ELOS EVALUATION BY THE STUDENTS OF I.E.S. UROLA IKASTOLA AZKOITIA-AZPEITIA B.H.I. THE BASQUE COUNTRY 25th FEBRUARY 2013 This survey was conducted with forty-one students of IES Urola Ikastola AzkoitiaAzpeitia BHI who have participated in different Comenius projects and Elos activities. The survey took about thirty minutes and was done through the school’s Moodle application. The main goal of this survey is to gain a better insight of the students’ participation and their assessment of the Elos and European activities carried out in our school for the last three school years. The forty-one students who answered the questions of this survey were 16-17 yearold girls and boys currently studying the first and second year of High School prior to go on to university or upper vocational training. They have worked and exchanged with students from Newport (Essex, UK), Lyon (F) and Landgraaf (NL). Some of the students in the first year are also involved in a new project and a similar survey will be passed to them and their new project partners. The Elos portfolio mentioned in the questionnaire is also being currently completed by younger students aged 13-14 in the second year of Compulsory Secondary Education (DBH). The Elos committee members at school hope this survey, and similar ones conducted in the future, will be a valuable feedback to improve our approach to the Elos main goal of helping our students to gain the communicative, social and cultural skills as well as the required knowledge and attitude described in the Elos Common Framework for Europe Competence (CFEC) to learn, work and live as European citizens with a sound opinion and critical approach to the European Union.
A. BILATERAL OR MULTILATERAL EUROPEAN PROJECTS 1.A- How much have deadlines for requested jobs in the European projects been respected?
2.A- How much more autonomous have you learnt to be by participating in the European projects?
3.A- How successful has team work with your project European partners been?
4.A- Have you been able to incorporate what you have learnt in different subjects (eg. ENGLISH, HISTORY, CITIZENSHIP, ECONOMICS, ICT) into a European project.
5.A- How much have you learnt about the cultural diversity of Europe?
6.A-How much have you learnt to accept (even for a short time) different school and family rules?
7.A-How much tolerant have you become about other lifestyles?
8.A-How successful do you think you have been able to sell a good image of the Basque Country among your European partners?
9.A- How much do you feel a European citizen after these projects?
10.A- How much more confident did you learn to feel when speaking to a foreign audience during team work presentations.
11.A- How important do you think it is to develop competences (knowledge, languages, ICT and social competences and attitudes) in order to learn, work and live as a European citizen?
SUMMARY OF SECTION A “ BILATERAL OR MULTILATERAL EUROPEAN PROJECTS” Although project deadlines have been respected and group work is mostly regarded successful -and so is assessed by a majority of students- there is a significant number of participants (around 15%) who do not seem to be so happy about their collaboration with their European partners. This can be put down to communication problems and different school habits and cultural background. However, that is precisely one of the goals of the Elos project, i.e. to gain European competence and practical skills from failure or success so as to learn and work in different European contexts. Some other aspects to develop, such as tolerance, autonomy or confidence to address an audience, also have a significant percentage (about 20%) of “not much” . This can be due to the fact that some already felt quite confident or autonomous beforehand. As for specifically talking to a foreign
audience, being a stressful situation not so easy to overcome, there is about a 25 % who affirm not have learnt to be much more confident Those who think that have been unable to incorporate what they learnt into curriculum school subjects surpass those who affirm they did. Nonetheless 100% of the surveyed students think that developing European competences and knowledge at school is very or quite important. Finally a significant number affirms they did not learn much about the diversity of Europe although they admit becoming more tolerant to other lifestyles and other school and family rule after their experience abroad .
B. Elos PORTFOLIO 1.B- How useful do you think it is to have an Elos Portfolio to reflect on language learning?
2.B- How useful do you think it is to have an Elos Portfolio to reflect on knowledge about Europe?
3.B- How useful do you think an Elos Portfolio may be to show your participation in European projects in further studies such as university or upper vocational training or when applying for a job?
4.B- How present is Europe in your academic life?
5.B- How present should European issues be in your school subjects?
6.B- If “a lot” or “quite a lot”, in which subjects? Suggest some activities regarding Europe that could be organized in your school. Most students suggest that present day problems should be discussed in History, Geography, Science, Economics, Languages etc. History is more often mentioned than any other school subjects. Languages and ICT skills are second and third to History. However, there are a few students who hold that European topics should be present up to some extent in every school subject. Students also affirm that European Projects should continue mainly through exchanges and mobilities but also by using ICT tools to do regular European activities with students from other European schools. Language subjects are mentioned several times as suitable classes to hold ICT contacts with European partners. Some students also propose bringing in visiting speakers to talk about current European issues. Some special dates such as a European Day, or alike, are mentioned by a few students for occasions in which European issues should be more closely dealt with and, therefore, invite people to contribute with their expertise. Anyway, how the European competences should be integrated and assessed (“marked”) in their curriculum is still something that somehow escapes their grasp.
7.B- If “not much” or “nothing” why not? Those very few, 4 students out of 41, who think that European subjects should “not much” be present in the curricula of school subjects mainly adduce that “firstly we should concentrate in our local issues”. There are three other students who think it would be difficult to organize.
SUMMARY OF SECTION B. “Elos PORTFOLIO” A majority of students think that an Elos Portfolio may be very useful to show their participation and competence achievement in European projects and activities according to the Common Framework for European Competences. There is almost an equal score between those who think Europe is “present enough” and “not enough” in their academic life, although a majority agree it should definitely be .
C. UNEXPECTED OUTCOMES 1.C- How much has participating in European activities improved your language skills in general?
2.C- Do you feel more confident using English (or French) after participating in a project?
3.C- Do you feel your social skills have improved as after participating in a project?
4.C- Do you feel your ICT skills have improved after participating in a project?
5.C- Did participating in this Elos project make you more motivated for school work and language studies?
6.C- How much did you enjoy‌ ? Project activities
Group work
Travelling
Staying in a family
Making friends
7.C- How intensive would you define your participation in the project?
8.C- What is your dearest memory of the project(s) in which you participated? When asked about what they enjoyed best in the projects they participated in, students overwhelmingly refer to their travelling and sightseeing new places. Alongside, or close second to knowing new places abroad, meeting new people and having a nice time with their partners and their families, who in several cases they describe as “lovely”, is rated as a very dear memory.
9.C- What is your worst memory of the project(s) in which you participated? Out of forty-one students ten of them affirm “ I don't have any bad memories”. Six students complain they did not get on well with their partners, either abroad or when acting as hosts. Some of them also mention they had a hard time when they first arrived at their families abroad, but they put it down to their own shyness or even a shortage in social skills. Only two students say they had a bad time when addressing in a foreign language to an audience abroad. This is a very small percentage taking into account the
situation might have certainly been stressing. They seem happy though for having overcome their fears. It should be pointed out that in question 10 A there were ten students who said they did not learn to feel more confident to address a foreign audience. Four students also complain of food or mention different mealtimes and family rules. This might basically be regarded as a learning aspect of their training in social competences and the knowledge and acceptance of cultural diversity. However, quite a significant number of students said they did not learn much about cultural diversity in question 5A. Some apparent contradictions can be spotted and should require further clarification.
10.C- Would you recommend others to take part in the European projects? Why YES or why NOT? Nobody said “no”. All the contributions are very positive. We could summarize the reiterated reasons why they would recommend European projects in the following representative statements: “Yes. It is a very good way to make new friends and know about a European school and how they live in their families.” “Yes, because you learn new things and I think it's important to learn to socialise and the use of new languages.” “Yes, I would because it is a wonderful experience in which you can learn more about yourself and Europe.” “Yes. Because you learn to do things by yourself and also to work and live with foreign partners.” “Of course, I would, since it is a good experience and a great opportunity to improve your English. But I would prepare longer projects.”
Azkoitia-Azpeitia, 25 February 2013