Strategies tO strenghten executive Functions In Adults Erasmus Project

Project Title

Strategies tO strenghten executive Functions In Adults

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 adult education

Project Call Year

This project’s Call Year is 2017

Project Topics

This project is related with these Project Topics: Inclusion – equity; New innovative curricula/educational methods/development of training courses; Pedagogy and didactics

Project Summary

The SOFIA project focus on increasing EXECUTIVE FUNCTIONS in adult population. Executive Functions have recently occupied a central position in studies related to the improvement of adult conditions, after the new acquisitions in neuroscience and neuropsychology. The term “executive functioning” has become a common buzzword in psychology offices. This is more than just a passing fad. In fact, neuropsychologists have been studying these skills for many years and is believed that the focus on executive functioning represents a significant advancement in our understanding adults and their unique profile of strengths and weaknesses.
According to recent studies it is clear that in order to help adult people to acquire new skills, trainers should develop custom-tailored courses and consider that adult learners often have to cope with specific issues and challenges. They in fact often lack the ability to hold information in mind for the purpose of completing a task, the abilities to shift from one situation to another and think in a flexible way, the abilities to plan and organise their works and manage current and future-oriented task demands and the abilities to ensure the emotional control.
The GENERAL OBJECTIVE of the project is to enhance, strengthen, develop executive functions in adults in order to be equipped with abilities that are necessary to acquire new skills that are needed to find better jobs and improve their life chances, as abihelp them to be more integrated in the labour market and in the society, by enhancing their personal and professional skills and competences. So the SPECIFIC OBJECTIVES include on one hand the development of innovative methods and tools that enable adults in being more effective and improving their competences.
PARTICIPANTS include:
– ADULTS: 114 PEOPLE with executive function disorders (EFD) and adults with poor executive functions but without specific formal recognition and that represent the majority of the adults;
– EDUCATORS/TRAINERS/COUNSELLORS that work with adult with executive function disorders (EFD) and adults with poor executive functions but without specific formal recognition (34 professionals) .
The SOFIA project developed 4 Intellectual Outputs. The first intellectual output is a handbook on the needs of adult population in relation to the executive function disorders. The second intellectual output is a Toolkit of Methods for developing/enhancing/improving executive functions in adult population, constructed by the partnership on one hand, according to a revision of the state of the art in International scientific literature and especially focusing in the research produced in partner countries, and on other hand, according to characteristics and needs of the adults with EFD identified in handbook. Based on the findings and conclusions reached by the Intellectual Output 1 ( Report on the needs of adult population in relation to the executive function disorders) and Intellectual Output 2 (Compendium of Methods for developing/enhancing/improving executive functions in adult population), a program with specific techniques focusing mostly on self monitor/control, working memory and task monitor will be developed and later tested within Adult Education Training Providers. The fourth IO will include a program based on several strategies, exercises for improving 3 of the basic Executive Functions: working memory, self – monitoring, planning/organisation.
The Project Coordinator, IFRTS, adopted a methodology based on PARTICIPATORY MANAGEMENT APPROACH in order to empower each partner and to comply with the commitments on which partners agreed during the project design phase and at the following check points. Each IO included a coordinator and the involvement of all partners.
The SOFIA project result led at improving and enhancing teachers and trainers tools to help adults to improve attitudes and behaviours, increase their attention control abilities, inhibitory control, cognitive flexibility, social and life skills, enhance their motivation to learn, deeper their commitment to acquire new skills and increased their competences.
Regarding the GENERAL RESULTS, the SOFIA project’s expected results are in line with the strategic framework for education and training (Education & Training 2020 – ET2020) with regard to the following objectives:
– Improving the quality and efficiency of education and training
– Promoting equity, social cohesion, and active citizenship
– Enhancing creativity and innovation
With reference to other European policies, recommendations and programmes, this project aims at:
– fostering inclusion of adults in the training paths
– enhancing adults health and social wellbeing
– enhancing the professional development of those working in the adult educational field
– enhancing open access to new and innovative educational materials, tools and methods

EU Grant (Eur)

Funding of the project from EU: 284968 Eur

Project Coordinator

INSTITUT CORSE DE FORMATION ET RECHERCHE EN TRAVAIL SOCIAL & Country: FR

Project Partners

• Civiform società cooperativa sociale
• Universitatea de Medicina, Farmacie, Stinte si Tehnologie George Emil Palade din Tirgu Mures
• VOLKSHOCHSCHULE IM LANDKREIS CHAM EV
• ETAIREIA PROIGMENON EFARMOGON SISTIMATON DIOIKISIS-MONOPROSOPI ETAREIA PERIOPISMENIS EYTHINIS
• BEST INSTITUT FUR BERUFSBEZOGENE WEITERBILDUNG UND PERSONALTRAINING GMBH
• DANMAR COMPUTERS SP ZOO