Role of nonformal activities for students by Copelia Oros

The document includes data obtained from the implementation of the Erasmus + "Under the Same Sky" project, 2016-1-RO01KA2019-024453, in partner schools: ȘCOALA GIMNAZIALĂ HALMEU, ROMANIA VESTERMARKSKOLEN, DENMARK SFZ EICHSTÄTT, GERMANY ISTITUTO TECNICO ECONOMICO L. DA VINCI, ITALY IES LA MOJONERA, SPAIN

The project has been funded with support from the European Commission. This publication reflects the view only of the author and the Commission cannot be held responsible for any use which may be made of the information contained therein.

CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................ 4 CHAPTER 1. GOALS AND VALUES IN EUROPE 1.1. A few words about Europe ........................................................... 5 1.2. European values reflected in project activities............................. 8 CHAPTER 2. ERASMUS+ PROJECTS - INTEGRATED PART IN EDUCATION OF GYMNASY STUDENTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH EUROPEAN STANDARDS 2.1. Education and Training 2020 - the new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training for the period 20112020 ..................................................................................................31 2.2. The eight key competences as a foundation for personal fulfillment and development, social inclusion and job creation ..........................33 2.3. Key competencies formed within the framework of Erasmus + "Under the Same Sky" project activities 2016-1-RO01-KA219-024453 ...........................................................................................................41 CHAPTER 2. PEDAGOGICAL RESEARCH 3.1. Preparing the research .............................................................. 54 3.2. Realizing the research ............................................................... 56 3.2.1. Method of observation ................................................. 56 3.2.2. Questionnaire based analysis ....................................... 68 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................. 83

Author: Copelia Oros (Secondary School Halmeu, Romania) Collaborators: coordinating teachers of partner schools 3

INTRODUCTION The project â&#x20AC;?Under the same skyâ&#x20AC;? is a project that targets a topic quite often surfacing in the education systems of most of the European countries: the presence of pupils from troubled backgrounds, whose school results and acquisitions in the area of professional training are influenced by the characteristics of the social and family background they come from. Another aspect we are concerned with is the fact that within the majority of the education systems, the learning is achieved mostly through formal activities, in school, ignoring the formative side of education. This side is better approached and treated within the nonformal activities organized by the school or outside it. The target groups are: -students coming from disadvantaged families, with low motivation for learning because of the problems listed above; -teachers who are working with these students. The activities that we propose for this project will contribute to achieving the following objectives: - Use of non formal activities to develop basic and transversal key competences: communication, intercultural, scientific, ICT, learning to learn, social and civic entrepreneurial. - Socializing students and teachers with education systems and the civics requirements at European level by drafting a curriculum for an optional course on European civic education; here there will be included information about risky situations in the world that can generate migrations and ways to act in these cases. - Increasing the qualification of teachers by sharing ideas and best practices between partners by encouraging them to apply active teaching methods and means of improving the skills and working with pupils from socially disadvantaged backgrounds. -increasing students' motivation on their own training using by using student centered methods, equal opportunities, encouraging active involvement and creative activities. To this end, older students will be guided to design and write small business plans, raging from earning pocket money to more extensive business ideas.

1.1. A FEW WORDS ABOUT EUROPEAN UNION1

The European Union (EU) is a political and economic union of 28 member states that are located primarily in Europe. It has an area of 4,475,757 km2 and an estimated population of over 510 million. The European Parliament is the EU's law-making body. It is directly elected by EU voters every 5 years. The last elections were in May 2014. The European Council brings together EU leaders to set the EU's political agenda. It represents the highest level of political cooperation between EU countries. The European Commission is the EU's politically independent executive arm. It is alone responsible for drawing up proposals for new European legislation, and it implements the decisions of the European Parliament and the Council of the EU. In the Council of the European Union, government ministers from each EU country meet to discuss, amend and adopt laws, and coordinate policies. The ministers have the authority to commit their governments to the actions agreed on in the meetings. Together with the European Parliament, the Council is the main decision-making body of the EU. SIMBOLS of the European Union:

•

EUROPE DAY: 9th of May 1985

•

The official motto: "Unity in diversity“

•

Flag: 12 stars set in a circle

•

The hymn: "Give Joy" from the Ninth Symphony by Beethoven

•

European single currency: EURO

https://europa.eu/european-union/index_en

The project is based on the collaboration and exchange of experience at European level between schools from different cultures and civilizations, but with the major objective of integrating European values. The activities carried out respected and promoted these values. 7

1.2. EUROPEAN ACTIVITIES

VALUES

REFLECTED

PROJECT

 Making the web page on the eTwinning portal eTwinning – The Community for schools in Europe – is an action for schools funded by the European Commission under the Erasmus+ programme. The platform offers the perfect means to communicate, collaborate, develop the project, share and expose the results of the two years of great work. The eTwinning platform was chosen to expose the materials made by each partner. https://twinspace.etwinning.net/6605/home

 Here we are: pupils ‘under the same sky’ Pupils from different countries presented each other. They made videos, presentations, digital presentations and uploaded on the eTwinning page. They promoted dignity by presenting their families, friends, hobbies, cities and countries with with courage and pride.

DENMARK

ROMANIA

GERMANY

ITALY

SPAIN

TURKEY

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Happy children under the same sky The students involved in the project visited orphanages and social centers and met with volunteers. So, they were in direct contact with people in need, they learnt about volunteering in the social areas and in the future may be personally involved in this voluntary activity. Wherever they went, they promoted respect for any human person.

 Famous countries ‘under the same sky’ This gave the opportunity to show the most beautiful touristic objectives in the partner countries, along with the invitation to visit and appreciate the different cultures. Each partner was proud to present its country and had the opportunity to see and respect the other’s achievements.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Learning / teaching / training activities These meetings constituted the expression of freedom of movement offered by the European Union to all its citizens. Thanks to this freedom, students and teachers have been able to establish close relationships of friendship, work and collaboration. The meetings offered the opportunity to get in direct contact with different cultures and civilizations, to gain new experiences and to compare styles and life concepts.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Freedom to carry out the activities and the materials in their own vision, provided they meet the objectives of the project

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Transnational Project Meetings Within these meetings, tasks and responsibilities were shared equally, with the agreement of all partners. This was also the case for the implementation of the project and the transnational meeting schedule.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC;

The projectâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s logo and a mascot

This activity offered the perfect opportunity for students to show their creativity and the ability to synthesize the project in a drawing and a mascot. Each partner came up with proposals and the winning variants were voted.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Equal access for students and teachers Special corner corridors were set up in the partner schools where the most important aspects of the project were displayed. The selection of students and teachers was open to all those who wanted to get involved in the project, and the panels were the interactive means of keeping in touch and being aware of the activities

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; An elective course on European civic education That reflects the priorities expressed in the project. It includes general and specific skills, values and attitudes to be formed, content and methodological suggestions. The contents cover a wide range of information about human rights and of the children in particular, how these are observed in different countries, the educational systems of European education, customs and cultural and religious traditions, concepts of life, risk of crisis at European level, European systems of inclusion, integration and protection of children.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC;A

guide

with

digital

applications

applications and OER The guide is the expression of the students and teachers interest in knowledge and the improvement of the educational process.

 Little scientists ‘under the sky’ Scientific experiment have been performed by the students to better understand the theory taught in the science classes. They selected of the most successful experiments to show to their colleagues.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Cook my recipe Each team proposed a list of recipes of their traditional food. As a final outcome we made a common booklet with these recipes.

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Celebration under the sky Spectacles were held by the children where the families and community were invited. This was a great opportunity to disseminate the project in the community.

 'Once upon a time, under this sky' The story, created by students, describes the adventures of a bird Sunshine who travels through Europe. She discovers beautiful places and makes new friends.

SUNSHINE’S ADVENTURES Once upon a time there was a bird called ‘Sunshine’ under this sky. Sunshine was eager to learn more about new things and how to resist gravity. So she wanted to fly alone. ....................................................................................................................................................... Sunshine rested between the branches of a bush and tried to figure out what it was all about. After a short time she noticed, that behind of the bush a naked boy appeared. He was looking to the left and right, trying to cover himself with some branches. He noticed Sunshine, who seemed to laugh at him, and said, sighing: "Good for you, little bird, that you always wear your clothes and you do not feel like me now. I was only bathing with my friends but my mom has stolen my clothes." ..................................................................................................................................................... While she was flying she saw the sea with a bright blue colour and then she noticed another kind of sea. “I didn't know that there were two seas in Almería”, thought Sunshine. And when she was flying she saw a white building that kept her attention and she decided to go there and have a look.

 The impressions of the participants ‘This project has greatly improved my speech in English, the ability to make friends and made me more sociable. At the same time, it has helped me to better understand the other culture and religions, I have made many friends with whom I still keep in touch.In conclusion, the project has only improved us in a positive way and I hope that other children will have the chance that I have had.’ Andrei/ Romania

’This project gave me the chance to change. During visits to other countries, I began to become more sociable even when I knew anyone, helped me to be more confident

make

decisions and to co-operate in the activities that have taken place over the years.’ Bogdan/ Romania

For me this experience has meant a lot because I have made many memories that I do not forget. I have made many friends whom I have broken hard because everyone was very kind and open to bind new friends. This opportunity has helped me to realize how useful English is and how much it can help. We have discovered new things and have seen how different people are to us and how different things do they do.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Carina/ Romania

The

impact

that

this

experience has brought me was very positive, helped me a lot to form my true personality and develop some psychic abilities, helping

become

sociable and better understand others. This project has helped me develop communication in English.â&#x20AC;&#x2122; Benjamin/ Romania .

‚For me this wonderful experience has meant enormous not only because I have

practiced

discovered

new

English,

but

have

things

and

have

enriched my soul. I was very impatient to discover the lives of others that I realized, it is quite different, from food to houses, even the way they spend

their

time.

know

the

friendships I've got I will never forget. I've gone far beyond expectations that left a beautiful footprint on me. I look ‚The impact that this project has on me is emotional. He personally helped me to develop my mental

forward to other projects like this.’ Sara/ Romania .

and physical abilities, to have more confidence in me and to enrich

knowledge

the

culture of other countries. I have had great experiences that have

marked

beneficial.

Relation and communication with overseas

has

opportunity

been

improve

good our

communication in English, meet new

people

and

learn

new

lifestyles.’ Giulio/ Romania .

2.1. Education and Training 2020 - the new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training for the period 2011-2020 2.2. The eight key competences as a foundation for personal fulfillment and development, social inclusion and job creation 2.3. Key competencies formed within the framework of Erasmus + "Under the Same Sky" project activities 2016-1-RO01-KA219-024453

2.1. Education and Training 2020 - the new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training for the period 2011-2020

Education and Training 2020 (ET 2020) is a new strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training, based on its predecessor, the Education and Training 2010 work program (ET 2010). This framework provides for common strategic objectives for Member States, including a set of principles for achieving these objectives as well as common working methods with priority areas for each periodic work cycle.2 Erasmus+ is the EU's programme to support education, training, youth and sport in Europe. Its budget of â&#x201A;Ź14.7 billion will provide opportunities for over 4 million Europeans to study, train, gain experience, and volunteer abroad. Set to last until 2020, Erasmus+ doesn't just have opportunities for students. Merging seven prior programmes, it has opportunities for a wide variety of individuals and organisations.3 The main purpose of the framework is to support Member States in further developing their education and training systems. These systems should provide all citizens with the means to reach their potential as well as ensure sustainable economic prosperity and professional integration capacity. The Framework should take into account the full range of VET systems from a lifelong learning perspective covering all levels and contexts (including non-formal and informal learning). Four strategic objectives of the framework are set out in the conclusions: â&#x20AC;˘ making lifelong learning and mobility a reality - progress is needed on the implementation of lifelong learning strategies, the development of national qualifications frameworks in relation to the European Qualifications Framework and the establishment of more flexible learning pathways. Mobility should be extended and the European Quality Charter for Mobility applied; 2 3

https://www.edu.ro/educatia%202020 http://ec.europa.eu/programmes/erasmus-plus/about_en 31

â&#x20AC;˘ improving the quality and efficiency of education and training - all citizens must be able to acquire key competences and all levels of education and training must become more attractive and more effective; â&#x20AC;˘ promoting equity, social cohesion and active citizenship - education and training should enable all citizens to acquire and develop the skills and competences needed to enable employment and further learning, active citizenship and intercultural dialogue. The educational disadvantage should be remedied by providing high-quality pre-primary education; â&#x20AC;˘ Stimulating creativity and innovation, including entrepreneurship, at all levels of education and training - promoting the acquisition of cross-cutting skills by all citizens and guaranteeing the good functioning of the knowledge triangle (education-researchinnovation). Partnerships between businesses and educational institutions as well as wider learners' communities should be promoted, involving representatives of civil society and other stakeholders.4 Although the school explicitly proposes to develop pupils' skills, this is not the only context in which this objective is achieved, the role of non-formal education activities being pertinent and included in lifelong learning. The functions of non-formal education activities are fundamental in the lifelong learning process, a process that carries out in a social partnership between state institutions and civil society.

http://oldsite.edu.ro/index.php/articles/c785/ 32

2.2. The eight key competences as a foundation for personal fulfillment and development, social inclusion and job creation

In a knowledge-based society, key competences in the form of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to each context have a fundamental role for each individual. They provide added value for the labor market, social cohesion and active citizenship, providing flexibility and adaptability, satisfaction and motivation. As everyone should acquire them, this recommendation proposes a reference tool for the European Union (EU) countries to ensure the full integration of these key competences into the strategies and infrastructures of the countries concerned, especially in the context of lifelong learning life. "The European Commission is working with the Member States to strengthen" key competences ", ie those knowledge, skills and behaviors that will help learners develop personally and later find a job and participate to the life of society. Among these key competences are "classical" competences (communication in the mother tongue, knowledge of foreign languages, computer skills and reading, math and basic knowledge, and "horizontal" skills such as the ability to learn , social and civic responsibility, entrepreneurial spirit and initiative, knowledge of culture and creativity).  This approach aims at promoting key competences by:  Providing high quality education for all pupils, based on appropriate programs;  Reducing the drop out rate;  Strengthening the education of pre-school children;  Improving support for teachers, school directors and trainers "5

http://ec.europa.eu/education/policy/school/competences_ro 33

Key competences cover three aspects of life: a. personal fulfillment and lifelong development (cultural capital): key competences should enable people to pursue their individual goals in life, driven by personal interests, aspirations and the desire to continue lifelong learning; b. active citizenship and inclusion (social capital): key competences must enable individuals to participate in society as active citizens; c. Employment in a job (human capital): the ability of each person to obtain a decent job in the labor market. â&#x20AC;&#x17E;As globalisation continues to confront the European Union with new challenges, each citizen will need a wide range of key competences to adapt flexibly to a rapidly changing and highly interconnected world. Education in its dual role, both social and economic, has a key role to play in ensuring that Europe's citizens acquire the key competences needed to enable them to adapt flexibly to such changes. In particular, building on diverse individual competences, the differing needs of learners should be met by ensuring equality and access for those groups who, due to educational disadvantages caused by personal, social, cultural or economic circumstances, need particular support to fulfil their educational potential. Examples of such groups include people with low basic skills, in particular with low literacy, early school leavers, the longterm unemployed and those returning to work after a period of extended leave, older people, migrants, and people with disabilities. The key competences are all considered equally important, because each of them can contribute to a successful life in a knowledge society. Many of the competences overlap and interlock: aspects essential to one domain will support competence in another. Competence in the fundamental basic skills of language, literacy, numeracy and in information and communication technologies (ICT) is an essential foundation for learning, and learning to learn supports all learning activities. There are a number of themes that are applied throughout the Reference Framework: critical thinking, creativity, initiative, problem solving, risk assessment, decision taking, and constructive management of feelings play a role in all eight key competences. 34

Competences are defined here as a combination of knowledge, skills and attitudes appropriate to the context. Key competences are those which all individuals need for personal fulfilment and development, active citizenship, social inclusion and employment... The key competences are all considered equally important, because each of them can contribute to a successful life in a knowledge society. Many of the competences overlap and interlock: aspects essential to one domain will support competence in another. Competence in the fundamental basic skills of language, literacy, numeracy and in information and communication technologies (ICT) is an essential foundation for learning, and learning to learn supports all learning activities. There are a number of themes that are applied throughout the Reference Framework: critical thinking, creativity, initiative, problem solving, risk assessment, decision taking, and constructive management of feelings play a role in all eight key competences.”6 A feature highlighted by the Working Group is that these skills must be adapted to the social, linguistic and cultural background of individuals. Key competencies should be acquired by: • young people at the end of the compulsory education and training period; key competences would prepare them for adult life, especially for the workforce, and at the same time constitute a basis for further learning; • Lifelong adults through a process of developing and updating skills. • The acquisition of key competences is in line with the principles of equality and access for all. This reference framework also targets disadvantaged groups whose educational needs require support. Examples of such groups include those with low basic skills, early school leavers, the long-term unemployed, people with disabilities, migrants, etc. The European framework defines eight key competences and describes the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes related to each of them. According to the RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (2006/962/EC), these key competences are:

RECOMMENDATION OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 18 December 2006 on key competences for lifelong learning (2006/962/EC) 35

1. Communication in the mother tongue Definition: Communication in the mother tongue is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing), and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts; in education and training, work, home and leisure. Individuals should have the skills to communicate both orally and in writing in a variety of communicative situations and to monitor and adapt their own communication to the requirements of the situation. This competence also includes the abilities to distinguish and use different types of texts, to search for, collect and process information, to use aids, and to formulate and express one's oral and written arguments in a convincing way appropriate to the context. 2. Communication in foreign languages Definition: Communication in foreign languages broadly shares the main skill dimensions of communication in the mother tongue: it is based on the ability to understand, express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in an appropriate range of societal and cultural contexts (in education and training, work, home and leisure) according to one's wants or needs. Communication in foreign languages also calls for skills such as mediation and intercultural understanding. An individual's level of proficiency will vary between the four dimensions (listening, speaking, reading and writing) and between the different languages, and according to that individual's social and cultural background, environment, needs and/or interests. Essential skills for communication in foreign languages consist of the ability to understand spoken messages, to initiate, sustain and conclude conversations and to read, understand and produce texts appropriate to the individual's needs. Individuals should also be able to use aids appropriately, and learn languages also informally as part of lifelong learning.

A positive attitude involves the appreciation of cultural diversity, and an interest and curiosity in languages and intercultural communication. 3. Mathematical competence and basic competences in science and technology Definition: A.Mathematical competence is the ability to develop and apply mathematical thinking in order to solve a range of problems in everyday situations. Building on a sound mastery of numeracy, the emphasis is on process and activity, as well as knowledge. Mathematical competence involves, to different degrees, the ability and willingness to use mathematical modes of thought (logical and spatial thinking) and presentation (formulas, models, constructs, graphs, charts). B.Competence in science refers to the ability and willingness to use the body of knowledge and methodology employed to explain the natural world, in order to identify questions and to draw evidence-based conclusions. Competence in technology is viewed as the application of that knowledge and methodology in response to perceived human wants or needs. Competence in science and technology involves an understanding of the changes caused by human activity and responsibility as an individual citizen. 4. Digital competence Definition: Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of Information Society Technology (IST) for work, leisure and communication. It is underpinned by basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve, assess, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the Internet. Skills needed include the ability to search, collect and process information and use it in a critical and systematic way, assessing relevance and distinguishing the real from the virtual while recognising the links. Individuals should have skills to use tools to produce, present and understand complex information and the ability to access, search and use internetbased services. Individuals should also be able use IST to support critical thinking, creativity, and innovation.

Use of IST requires a critical and reflective attitude towards available information and a responsible use of the interactive media. An interest in engaging in communities and networks for cultural, social and/or professional purposes also supports this competence. 5. Learning to learn Definition: â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Learning to learnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; is the ability to pursue and persist in learning, to organise one's own learning, including through effective management of time and information, both individually and in groups. This competence includes awareness of one's learning process and needs, identifying available opportunities, and the ability to overcome obstacles in order to learn successfully. This competence means gaining, processing and assimilating new knowledge and skills as well as seeking and making use of guidance. Learning to learn engages learners to build on prior learning and life experiences in order to use and apply knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts: at home, at work, in education and training. Motivation and confidence are crucial to an individual's competence. Learning to learn skills require firstly the acquisition of the fundamental basic skills such as literacy, numeracy and ICT skills that are necessary for further learning. Building on these skills, an individual should be able to access, gain, process and assimilate new knowledge and skills. This requires effective management of one's learning, career and work patterns, and, in particular, the ability to persevere with learning, to concentrate for extended periods and to reflect critically on the purposes and aims of learning. Individuals should be able to dedicate time to learning autonomously and with self-discipline, but also to work collaboratively as part of the learning process, draw the benefits from a heterogeneous group, and to share what they have learnt. Individuals should be able to organise their own learning, evaluate their own work, and to seek advice, information and support when appropriate. A positive attitude includes the motivation and confidence to pursue and succeed at learning throughout one's life. A problem-solving attitude supports both the learning process itself and an individual's ability to handle obstacles and change. The desire to apply prior learning and life experiences and the curiosity to look for opportunities to learn and apply learning in a variety of life contexts are essential elements of a positive attitude. 38

6. Social and civic competences Definition: These include personal, interpersonal and intercultural competence and cover all forms of behaviour that equip individuals to participate in an effective and constructive way in social and working life, and particularly in increasingly diverse societies, and to resolve conflict where necessary. Civic competence equips individuals to fully participate in civic life, based on knowledge of social and political concepts and structures and a commitment to active and democratic participation. Essential knowledge, skills and attitudes related to this competence: A.Social competence is linked to personal and social well-being which requires an understanding of how individuals can ensure optimum physical and mental health, including as a resource for oneself and one's family and one's immediate social environment, and knowledge of how a healthy lifestyle can contribute to this. For successful interpersonal and social participation it is essential to understand the codes of conduct and manners generally accepted in different societies and environments (e.g. at work). It is equally important to be aware of basic concepts relating to individuals, groups, work organisations, gender equality and non-discrimination, society and culture. Understanding the multi-cultural and socio-economic dimensions of European societies and how national cultural identity interacts with the European identity is essential. The competence is based on an attitude of collaboration, assertiveness and integrity. Individuals should have an interest in socio-economic developments and intercultural communication and should value diversity and respect others, and be prepared both to overcome prejudices and to compromise. B.Civic competence is based on knowledge of the concepts of democracy, justice, equality, citizenship, and civil rights, including how they are expressed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and international declarations and how they are applied by various institutions at the local, regional, national, European and international levels. It includes knowledge of contemporary events, as well as the main events and trends in national, European and world history. In addition, an awareness of the aims, values and policies of social and political movements should be developed. 39

Knowledge of European integration and of the EU's structures, main objectives and values is also essential, as well as an awareness of diversity and cultural identities in Europe. 7. Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship Definition: Sense of initiative and entrepreneurship refers to an individual's ability to turn ideas into action. It includes creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects in order to achieve objectives. This supports individuals, not only in their everyday lives at home and in society, but also in the workplace in being aware of the context of their work and being able to seize opportunities, and is a foundation for more specific skills and knowledge needed by those establishing or contributing to social or commercial activity. This should include awareness of ethical values and promote good governance. An entrepreneurial attitude is characterised by initiative, pro-activity, independence and innovation in personal and social life, as much as at work. It also includes motivation and determination to meet objectives, whether personal goals, or aims held in common with others, including at work. 8. Cultural awareness and expression Definition: Appreciation of the importance of the creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions in a range of media, including music, performing arts, literature, and the visual arts. A solid understanding of one's own culture and a sense of identity can be the basis for an open attitude towards and respect for diversity of cultural expression. A positive attitude also covers creativity, and the willingness to cultivate aesthetic capacity through artistic selfexpression and participation in cultural life.

The last four competences, namely learning to learn, social and civic competences, initiative and entrepreneurship, and cultural awareness and expression are transversal skills and cross-curricular and cross-curricular development.

2.3. Key competencies formed within the framework of Erasmus + "Under the Same Sky" project activities 20161-RO01-KA219-024453

1. Communication in the mother tongue is the ability to express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing), and to interact linguistically in an appropriate and creative way in a full range of societal and cultural contexts; in education and training, work, home and leisure; The communication competence in the mother tongue has been developed throughout the project, being the foundation on which collaboration was based at the level of each partner school. This competence is positively formed by extra-curricular activities because it addresses the student in non-formal life contexts in which he is in a position to analyze and formulate opinions without constraining notes. The activities in which this competence has played an important role are: â&#x20AC;˘ From the stage of selection of the target group, the pupils had the task to compose essays in which to motivate their desire to be part of the project team; â&#x20AC;˘ In the personal presentations they have written and uploaded on the common platform, pupils had to describe themselves in a concise, attractive and suggestive manner, which has developed their synthesis spirit; â&#x20AC;˘ After returning from external mobility, students presented their results and impressions to their colleagues;

â&#x20AC;˘ Students actively participated in the dissemination activities organized by each partner school with exposures; â&#x20AC;˘ One of the project's activities was to write a narrative story about a character traveling to partner countries. On this occasion, the students highlighted the creativity and originality of ideas and written expression. Communication in mother tongue is essential in the successful implementation of a two-year project and addresses two aspects: teacher-student communication and pupil-student communication. A good communication is the guarantor of understanding tasks and responsibilities, facilitates solving problems along the way, and helps find optimal implementation solutions. This competence develops for students in the gymnasium cycle by using oral or written communication methods. a) Oral communication methods are those methods where communication of goals and tasks is done through exposure or conversation. a.1) Exposure methods used consist in the oral presentation of information, using story, description, explanation, argumentation. Exposures made by the teacher are a good example for students in terms of free expression. The personality of the teacher and his empathic ability are strengths that can positively influence the perception of the audience. At the same time, the teacher becomes a model that pupils can follow in terms of word formulation, vocabulary use and terminology. An attractive, succinct way of portraying, with the pertinent chaining of ideas, helps learners to understand and, at the same time, is a base from which the student can, in turn, conceive and expose ideas, personal views that reflect the good understanding of information. This method was used during the initial presentation of the project and its objectives among pupils and, in the course of the stages of detailed organization of each activity. Students have used this method in the activities of disseminating external mobiles among colleagues, but also disseminating different aspects and project products to an audience of students, parents, teachers. ď ś The story is the oral exposition of events, facts, real events spent in a certain time and space, with the aim of sharing new knowledge, expressing feelings and forming positive attitudes towards students. Examples: information provided by students 42

involved in external mobility about the happenings and learning activities they participated in, the presentation of the school performances.  The description is the expozitive method that presents the typical exterior features of objects, processes, phenomena, places, etc. with particular regard to their physical aspects. Examples of descriptions: description of work tasks, places visited, foreign colleagues with whom they collaborated, life styles encountered in other countries.  The explanation is the expositive method by which a notion or fact is elucidated. Examples: explanation of work tasks and project results, motivation of logo and mosquito selection, explanation of scientific phenomena in physical and chemical experiments, explanations accompanying culinary recipes, explanation of digital applications learned in LTT Germany to colleagues from other classes.  Brainstorming is the method for group stimulation of the creative thinking of individuals, based on the free issuance of ideas for solving a problem. Examples: debate and choosing ideas on how to organize project activities and products. a.2) Interogative methods are based on dialogue between the teacher and the student. For maximum effects, the teacher has to formulate precise questions, in an accessible and ageappropriate way, to stimulate their thinking. It will help students formulate clear answers, expose their ideas and opinions in correctly constructed phrases, encourage personal ideas, constructive dialogue, and the logical order of exposure. Conversation around certain topics proposed within the project and contexts of life is a good opportunity to acquire and improve communication competence in the mother tongue.  Conversation is the method that capitalizes dialogue or interrogation, through which the teacher conveys knowledge and offers the opportunity to achieve a higher moral level. Through questions and answers, the teacher instructs students to reproduce those observed, discovered and assimilated by them. Examples: Observing lifestyles and education systems in other countries, and synthesizing the conclusions; viewing and analyzing partner-uploaded materials uploaded to the common platform, finding the similarities and differences observed.  Problem is the interrogative method by which a question or problem situation is created in the students' minds, in order to stimulate their personal effort in capturing the different relationships between the acquired knowledge and the new knowledge, 43

leading to the elaboration of the solution, under the guidance of the teacher. Example: in volunteer activities where students were faced with problematic situations and were challenged to find solutions to help those in need and ways in which they could get involved directly in volunteer activities. a) Written communication methods use books and the Internet as a source of knowledge. For students of these times, the Internet is an important source of world knowledge. The teacher's duty is to guide students through the immense information provided by webpages to find what is useful for their training. This method stimulates work individually and by group, students are encouraged to read and extract the most significant information. Examples: Internet documentation, history and atlas books about partner countries, documenting the country's social assistance system and volunteering, finding quotes about project themes. The method has been used in interactive contexts, providing feedback through presentations to colleagues, printed or digital portfolios. Proper written expression is a priority issue within the competence of communication in the mother tongue, in a society where written communication is disturbed by the exchange of messages between students, on the social pages.

2. Communication in foreign languages broadly shares the main skill dimensions of communication in the mother tongue: it is based on the ability to understand, express and interpret concepts, thoughts, feelings, facts and opinions in both oral and written form (listening, speaking, reading and writing) in an appropriate range of societal and cultural contexts (in education and training, work, home and leisure) according to one's wants or needs.; The English communication competence has been developed throughout the project, being the foundation on which the collaboration between parents, both at the level of teachers and pupils, was based. This competence is important in personal and professional training in these times when all Europeans benefit from the right to move and work anywhere in Europe. Even if they find jobs in their own country, communication in English is a more and more demanding condition for employers due to the tendencies of developing companies through international collaboration. Even if English is studying in school, good 44

communication is limited due to the lack of dialogue situations. Students involved in joint activities with colleagues from other countries have greatly developed this competence precisely because they have been put into situations where they have had to communicate in English. The communication was made both orally and in writing. Oral communication was practiced in Learning / Teaching / Training Activities. Written communication has been practiced through the rendering of materials in English ("Once Upon a Time", personal presentations, "Cook my recipe!" Etc.). An important tool for developing communication competence in English was the initiation of groups Whatsapp talks, set up between teachers and students. This path has essentially contributed to mutual knowledge and the establishment of new friendships through written communication in the English language. In addition to English, as the language of the project, students had the opportunity to develop communication skills in the languages of the partners at a lower level. This was done both from adolescent-specific curiosity, but also from necessity, because students were accommodated in families, attended activities in host schools where they came in contact with foreign colleagues. 3. Competence in science and technology refers to the ability to use a methodological body and knowledge involved in explaining the natural world to identify questions and draw conclusions based on empirical evidence. Explaining the natural world is strictly dependent on the individual's individual existence, especially in today's society where technology is present in all aspects of life: from mere physical existence (daily personal needs) to spirituality and thirst for human knowledge. Many times, people come to use technology as a given, self-explanatory thing without which they can not conceive, but forget to realize that behind these technologies are hidden processes and phenomena studied and processed by enlightened minds from the past. But in order for today's students to become people of tomorrow's knowledge, they need to understand these phenomena through practical experiments based on theoretical knowledge. And this must be presented by teachers in an attractive way, combined with play and practical experiments, to stimulate pupils' curiosity in the field of science and technology.

Competence in technology is seen as an application of methodology and knowledge to respond to human wishes and needs. That is why man's relationship with the world - alive or inanimate - must be a harmonious one, full of care and love. Together with the elements in nature, man is in a relationship of interdependence, which leads to the natural balance. This is maintained as long as there are no factors that can cause its corruption. The set of relations and relationships that are established between man and nature, as well as their interdependence influence the ecological balance, determines the living conditions and implicitly the working conditions for man as well as the perspectives of the development of the society as a whole. Along with the evolution of human society, some changes began to take place, beginning to be nonessential, then increasing. Man has used some natural materials and created others without realizing that it can damage the environment and thus spoil the balance of nature. According to the United States National Science Foundation (governmental agency that supports research and education processes in all non-medical fields of science and engineering), 80% of the 2015-2025 jobs will be based on competencies in science and technology. Thus, in order to choose and even excel in areas such as Engineering or Mathematics, students should be supported throughout their learning path through learning tools tailored to their profile and involved in learning-based learning activities as much as possible. Thus they will understand the natural mechanisms and will learn to use them in the trades they will follow. Developing this competence was the goal of the "Little Scientists" activity, where the students proposed and performed physical and chemical experiments, inspired by the theoretical knowledge taught at school. The purpose of the activity was to raise the students 'interest in science, to teach them the observation and analysis of natural phenomena and to discover the students' skills in science for better future guidance.

4. Digital competence involves the confident and critical use of Information Society Technology (IST) for work, leisure and communication. It is underpinned by basic skills in ICT: the use of computers to retrieve, assess, store, produce, present and exchange information, and to communicate and participate in collaborative networks via the Internet.

Given that change, renewal is a fundamental vector of contemporary society, it is necessary for the educational process to be optimized in terms of the formation and development of the skills necessary for the knowledge society. The use of ICT in didactic activity is a necessity, but also an opportunity for realizing a student-centered teaching process, individualized, attractive and modern, connected to actuality in the sense formulated at European level. The use of ICT in all project activities has been a necessity and has been done at all stages of implementation: contact with partners, planning,

documentation,

organization,

editing,

presentation,

dissemination

and

communication. The main advantages of using ICT in the educational process are essentially related to the following aspects:  promoting student-centered learning to a greater extent;  Supporting learning through various media and materials;  Supporting complex learning pathways by changing the paradigm of the methodology used (eg through project-based learning);  personalization of materials;  stimulate creativity;  Performing evaluation and self-evaluation by using item banks. Among the most common learning tasks appropriate to ICT integration, we mention:  accessing, documenting, collecting information, attributing meaning. Example: The teacher points to webpages from which students can retrieve certain information. A useful application in this case is the scrible application, which provides the teacher with tools to highlight certain passages for easier orientation of students on the web page. The Todaysmeet application can be used to send links correctly.  processing and constructing information by performing syntheses, analogies; Example: The teacher will teoretically and practically guide students in the knowledge of the applications used in writing documents in the form of documents, presentations on slides, posters, brochures, etc.

 drafting of digital portfolios on the topics proposed within the project or at the choice of individual activity or groups  exercising some creative skills, imagining behaviors in problem contexts; Example: in the "Once upon a time" storytelling, imagining the conversation between two people who meet and discuss on the edge of some events. A useful and attractive tool in this case is the dvolver application.  Practicing the technical skills of using ICT, familiarizing with the virtual environment and handling digital instruments in any field: knowledge, communication, exposure, evaluation.  Obtaining personal feedback and self-regulation of own activity; this can be done through games, interactive tests, for which the teacher can use the HotPotatoes, Quizlet, Kubbu or ProProfs applications. The use of ICT in the educational process increases student receptivity as well as interactivity. If in the classical system the pupil listened to the lesson and was taught to take notes, using audio-visual teaching in ICT, the audio-visual attention is formed. On the other hand, the use of ICT in class, develops complementary skills for both students and teachers, such as computer use and new information technologies, to present, to develop lesson projects, and to collaborate with colleagues . Digital technologies and applications offer a wide range for the teacher to create interactive, dynamic lessons in which students' temperaments and affinities to modern technology can be maximized. The Internet hosts a whole range of digital platforms, from which the teacher can select and customize lessons according to their own vision, in order to respond effectively to the specific skills training and development requirements. These tools can be used starting with the planning and design phase of the lesson, designing and writing its plan, teaching and evaluating knowledge, or even supplementing the homework. The importance of digital competences in current education is found in the main theme of the first Learning / Teaching / Training Activity of the project. This activity resulted in a digital application guide that can be used in the educational process by both teacher and student.

5. The ability to learn the learning process is related to learning, to the ability of man to pursue and organize his or her own learning, either individually or in groups, according to their own needs, as well as awareness of methods and opportunities; The Recommendation on Key Competences for Lifelong Learning, adopted in 2001 by the European Parliament and the Education Council, learning to learn is considered an essential tool without which permanent learning would not exist. The ability to learn to learn has resulted as a necessity for adapting people to the changing nature of society and the labor market. Because of this permanent mobility, acquisitions made in school prove to be insufficient for an adequate integration into the labor market and, more broadly, into society. Learning to learn presupposes the involvement of learners in their own training, starting from their life experience and previous learning and skills, in order to be able to apply their knowledge and skills in a variety of contexts: at home, at work , education and training. Due to the many aspects involved, it can be said that this competence is rather general rather than one related to a specific study discipline. The non-formal contexts provided by the project activities formed the framework in which students developed this competence. The multitude of life experiences from contact with other European cultures, as well as the need to achieve the practical objectives proposed by the project, encouraged students to develop their ability to self-educate and self-indulge permanently. This competence has two dimensions: a cognitive one and an affective one. Cognitive aspects are in the form of the ability to access, process and assimilate new knowledge, learning strategies and the organization of their own learning by students. In this regard, we can say that the project has provided students with the material on which they have exercised this skill. The information baggage was extremely wide and varied, addressing themes that are found almost in all aspects of life. Accessing, processing and assimilation of this knowledge implies learning a learning style in progressive steps, from simple to complex, from personal presentations to understanding social issues. It is necessary for the student to understand even during the school that he must be his own teacher. Affective aspects include social skills manifested through group learning, motivation, trust and ability to overcome obstacles. These capabilities must be able to be used in 49

multiple contexts and different by the people who have purchased them. And in this respect, European collaboration through projects provides pupils with a wide range of examples. Direct contact and exchange of ideas between different partners provided the framework for soul enrichment and self-confidence. Many students have experienced unique emotional experiences on airplane flight or family breaks, have been guests or hosts for strangers, but all of these have had beneficial implications for their personality. Impressions of students, teachers and parents are, in unison, positive about the impact of these experiences on personal training.

6. Social and civic competences. Social competences refer to personal, interpersonal and intercultural competences and all forms of behavior that enable each person to participate effectively and constructively in social and professional life. These competences are related to personal and social well-being. It is essential to understand codes of conduct and habits from different environments in which people work. Civic competences, in particular knowledge of social and political concepts and structures (democracy, justice, equality, citizenship and civil rights), make it possible for people to participate actively and democratically. Here personal, interpersonal and intercultural competences come in and all forms of behavior are covered to give the individual the opportunity to participate in a constructive and efficient way in social and working life, and especially in more and more societies diversified, enabling him to resolve conflicts if necessary. Civic competences endorse the individual to actively participate in civil life, based on knowledge of social and political concepts and structures, and engaging in democratic and active participation. Social skills relate to social and personal well-being, which involves understanding how individuals can ensure optimal mental and physical health, including resources for themselves, their own family and the social environment, as well as knowledge of how they can contribute to all this a healthy lifestyle. A common aspect of the project partners was that a large proportion of students come from socially, familyly or economically disadvantaged backgrounds. Because of this, the pupil's life experience is low or negative. This is reflected in low self-confidence and uncertainty about 50

the professional future. Contact and collaboration on an equal footing with foreign partners during the two years of the project helped to open up pupils to society in general, to increase self-confidence, to master socialization and adaptation methods. Students are aware that for successful social and interpersonal participation, it is essential to understand codes of conduct and generally accepted manners in different societies and environments. The issues that should dominate existence are respect and responsibility for carrying out various tasks. The most important part of this competence includes the ability to communicate constructively in different environments, to show tolerance, to express and understand different points of view, to negotiate with skill to produce trust and to empathize. This competence is based on an attitude of collaboration, assertiveness and integrity. Individuals must

express their interest

socio-economic

development

and

interpersonal

communication and must appreciate diversity and respect for others, be prepared to overcome both prejudices and compromise. Working together along the implementation of the project, the boundaries of the environment of origin have been overcome, prejudices have been abolished, and eventually each participant has manifested its potential in an open, equal and fair atmosphere. Differences between mentalities, education systems and specific occupations have been noted. But more importantly, the similarities were highlighted: the importance of education, care for those in need, the mood for social volunteering and the need for friends. And these resemblance was the basis for collaboration between the partners and led to the successful implementation of the project. Civic competences are based on the knowledge of the concepts of democracy, justice, equality, citizenship, civil rights, how they are expressed in the Charter of Fundamental Rights of the European Union and in international statements and how they are applied by different institutions at the level local, regional, national, European and international levels. This includes the knowledge of European integration and about the structures of the European Union, about the main objectives and values. It is also essential to know, understand and respect the particular behaviors specific to the different communities as well as the awareness of cultural diversity and identities in Europe. Skills for civic 51

competences relate to the ability to engage effectively with others in the public domain, and to show solidarity and interest in solving issues affecting local communities and large communities. Civic behavior is found in the project's activities. Moreover, he is part of the main subject of the study in the optional "I am European" curriculum, along with many of the materials made in the project and uploaded on the eTwinning platform website. This course capitalizes on the whole experience of those involved in the project and falls within the European context of good collaboration and sustainable development.

7. the sense of initiative and entrepreneurship is the ability to turn ideas into action. This sense of creativity, innovation and risk-taking, as well as the ability to plan and manage projects to achieve goals. The person is aware of the context of his or her own activity and is able to capitalize on the opportunities that have arisen. This is the foundation for the acquisition of the more specialized skills and knowledge needed by those who establish or contribute to a social or commercial activity. Entrepreneurship refers to a person's ability to put ideas into practice. Entrepreneurial activities provide students with the tools to think creatively and to solve problems in an effective way. Regardless of the field of training, the most effective way to develop entrepreneurship among students is to involve them in practical projects and activities, focusing on learning by doing and acquiring real entrepreneurial experience. Entrepreneurship involves innovation, creativity and risk-taking as well as the ability to plan and manage projects to achieve goals. It provides support for every person in private and public life, increases individual awareness of the context of their activity, increases their ability to take advantage of opportunities, and provides a basis for entrepreneurs undertaking social or commercial activities. In today's fast-growing society, it is necessary for these skills to be taught by pupils from small classes. The historical and geographical variety of European countries has led to a wide variety of occupations. Students should be trained to have knowledge not only about local, local and local professions and professions but also about those in other European countries. That is why the third Learning / Teaching / Training Activity was concerned with 52

entrepreneurial competence. The participating students visited businesses and companies and learned to write small business plans inspired by local specifics. They have been taught to observe and analyze the needs of the communities they come from, the available material and human resources, and come up with creative ideas on the basis of which they imagine a small business.

8. cultural consciousness and expression, involving the appreciation of the importance of the cultural expression of ideas, experiences and emotions through a series of channels (music, theater, literature and visual arts). Cultural expression includes the appreciation of the importance of creative expression of ideas, experiences and emotions through various environments, including music, body expression, literature and the fine arts. This is the basis for an open attitude and respect for the diversity of cultural expressions that the European individual faces in a Europe united as interests, but in which each country brings its own contribution and cultural identity. A particular place is the culture and folk traditions. In the European Union there are a group of countries that try to coexist and help each other on all levels (social, economic, cultural, etc.), intercuturality is indispensable because it is self-perpetuating. These countries must be able to interact, communicate, communicate with each other. That's why because there is this union, there is also interculturality in the European space which can be recognized on several levels. One of these plans would be cultural. Since several countries that collaborate all have some cultural particularities because we can not all be the same, each country has a cultural identity and that is one of the most important things that distinguishes it from the other. Even if we are different in terms of cultural, linguistic, gastronomic, European projects, we can effectively collaborate. Each partner presented to others what his country and his people have in particular, national and European values materialized in objectives that are worth promoting and appreciated. They can be found in the "Famous Country" presentations collection, the "My Cook Recipe" recipes collection and in the shows presented to the guests on the occasion of mobility. 53

3.1. PREPARING THE RESEARCH

1. Define the problem: From an etymological point of view, the notion of education comes from the Latin word educo, which is to lead man to a goal, to the end. The role of non-formal education activities is essential for education by developing the key competences that a learner needs to acquire for good professional and social integration. The game, the applied activities and sport are the most viable tools with which the child experiences and better understands the information taught. Organized school events, extracurricular projects and activities offer young people the opportunity to develop their skills in key areas of personality training. Involvement in educational collaborations is a longterm solution for social integration, strengthening relationships between participants, motivating and raising self-confidence. Developing children's life skills is an important element in education, especially for those from disadvantaged backgrounds. The non-formal activities carried out within this project aim at contributing to individual formation, increasing the desire for knowledge and professional affirmation, and implicitly to better social inclusion. 54

2. Location and duration of the research: The research was conducted during the Erasmus + project (September 2016 - June 2018) in the partner schools in this project: Halmeu (Romania), Vestermarkskolen (Denmark), Sf. Eichstätt (Germany), Istituto Tecnico Economico L. Da Vinci (Italy) and Ies La Mojonera (Spain). 3. Subject of research: Students' personality, key competences and social perceptions. 4. Purpose of the research: Assessing the role of non-formal activities on pupils' personality training, acquiring transversal competences and, implicitly, social integration. 5. Research objectives: Research has the following objectives: • Highlight the importance that Halmeu Gymnasium School students and partner schools under the "Under the same sky" project give to non-formal activities and classify them according to the students' preferences and the role they have in social inclusion; • To conduct an analysis of student behaviors in the case of their active involvement in nonformal activities, by analyzing the Rosenberg Scale of self-esteem; 6. Research assumptions: • Non-formal activities play an important role in the formation of pupils through the acquisition of transversal key competences • Active involvement in non-formal activities increases pupils' self-esteem and, implicitly, social inclusion

3.2. REALIZING THE RESEARCH

The instigatory approach is the basis of the actual research activities, which consists in collecting, measuring, organizing, presenting and statistical processing of data, followed by the analysis and interpretation of the results, in relation to the hypothesis testing.

RESEARCH METHODS 3.2.1. METHOD OF OBSERVATION Observation involves the deliberate and systematic pursuit of objects, phenomena and events in a natural state. Under the usual conditions of existence and manifestation / unfolding, in order to know more deeply and to discover their essential features. As a method of collecting data in pedagogical research, systematic observation presupposes the intentional, methodical and systematic pursuit of educational events, in the usual conditions of existence and development, in order to explain, understand and improve them, in terms of the purpose of the research and of the observational indicators. In the research on non-formal education, the method of observation is envisaged:  Knowledge and capabilities: description and generalization of relations between notions, selection and use of working tools, organization and interpretation of data;  Attitude towards knowledge in general: active involvement in solving individual and group tasks, concern for clarification of misunderstandings, revision of actions / activities;  Students' interest in their own development: involvement in extracurricular activities, participation in volunteer actions;  Communication capacity: group analysis of work tasks, group cooperation, presentation of own or group results.Comportamentul elevilor în timpul activităților nonformale se manifestă în trei direcții:

1. Behavior to participate in the activity (participation on own initiative / only at the request of the teacher / incited by colleagues, non-participation from indifference / refusal); 2. Task solving behavior (time to accomplish, mode of accomplishment, attitude to obstacles); 3. Attitudinal and behavioral changes (positive changes in attitude and behavior / lack of change). The quantification of the results is done nominally (counting the behaviors grouped by categories and expressing in absolute or relative frequencies) or at the ordinal level (establishing a relationship of order or rank between behaviors by assigning numbers for levels or ranges of their classification scale at the level intensity or frequency. The main research tool is the observation protocol, developed according to the theme, objectives and purpose of the research.

OBSERVATION PROTOCOL

The theme of interest: the degree of involvement of pupils in non-formal activities and attitudinal changes following the active participation of students in these activities Purpose: Observing student behavior during project activities Presentation of activities: • Teaching / learning interactive methods based on digital applications available on the Internet • Presenting students to foreign partners • Creating a logo and a mascot of the project • The proposal and cooking of traditional recipes • School holidays • Writing a story about a character traveling through partner countries 57

• Voluntary activities in social assistance centers and institutions • Creating an album with images and slogans on European civic behavior • Excursion and presentation about the most beautiful landmarks in the partner countries • Performing experiments and supporting lessons in extracurricular environment Objectives: • Evaluate student participation in activities; • Evaluate how they performed their work tasks; • Evaluate attitudinal and behavioral changes in students Type of observation: longitudinal (multiple research of some and the same person over a long time) The context of the observation: - Time period: During the two years of the project (September 2016 - June 2018) - Place: school and extracurricular areas Sample to be observed: students in the target group of the project: Nr. crt.

Country

Number of students

Romania

Spain

Italy

Germany

Denmark

Checklist of behaviors of students during activities Student Name ................................................ ................ The rating is granted by using a digit code as follows: 1 - unsatisfactory 2 - satisfactory 3 - fine 4 - very good Behavior observed

Ratings awarded 1

Involvement in extracurricular activities The student falls within the given time The student performs his / her tasks as required Communicating with colleagues Communication with teachers Communication in English The student has a positive attitude towards knowledge in general Student friendly relationships Working with your computer Behavior in and out of school Learning outcomes

For each student, a list of conduct behaviors was completed for the duration of the project. The results were centralized for each partner and weighted average for each item.

Analysis, processing and interpretation of data: ROMANIA, number of students: 21 Behavior observed

Involvement in extracurricular activities

Ratings awarded 1 (val) 1 (%) 2 2 3 3 (val) (%) (val) (%) 0

0,00

4 (val)

76,19 5

4 (%)

weighted average

23,81

3,24 The student falls within the given time

0,00

9,52

76,19 3

14,29

3,05 The student performs his / her tasks as required

0,00

9,52

76,19 3

14,29

3,05 Communicating with colleagues

0,00

100 4,00

Communication with teachers

0,00

76,19 5

23,81

Communication in English

0,00

14,29 14

66,67 4

19,05

3,24

3,05 The student has a positive attitude towards knowledge in general

0,00

9,52

76,19 3

14,29

3,05 Student friendly relationships

0,00

100 4,00

Working with your computer

0,00

14,29 14

66,67 4

19,05 3,05

Behavior in and out of school

0,00

14,29 18

85,71 3,86

Learning outcomes

0,00

57,14 6

28,57 2,86

ROMANIA 5,00 4,00 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00

Rating

SPAIN, number of students: 16 Behavior observed

Involvement in extracurricular activities

1 (val) 0

1 (%) 0,00

Ratings awarded 2 2 (%) 3 3 (val) (val) (%)

4 (val)

4 (%)

25,00

0,00

75,00

weighted average

3,25 The student falls within the given time

0,00

75,00

25,00

3,25 The student performs his / her tasks as required

0,00

75,00

25,00

3,25 Communicating with colleagues

0,00

100

Communication with teachers

0,00

87,50

12,50

4,00

3,13 Communication in English

0,00

87,50

12,50 3,13

The student has a positive attitude towards knowledge in general

0,00

75,00

12,50

2,38 Student friendly relationships

0,00

100 4,00

Working with your computer

0,00

87,50

12,50 3,13

Behavior in and out of school

0,00

12,50

75,00

12,50 3,00

Learning outcomes

0,00

12,50

75,00

12,50 3,00

SPAIN 5,00 4,00 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00

Rating

ITALY, number of students: 18 Behavior observed 1 (val)

1 (%)

Ratings awarded 2 2 3 3 (val) (%) (val) (%)

Involvement in extracurricular activities

0,00

66,67

33,33

The student falls within the given

0,00

16,67 12

66,67

16,67

4 (val)

4 (%)

weighted average

3,33 3,00

time The student performs his / her tasks as required

0,00

16,67 12

66,67

16,67

3,00

Communicating with 0 colleagues

0,00

11,11

88,89 3,89

Communication with 0 teachers

0,00

5,56

77,78

16,67 3,11

Communication in English

0,00

16,67 12

66,67

16,67 3,00

The student has a positive attitude towards knowledge in general

0,00

22,22

77,78

3,78

Student friendly relationships

0,00

100,0 0 4,00

Working with your computer

0,00

11,11

88,89 3,89

Behavior in and out of school

0,00

11,11

88,89

Learning outcomes

0,00

11,11

88,89

3,89 3,89

ITALY 5,00 4,00 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00

Rating

DENMARK, number of students: 16 Behavior observed

Involvement in extracurricular activities

1 (val) 1

1 (%) 6,25

Ratings awarded 2 2 3 3 (val) (%) (val) (%)

4 (val)

4 (%)

75,00

0,00

25,00

weighted average

3,81 The student falls 0 within the given time

0,00

25,00

75,00

The student performs his / her tasks as required

6,25

0,00

25,00

75,00

3,75 1

3,81 Communicating with colleagues

6,25

0,00

25,00

75,00 3,81

Communication with teachers

6,25

0,00

25,00

75,00 3,81

Communication in English

0,00

12,50

87,50 3,88

The student has a positive attitude towards knowledge in general

0,00

25,00

75,00

3,75 Student friendly relationships

0,00

12,50

87,50 3,88

Working with your computer

0,00

100,0 0 4,00

Behavior in and out of school

0,00

100,0 0 4,00 64

DENMARK 4,05 4,00 3,95 3,90 3,85 3,80 3,75 3,70 3,65 3,60

Rating

GERMANY, number of students: 19 Behavior observed

Involvement in extracurricular activities

1 (val) 0

1 (%) 0,00

2 (val)

Ratings awarded 2 3 3 (%) (val) (%)

4 (val)

4 (%)

15,79

10,53

73,68

media ponderata

2,95 The student falls 0 within the given time

0,00

15,79

87,50

12,50

3,50 The student performs his / her tasks as required

0,00

15,79

87,50

12,50

3,50 Communicating with colleagues

0,00

10,53

93,75

12,50 3,56

Communication with teachers

0,00

57,89

37,50

12,50 3,00 65

Communication in English

0,00

57,89

37,50

12,50 3,00

The student has a positive attitude towards knowledge in general

0,00

10,53

93,75

12,50

3,56 Student friendly relationships

0,00

37,50

81,25 4,38

Working with your computer

0,00

10,53

87,50

18,75 3,63

Behavior in and out of school

0,00

87,50

31,25 3,88

Learning outcomes

3 0

15,79

87,50

12,50 3,50

GERMANY 5,00 4,00 3,00 2,00 1,00 0,00

Rating

As a result of the data collection, it is noted that the marks awarded are in the majority of 3 (good) and 4 (very good). Overall, we noticed a very good situation with regard to the socialization and communication skills with new people, which resulted in the friendships between pupils from different countries and the relationships with school colleagues. This was supported by transnational mobility and Whatsapp groups set up during the course of the project. In addition to these aspects, the following can be highlighted:  students became more confident in their own forces;  have received the boldness of engaging in extracurricular activities;  they have manifested their creativity by proposing their own ideas on how to organize actions;  pupils who were initially retired and shy, have come to socialize very well with other colleagues and teachers;  have worked individually, in leisure time, to perform the tasks required by teachers;  free speech has been improved due to the fact that students have had to support their work in front of a native or foreign audience; Lesser impact is reflected in learning outcomes. The explanation may be related to the fact that non-formal activities further develop transversal competences, which can not be quantified in the notes. The impact of these activities is formative, long-term and will be reflected in the personality of pupils throughout their lives.

3.2.2. QUESTIONNAIRE BASED ANALYSIS

From the etymological point of view, the questionnaire comes from the questo latin language and means search - research - question - interrogation. This method makes it possible to collect data from a large mass of individuals in order to get the most thorough knowledge of the investigated phenomena. The questionnaire is a system of well-structured questions based on logical and psychological considerations. Through the questionnaire method, the researcher has at his disposal answers that he would not know directly and personally. The questions contained in the questionnaire administered in this case are of factual and opinion type. Used and open items were used. The questionnaires were completed by the target group pupils in the partner countries and the teachers involved in the project. The issues concerned were the following:  The extent to which students engage in extracurricular activities;  Highlighting out-of-school activities with the greatest impact on pupils;  The way in which non-formal activities contribute to the formation of pupils;  Evolution of self-confidence using the Rosenberg scale.Eșantionul a fost format din elevii grupului țintă și profesorii implicați în proiect. The initial questionnaire was as follows:

Questionnaire Applied to the subjects at the beginning of the project 2016-1 1 RO 01- KA219-024453 / UNDER THE SAME SKY Country: ........................................... Name: ................................................................................ Age: .................................. years old 1. What qualities do you think you have? ..................................................................................................................................................... 2. What qualities do you appreciate in your friends? ..................................................................................................................................................... 3. What qualities do you think your friends appreciate in you? ..................................................................................................................................................... 4. How do you think you rank in popularity in your class? Among the first 5

Medium ranking

Among last 5

Not interested

5. What expectations do you have from this project? ..................................................................................................................................................... ..................................................................................................................................................... 6. What do you believe to be the key to success in life? ..................................................................................................................................................... 7. To what extent do you think the following activities contributed to your personal development? (Check the option that is true for you) Very large extent

large extent

little extent

none at all

School classes Extracurricular activities (field trips, competitions, school projects, etc.) 69

Activities that were unrelated to school (practicing a sport, reading, activities with friends etc.)

Rosenberg's Self Esteem Scale Nr. 1

7 8

9 10

Item

strong agreement I feel that I am a 4 valuable person, at least equally valuable with others I feel that I have a 4 number of positive qualities. Over all, I tend to 1 think that I am a failure. I am able to do 4 things, just as well as most people. I feel that there 1 aren't too many things that I can be proud of. I have a positive 4 opinion about myself. Over all, I feel all 4 right about myself. I wish I had more 1 respect about myself. I sometimes feel 1 useless. Many times, I think 1 that I am not good at anything.

agreement 3

disagreement strong disagreement 2 1

Total points:................

Analysis of responses: 1. What qualities do you think you have? Answers: kind, friendly, intelligent, cheerful, nice, good person, sincere, speak English, good listener. The responses reflect the students' fair perception of their own personality and the inclination to self-assess themselves from a socially independent perspective. 2. What qualities do you appreciate in your friends? Answers: have fun together, trust, respect, sincere, help in difficult moments. There is the candor of answers, which does not contain issues related to the environment of origin. 3. What qualities do you think your friends appreciate in you? Answers: help, trust, fun, good sense, honesty, work hard for good marks at school, good person, sociability, good at English. 4. How do you think you rank in popularity in your class? Among the first 5 23 %

Medium ranking 45 %

Among last 5 12 %

Not interested 30 %

Most believe it occupies a place of average popularity. 5. What expectations do you have from this project? Answers: practice English, meet people from different cultures, new friendships, present our country to the others, learn from each other, become more confident, new experiences, learn about other cultures, travel to other countries, being more open. We see openness to other cultures, the desire to live and experience new life experiences, and especially the impatience to bind new friends. Not only do pupils, at the age of adolescence, are not preoccupied with prejudices but, on the contrary, they want to interact as much as possible with foreigners. 71

6. What do you believe to be the key to success in life? Answers: have a degree, study a lot, a good family, to be a good person, be happy, belive in yourself, not be scared to take chances, learn from mistakes, curiosity, intelligence, money, strong personality, hard work, opennes, tolerance to other humans, perseverance. The answers reflect the importance that students give to education, but also the fact that family is an important supporting factor. Also, self-confidence and boldness occupy a striking place in students' perception of success in life. 7. To what extent do you think the following activities contributed to your personal development? (Check the option that is true for you)

School classes

Very large extent 37 %

Extracurricular 22 % activities (field trips, competitions, school projects, etc.) Activities that were 47 % unrelated to school (practicing a sport, reading, activities with friends etc.)

large extent

little extent

none at all

60 %

53 %

23 %

42 %

70 60 50 40

School classes

Extracurricular activities Activities unrelated to school

20 10 0 Very large extent %

large extent % little extent % none at all %

It is noted that pupils attach great importance to all types of education: formal, non-formal and informal, which means that they have a certain maturity, at the age of 14-15, in terms of personal training. They already appreciate human general values such as: friendship, sincerity, diligence and openness to the knowledge of new cultures.

Analysis and interpretation of the Rosenberg scale: Interpretation: This scale was originally developed to measure the global sense of personal value and selfacceptance. The scale contains 10 items with 4 possible answers between total disagreement (1 point) and total agreement (4 points). Items 2,5,6,8,9 are queried. Scores may range from 10 to 40; When quoting the results, the values between: 10-16 points - low self-esteem 17-33 points - medium self-esteem 34-40 points - high self-esteem Students completed this scale at the beginning and end of the project.

Romania, number of students: 21

Score 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 39

20 18

initial final percentage percentage % % 10 0 19 0 10 5 19 0 5 10 14 5 10 10 14 14 19 10 10 5 0 0 10 5

Romania

16 14 12 10

Initial score

Final Score

6 4 2 0 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 35 36 37 38 39

Spain, number of students: 16 Score 20 23 24 25 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 36 37 38 39 40

initial final percentage percentage % % 4 0 4 0 4 0 0 9 4 9 8 0 8 0 16 0 16 9 0 9 8 0 8 0 0 18 16 0 4 27 0 9

Spain 30 25 20 Initial score

Final Score 10 5 0 20

Italy, number of students: 18 Score 20 23 24 26 27 29 30 31 32 33 36 38 40

initial final percentage percentage % % 5,56 0 5,56 0 5,56 11 11,11 0 16,67 11 16,67 11 22,22 11 5,56 0 0,00 11 22 5,56 5,56 22

25,00

Italy

20,00 15,00 Initial score Final score

10,00 5,00 0,00 20

Denmark, number of students: 16 Score 20 25 27 28 29 30

initial final percentage percentage % % 9,09 0 9,09 0 9,09 0 9,09 13 0 31 0 19 76

31 32 33 34 35 40

9,09 18,18 9,09 0 18,18 9,09

13 6 0 13 0 6

Denmark 35,00 30,00 25,00 20,00

Initial score

15,00

Final score

10,00 5,00 0,00 20

There is an increase in self-confidence in the majority of pupils participating in the project.

The final questionnaire was as follows:

Questionnaire Applied to the subjects at the end of the project 2016-1-RO01-KA219-024453 / UNDER THE SAME SKY Country: ........................................... Name: ................................................................................ 1. Name at least 3 project activities that you have attended and liked:  …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………  …………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………… 2. How do you assess the educational role of the project activities you have participated in? a. very important

c. quite important

b. important

d. not very important

e. unimportant

3. Compared to regular school work, you were involved in project activities: a. to a greater extent

b. to a lesser extent c. the same

4. Compared to regular school work, within the project, the relationship of communication and collaboration with teachers and colleagues is appreciated as being: a. closer

b. the same

c. more distant

5. What do you think are the main benefits of your participation in the activities of the "Under the same sky" Project? You can choose one or more variants. a. I found out new things

f. better relationships students-teachers

b. I made new friends

g. I have corrected certain prejudices

c. I improved my English communication

h. I've improved my social skills

d. I have more confidence in me

i. other benefits..................................

e. better relationships between students

...............................................

1. Name at least 3 project activities that you have attended and liked: The answers were: Total answers: 270 Name of activity Computers Business plan Theatre mobilities friends under the same sky logo and mascot presentations cook my recipe Volunteering Little scientists Spectacles Famous countries Once upon a time Dissemination activities Hosting a person at home

Percentage % 10,71 0,89 8,04 11,61 3,57 2,68 3,57 14,29 14,29 5,36 2,68 9,82 7,14 1,79 3,57

Rated activities 16,00 14,00 12,00 10,00 8,00 6,00 4,00 2,00 0,00

Percent of votes

The most voted activities were: ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Cook my recipe! ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Volunteering

ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Transnational mobilities ď&#x192;&#x2DC; Working on computer The important aspect of these responses is the interest in helping those in need through volunteering. Transnational mobility is very desirable for students, especially accommodation in native families, due to direct contact with other cultures and living habits. 2. How do you assess the educational role of the project activities you have participated in? Perception of activities very important important quite important not very important unimportant

Percentage of votes % 51 29 20 0 0

Educational role of activities 60 50 40 30

Role of activity

20 10 0 very important

important

quite important

3. Compared to regular school work, you were involved in project activities: Involvement of students

a. to a greater extent b. the same

Percentage of selection %

72 21 80

c. to a lesser extent

Involvement of students 80 70 60 50

40 Involvement

30 20 10 0 a. to a greater extent

b. the same

c. to a lesser extent

4. Compared to regular school work, within the project, the relationship of communication and collaboration with teachers and colleagues is appreciated as being: Communication

a. closer b. the same c. more distant

Percentage % 79 19 2

Communication with teachers 100 80 60 Communication with teachers

40 20 0 a. closer

b. the same

c. more distant

5. What do you think are the main benefits of your participation in the activities of the "Under the same sky" Project? You can choose one or more variants. Benefits of the project

a. I found out new things b. I made new friends c. I improved my English communication d. I have more confidence in me e. better relationships between students f. better relationships students-teachers g. I have corrected certain prejudices h. I've improved my social skills

Percentage % 15 19 21 5 12 15 3 9

Benefits of project 25 20 15 10 5 0

Benefits of project

CONCLUSIONS The analysis of the results shows that the project had a major impact especially on pupils' social skills: communicating with their teachers and colleagues, establishing new friendship relationships, communicating in English as a prerequisite for establishing relations at European level. They also learned new things they could not have known without their involvement in this project: knowledge of the ways of life and habits of different European cultures. These notions are not included in the curriculum, but have proved to be important in students' vision. The major impact was on the target group, especially on the students who participated at the LTTA. Students have substantially improved their knowledge: • about partner countries (geography, culinary habits, lifestyles, educational system) and about their own country (thanks to the information tour and documentation on the Internet on tourist attractions); • by understanding physical and chemical phenomena following experiments; • how to engage in volunteering; • the use of digital applications for educational purposes; • Entrepreneurship; • communication in English; • organizing non-formal activities (shows, extra-curricular, volunteer); Changes in attitude: • For foreigners. They have opened up to colleagues, regardless of their country of origin; • Involvement in activities was voluntary and responsible; • In relation to other people in need, to colleagues and teachers, concretized in better communication with them; • Establishing new friendships between students within the school and within the partnership;

• Openness to the importance of knowing English. Students have constantly endeavored to improve their language. Improving their skills: 

Documentation and individual work reflected in the project products made;



Teamwork in the case of mobility training and the organization of volunteer actions;



Socializing with new people;



Behavior in family situations and environments and new work.

The impact on the teaching staff: 

The teachers involved in the project had various specialties so that the exchange of ideas and contacts with foreign teachers resulted in a positive impact on the approaches and teaching methods.



Teachers involved in the various extracurricular activities of the project have positively appreciated their role in pupils' education.



They improved the communication in English.



The teachers compared the method used in various European countries and their results by assisting the classes, presenting the educational systems and one-to-one discutions.



The teachers expressed their disponibility to involve in other European projects in the future.



The communication, the teamwork based on trust, assuming the responsibilities improved the social competences of the teachers.



Teacher-pupil communication was also improved.



Their ICT skills were improved due to the fact that the project’s products are digital materials, the communication between the partners did mostly through the Internet.



The teachers had the opportunity to be involved in intercultural dialogue with the partner teachers and better understand the European dimension of education.