European network for better EU skills in VET providers

To expand VET schools’ knowledge on the best ways to teach EU subjects, by updating and upskilling their teachers’ skills on this topic, the exchange of pedagogic experiences between a Higher Education Institution, VET Secondary Schools and VET Teachers / Trainers (collaborative work on specific topics and on methodologies, and common activities) are the aim of this application. Although its direct target is VET teachers, we also provide an emphasis on its impact on students.

We’ll have coherent and integrated activities: the design & implementation of 2 courses on EU skills, one for VET teachers (built with micro credentials) and other for VET students, both targeting the EU benefits and its direct impacts on young people daily life, created collaborativelly between the HEI and the VET Schools.
The main goal is to develop EU citizenship awareness for both VET teachers and VET students, in an enjoyable and non theoretical way, highlighting on the expected learning results the impact the EU has on our daily life., and to show them the importance of their active participation in EU society.

To improve teachers’ teaching and students’ learning processes, with the use of digital tools, we will include creative pedagogic approaches: a EU skills virtual competition, between VET schools’ teams of teachers + students. With digital gamification, both VET teachers and VET students can achieve the expected learning results in a more attractive & different mode.

The objectives we seek to achieve at the end of the project are:

• To increase the VET teachers EU citizenship, so they can provide at least 4 positive impacts it brings for them and or their students. Source – pre and post teachers training questionnaires.
• To create at least three new methodologies to effectively teach EU skills among the VET partner schools. Source – teachers and students courses questionnaires.
• After the implementation of the students’ course and the celebration of Day of Europe activities, at least 15% of the students will show an improvement on their behaviour regarding EU values like tolerance, inclusion, and intercultural respect. Source: teachers’ feedback on their students’ attitudes and Day of Europe activities questionnaires.
• After the implementation of teachers’ course, 10% of teachers will change their mind towards voting in the elections, when comparing the pre (when they will be asked if they voted on 2024 European Parliament elections – not applicable for North Macedonia and Türkiye) and post evaluation questionnaires. The teachers have more responsibility in this issue than the students, as they might be able to help changing students’ perception on the importance of voting.
• After the implementation of students’ course, 20% of students will change their mind towards voting in the elections, when comparing the pre (when they will be asked if they are considering voting on their country’s following elections) and post evaluation questionnaires.
• To have at least 1 session per year at each partner school on the responsible use of social media / internet as source of reliable information, where students will be able to mention at least two ways of obtaining and validating truthful information. Source: sessions records and teachers’ feedback on students
• 70% of students will choose highly positive and positive answers on “I am more interested in European topics” or “I can easily imagine working in the country where I did my Erasmus+ period in the future” (this one for students). 80% of the teachers will do the same. Source: Participants Online Report.
• 50% of the participating students will be able to characterize in their own words, at least, 3 positive impacts, on their present and future life, of the EU Citizenship Freedoms, as mentioned on the Maastricht Source: evaluation questionnaires of the educational activities on WP 2.
• To have at least 1 EURES session per year at each partner school (except North Macedonia or Turkey, who will have similar sessions) and to have at least 10% of students that, during their final year at school, to register at this service. Source: sessions records.

As a field visit, the VET teachers who attended the course and the winning team of the virtual competition will have a 1 day visit to EU institutions in Brussels. They will be able to study in loco what they only see on the news and on the school books. Interview scripts will be prepared to EU policy makers, video recorded, edited and used as learning materials on EU subjects. 2 complete kits for celebrating Day of Europe at schools will be created & piloted.
Monthly podcasts on EU subjects will be broadcasted.

Project no.: ERASMUS-JMO-2023-NETWORKS-SCHOOLS 101127571

Coordinator:  

• INSIGNARE – ASSOCIACAO DE ENSINO E FORMACAO, Portuga

Full Partners: 

• Escola Pia de Mataró, Spain
• INSTITUTO POLITECNICO DE LEIRIA , Portugal
• KESKI-POHJANMAAN KOULUTUSYHTYMA , Finland
• SABA, North Macedonia
• Seyitgazi Mesleki ve Teknik Anadolu Lisesi, Turkey
• EfVET, Belgium

Duration:  01/10/2023 – 30/09/2026