedagogical solutions to preventive reduce teenager disadvantage of motivation to learn and increase interest in STEM subjects.
Tasks and achievements will be done to achieve project goal:
1) Teachers and school administrative staff introduction with “Slow Movement” and slow education idea
2) Selection of participants in project, using the principles of equality and foreseen the inclusion of different groups of students in the project activities
3) Selection of specific topics in STEM subjects that can be taught in nature (out of school premises)
4) Interdisciplinary teaching STEM in nature (STEM – sport – language)
5) Adjustment of the school environment for slow educational activities, like outdoor learning, active lesson breaks
6) Creation of extracurricular activities offer in schools about Healthy Lifestyle
7) Student Research Contest on healthy living or STEM
8) Involvement of students in organizing healthy lifestyle activities for peers and families
9) Education of students on a healthy lifestyle
It will reduce behavioral problems, like difficulty to concentrate, violation of rules, inability to manage emotions, lack of friendship skills, lack of parental guidance.
There are planned two project target groups:
1) STEM teachers, class teachers, interest education teachers. Totally will be involved 41 participant from school staff.
2) Students: 210 (age between 12-15 years). 41 of them with fewer opportunities: educational difficulties, economic obstacles, social obstacles.
Project includes 6 Learning, Teaching and Training activities: 3 Short-term joint staff training events and 3 Short-term exchanges of groups of pupils. Totally international mobilities will be done for 51 teacher and 51 student.
Also about 48 local activities (surveys, contests, afterschool hobby groups, activities in nature, dissemination and evaluation activities) will be carried out during project implementation.
Project dissemination will be done on a few levels: international, regional, local and school level. Each of levels provides certain set of activities in virtual, paper or physical environment.
The project will help schools to identify and define additional resources for developing students’ key competences and soft skills. All project partner schools these resources (nature, outdoor tools, afterschool-targeted activities) will continue to use because within currant project we identify and implemented it in the daily learning process. These resources will also be included in the school development plan as a strength of the school.

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 126638 Eur

Project Coordinator

Stalgenes vidusskola & Country: LV

Project Partners

• OOU Lazo Angelovski
• Liceul Tehnologic Topoloveni
• Palade Põhikool