TEACHERS’ INSIGHTS AS A CONTRIBUTION FOR TUNING PEDAGOGICAL PRACTICES TO Y-ERS HANDBOOK
Comenius Multilateral School Partnerships project
TUNY: WE ARE Y-ERS - A TUNING CHALLENGE FOR TEACHERS
Authors João Fonseca (Coordinator); Barbara Čampa; Dulce Coimbra; Leonor Machado; Marcin and Małgorzata Krzyszczyk; Nikolaos Kontanatsios; Stefan Goertz (Dr). Insights contributors Irena Babnik Katja Cedilnik Barbara Čampa Nevenka Dušak Jelka Flis Jasna Salokar Nives Testen Anabela Silva Dias Dulce Coimbra Leonor Machado João Fonseca
Elias Economou Nikos Tsompanoglou Konstantinos Amygdalitsis Dimitrios Kokkinos Nikos Kontonatsios Giorgos Filippou Morfo Rakopoulou Żaneta Mazur-Nowak, Grażyna Sikora-Szczygieł Romualda Anioł-Lubas Iwona Dereń
Marcin Krzyszczyk Małgorzata Krzyszczyk Josep Carol Francesc Saura Emili Morales Ana Chamorro Esther Lozano Sílvia Masbernat Ester Feixas Josefina Termens Stefan Goertz (Dr)
Kerstin Brunnermeier (Dr) Debbie Möller Johannes Herz Lea Lembrick Nuray Aka Sema Demirkıran Özgül Kurt Durdabak Murat Olgun Reyhan Orman Besat Şahin
Cover design Josep Carol and Francesc Saura (art teachers) based on a design by Alba Palomo, 4th ESO student, Institut Pla de les Moreres Secondary School. Photos Konstantinos Amygdalitsis João Fonseca Translation and Proofreading Dulce Coimbra Leonor Machado Editor João Fonseca Publisher TunY Project Partnership Europe, June 2014 ISBN: 978-989-99077-0-6
This project was co-funded by the European Commission. The content of this handbook is the sole responsibility of the TunY partnership and it does not represent views of the European Commission.
We... ... lazy outgoing funny blue idiot extraordinary egocentric ecosystems polyglot stubborn different violent young equal impressive unpredictable complicated boring dummies chatter-boxes big-headed thinkers powerful rebels bananas drowned penguins idealists multifaceted greased intelligent versatile greedy hairy pretty sexy irresistible clumsy cocky realists cheater corrupt busy stupid friendly hard-workers important opportunists addicted addictive fanciful dreamers childish inventors original crazy incompetent flashy responsible contradictory excited problematic emblematic altruistic unique freaks neutral lonely sympathetic perverse curious selfish seductive conquerors different bosses (Written by students inspired by the poem “O Homem” of the portuguese poet Alexandre O’Neill)
TABLE OF CONTENTS PURPOSE OF THE HANDBOOK
1
THE TUN Y PROJECT
3
WHO ARE Y-ERS?
5
INSIGHTS 17 FINDINGS OF THE QUESTIONNAIRES
37
INSTEAD OF CONCLUSIONS
43
ANNEX A (THE PARTNERS)
47
ANNEX B (THE QUESTIONNAIRES)
55
XX
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PURPOSE OF THE
HANDBOOK
PURPOSE OF THE HANDBOOK Nowadays at school there is a completely different generation of pupils/ students: the Y-ers. They have different learning triggers, habits, motivation, values, and so on. Sometimes the teaching methods and approaches adopted seem not to be the most appropriate and it becomes important to try to identify what can be improved in the teaching process to make it more efficient for the pupils/students in classes through some insights. The insights gathered throughout the TunY project, some of which could hardly have been obtained during every day school lessons, are an invaluable help in our continuous effort to bridge the intergenerational
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gap, which cannot and should not be underestimated. Faced with the opportunity to get positive experiences and to get familiar with their assigned strong (curiosity, productivity, creativity, inventiveness, openness, celerity, boldness, etc) and weak characteristics, which are to be developed (persistence, patience, empathy, respectfulness, responsibility, tolerance, etc), out of their usual environment, without the usual obligations, the Y-ers could show us new parts of their personality, unknown to us until now, perhaps even to themselves. From the insights, teachers were able to increase their understanding about Y-ers and based on this understanding make some proposals for pedagogical approaches and methods that can fit Y-ers better. Teachers will also be able to further optimise and maximise Y-ers motivation, learning outputs, personal and social development, intergenerational understanding and respect. These analysis and proposals are intended to be shared among all the partners schools and made known to other institutions. This is the purpose of this handbook: to allow teachers a deeper understanding of the way Y-ers think and behave. To share the knowledge we have gathered, which can help us in our careers as teachers, telling us some of the many things we have not realised about them. This is a great asset that will be there for many people, long after the TunY project is over.
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THE
TUN Y
PROJECT
THE TunY PROJECT The idea was initiated during pedagogical some
among generation Y. At the end, we would also
challenges. Considering those challenges, we
like to have confident and prosperous teachers
thought it would be worthwhile to investigate
in the future.
processes
where
we
encountered
if it had something to do with the generations’
The pupils and students were presented
characteristics. This idea was presented to
six topics: art, cinema, digital technology,
potential partners who found it very interesting.
poetry, values and nature. The teachers
TunY was implemented from August 2012
managed the implementation of the activities
to July 2014 by primary and secondary schools from Germany, Greece, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Turkey. We have based the idea on art and culture frame which has a universal language and is boundless and have focused on two segments:
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to maximise motivation and learning output
pupils and students and teachers. In schools nowadays, we have the so called generation Y, a very interesting and pretentious youth, which has to be understood by other generations (i.e. teachers). We also claim that intergenerational and international coexistence is an important social aspect, therefore it is necessary to start raising this awareness among young people. Therefore we aimed to provide representatives of generation Y with opportunities to act, test and express themselves. Group dynamic and content definition of cultural topics were left to them with the purpose of enabling teachers the observation of insights (characteristics, values, interests, attitudes, manners, motivation, etc). Initiatives for the implementation of activities by pupils and students were only tutored by teachers during curricula subjects and non-
in home countries and internationally and had permanent and rotating responsibilities. In short, the implementation has resulted in: •
common project image,
•
international art exhibitions during international partners meetings,
•
short film (video) productions,
•
several cultural performances and installations,
•
articles published in local media,
•
various raising awareness activities,
•
brochures done by pupils and students, and the present Handbook co-authored by the teachers.
Moreover, the involvement in implementation has also provided excellent opportunities to acquire some basic life-skills and competences, improvement in foreign languages, increased familiarisation and understanding of diversified cultures, interest in international cooperation, active European citizenship, etc. More details about the project are available on the partners’ websites.
curricula school activities. Insights were
The development of the proposal and imple-
considered as a tool, which can help teachers
mentation of the project has given us in the
deliberate about modernisation options of the
short term far much more than we can present
teaching methods and approaches with the aim
to the readers.
WHO ARE
Y-ERS? |5
TERMINOLOGY, SHORT HISTORICAL OUTLINE Since the early 1900s, we have experienced approximately two-decade-long socio-groupings, from the GI Generation to the Silent Generation to Baby Boomers to Gen X-ers, and currently the Gen Y-ers. Whatever you call it, the still nascent generation of young adolescents whose birth dates roughly begin around the year 1995, are and will be the technically savviest ever. Denominating it, however, requires an extraordinary combination of science, art and perhaps just simple coincidence. Important to state is that “generational labels don’t always reflect reality”, quoting psychology professor and generational writer Jean Twenge (Horowitz 2012), “often, they reflect the hopes of what people want a generation to be (Horowitz 2012)”. Generation Y, also known as the “Millennials”, or “the Millennial Generation” is the demographic age cohort following Generation X. Obviously there are no precise dates when this generation starts and when it ends.
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Authors refer to the beginning birth years as being from the early 1980s to the early 2000s (Strauss/Howe 2000). Supposedly the phrase Generation Y first appeared in an August 1993 “Ad Age” editorial to describe contemporary teenagers, defined as different from Generation X (“Generation Y” Ad Age, August 30, 1993. p. 16.) Interestingly several alternative names have been proposed for this generation by various scholars: Generation We, Global Generation, Generation Next and the Net Generation (Shapira, Ian 2008). Horovitz furthermore specifies Generation Y as “techno-junkies” (Horovitz, 2012) or even “Generation Wii”, after the wildly popular home video game console. Another label for it is “iGeneration”, after Apple’s iPod and iPhone.
CHARACTERISTICS, TRAITS AND VALUES Positive characteristics Educational
sociologist
Andy
Furlong
describes Y-ers Millennials as being optimistic, engaged and team players (Furlong 2013). According to Strauss/Howe every generation has conjoint characteristics which give it a specific character, with some basic archetypes. Agreeable to their theory, they forecasted Y-ers to become more “civic-minded”, with a strong sense of community, both locally and globally (Strauss/Howe 2000: p. 370). This theory has many followers but also critics.
In his book, ”Fast Future”, author David Burstein describes the Y-ers’ approach to social change as “pragmatic idealism” (Burstein 2013: p.3). Consequently a desire “to make the world a better place” can be deduced. But this goal is combined with an understanding that doing so requires building new institutions while working inside and outside the existing institutions. According to The Economist, surveys of political attitudes among Y-ers in Great Britain suggest increasingly liberal attitudes with
regard to social and cultural issues, as well
according to Alsop, employers are concerned
as greater overall support for classical liberal
that Y-ers have too high expectations of their
economic policies than preceding generations
jobs. Additionally empirical studies predict that
(Economist 6/1/2013).
Millennials will switch jobs quite frequently, holding many more jobs than Generation X-ers due to their great expectations (Kunreuther
Negative characteristics Jean Twenge, the author of the book “Generation Me”, regards Y-ers as being part of “Generation Me” (Twenge 2006). Introductorily Twenge refers confidence and tolerance to the Millennials but also a sense of narcissism, therefore questioning the predictions of Strauss and Howe that this generation will appear predominantly civic-minded (Twenge 2006).
2009). Sociologist Kathleen Shaputis terms Y-ers as the “boomerang generation” and “Peter Pan generation”, because of the observed tendency to delay the corridor into adulthood for longer periods than most generations before them. These labels are also a reference to a trend toward Y-ers living with their parents for longer periods than previous generations,
Writer Ron Alsop calls the Y-ers “Trophy
that can be linked to the phenomenon of the
Kids” (Alsop 2008), a term which does not
“Ninis” (Shaputis 2004). High housing prices
only reflect the trend in competitive sports, but
and the rising cost of higher education can be
in several other aspects of life too. In addition,
listed as factors leading to this trend.
It is particularly important to state that Y-ers characteristics vary with country, region and depend on social and economic conditions. Generally one can link this generation with an obvious increase in use and familiarity with technical communication, media, and digital technologies. Positive as well as negative characteristics and stereotypes are linked to the Y-ers, such as a new civic-mindedness and an increased interest in global politics on the one hand but narcissism and the “Peter Pan” phenomenon on the other hand. Sources Alsop, Ron (October 13, 2008). The Trophy Kids Grow Up: How the Millennial Generation is Shaking Up the Workplace. Burstein, David (2013). Fast Future: How the Millennial Generation is Shaping Our World. http://www.economist.com/news/britain/21578666-britains-youth-are-not-just-more-liberal-their-elders-they-are-also-moreliberal-any. June 1st, 2013 “Generation Y” Ad Age August 30, 1993. Furlong, Andy (2013) Youth Studies: An Introduction. Horovitz, Bruce (May 4, 2012). “After Gen X, Millennials, what should next generation be?”. USA Today. Kunreuther, Frances; Kim, Helen & Rodriguez, Robby (2009). Working Across Generations. Strauss, William/ Neil Howe (2000). Millennials Rising: The Next Great Generation. Shapira, Ian (2008-07-06). “What Comes Next After Generation X?”. The Washington Post. http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/07/05/AR2008070501599.html Shaputis Kathleen (2003). The Crowded Nest Syndrome: Surviving the Return of Adult Children. Twenge, Ph.D., Jean (2006). Generation Me
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INSIGHTS Insights are analysed observations of Y-ers at their actions/activities by teachers. The insights were done while Y-ers were working on project tasks/ activities in their home countries and during International Project Meetings (IPMs). Teachers analysed Y-ers approaches, methods, motivation, gaps and interests towards activities, achievements, impacts, subjects, processes, etc. The insights observed in each partner school aimed to support possible improvements in pedagogical approaches and methods and to enable teachers a better and deeper understanding of Y-ers. Teachers used group dynamics and the organisation of the work. They observed pupils/students during all steps of the work. Each team partner decided which activities could be integrated into curricula subjects and which into non-curricula school activities. The collected insights are based on a number of questions agreed among the partners. Having these questions in mind it was easier for teachers to observe the same aspects during the activities with Y-ers in the different countries. Y-ers were provided with opportunities to act, test and express themselves. They were exposed to new challenges of various natures: social, technical, linguistic, artistic, practical, educational, gastronomical. Their reactions, thoughts, dialogues when faced with such new challenges could and did reveal a whole new aspect of their understanding and attitudes towards situations that, as has been already mentioned, vary very much. Every single teacher in this project has been very surprised to some degree by these reactions on certain occasions. Perhaps we could have predicted some of them and perhaps we could have thought of some of them as possible but a good percentage was totally unexpected.
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1more motivated Are the pupils/students
if the task is given
by the teacher or chosen by them?
The pupils/students enjoy choosing the
initial proposal there is an implicit strategy and
tasks they have to do by themselves; however,
orientation that students consider very useful
they state that most times the tasks assigned
for the work efficiency.
by teachers become more motivating as there is a compromise that obliges students to finish them, and so obtain results that they aren’t always able to get otherwise.
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When the pupils/students produce the initial idea, they like to keep some control over it. However, teachers’ opinions in what concerns how they would develop the task are considered very important, as well as their help in accomplishing the task, which makes them feel more comfortable and confident .
There is a clear emphasis on the idea that the most important in performing a task, not neglecting the importance that the final outcome may have, is primarily the practical implementation rather than its genesis or the discussion of the initial idea. Motivation is understood by pupils/students as something that can either be intrinsic, such as their likes, willingness and personal initiatives, or extrinsic, such as the ability of teachers, as is the case, to lead them finish a
The teachers are acknowledged to be
certain task and to help them overcome some
better evaluators of the feasibility of the work
personal resistance that they always show when
suggestions. When the teachers make the
assigned a task.
A possible compromise may involve the suggestion of generic contexts and ideas in line with a well defined strategy and agenda/schedule, which will assure the feasibility of the task, but that simultaneously assure students’ creative freedom, autonomy and initiative, allowing them to identify with the task. The teachers may propose clear and different options instead of proposing only one or none, from a set of viable, workable proposals, leaving the final choice to the pupils/students, giving them that privilege. The teachers should provide enough information resources and tools, so that they can achieve the task properly and within the given time; The teachers should tell them the guiding rules to be followed during the process and the minimum requirements to put in the task.
Motivation is understood by the pupils/students as something that can either be intrinsic, such as their likes, willingness and personal initiatives, or extrinsic, such as the ability of teachers, as is the case, to lead them finish a certain task...
...and to help them overcome some personal resistances that they always show when assigned a task.
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work 2 team individual work? Do the pupils/students prefer
or
Pupils/Students seem to be very pragmatic as far as the option between team work and individual work is concerned. In abstract they claim to prefer working in team, but faced with certain real situations they may prefer to work individually for efficiency and individual responsibility reasons.
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teachers use and propose this kind of work, not as a mere experience or educational alternative, but rather as something essential to our social existence and so be perceived by students. It is important that pupils/students recognise this is the best context to enhance their individual skills, interpreting group work not as a simple sum of individual contributions but rather Team work is referred as advantageous as a holistic process where the set is always when it is necessary to combine experience or preferable to the sum of the parts. knowledge and get an immediate feedback of ideas, thus ensuring a higher confidence and a And, very important, it is essential that greater guarantee that the final outcome will be students are able not only to work together but in accordance to their objectives. also enjoy working together. Considering the group work as a fundamental For all this, group work should be carefully aspect of the pupils/students’ work, valuing planned and organised, so that students will the socializing dimension of school that it is, feel comfortable in it and recognise its vital nowadays, the main and, often, the only social importance. experience of the students, it is important that The initial organisation of groups is essential for the productivity, quality and confidence of pupils/ students at work. This is a task that can either be left to their responsibility, letting them organise themselves according to their interests and personal connections, or taken by the teacher, without hesitation, when it is perceived as preferable; in the same way the teacher can and should intervene when the work is not proceeding as desired, because the pupils/students themselves expect from the teacher this role of moderator and clearly prefer this solution to an organisation that does not lead to good results. So far as possible, the formation of small groups, including pair work, should be taken into account, corresponding to the observations that working in smaller groups is more enriching, more lively and exciting and that the exchange of opinions is a good way of increasing their general knowledge and interpersonal relationships. The evaluation of group work is also an aspect that can contribute to the effectiveness and enjoyment of this type of work. A discriminated evaluation of the different elements of a group, such as the heteroevaluation among them should be considered. It will enhance a sense of justice and promote the pupils/students’ belief in this type of work.
Pupils/Students seem to be very pragmatic as far as the option between team work and individual work is concerned.
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In abstract they claim to prefer working in team, but faced with certain real situations they may prefer to work individually for efficiency and individual responsibility reasons.
3
What characteristics
the leader
does have according to the pupils/students opinions?
Although pupils/students feel that a leader should be organised, responsible, confident, tolerant, modest, and a good coordinator of the work, leaders tend to be chosen for their expertise in the tasks they have to develop and for their fluency. It is also decisive in the choice of their leaders their spontaneity. One aspect that is repeatedly observed is that students tend not to really measure the implications of their choices, opting nearly always to quickly move on to the practical accomplishment of the tasks. For this reason, too, they do not devote much time to choosing leaders, usually accepting, without reservation, the offer of someone to take that role.
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On the other hand, there are pupils/students, who despite not being so spontaneous and fluent, quietly take the lead of a project leading it to a final result, which is then recognised by peers. They are pupils/students who need more time to react, to impose themselves, to communicate, who prefer smaller work groups and are not usually chosen for leaders. Therefore there are students who are more able to lead the group, from the point of view of its dynamics, motivation and interpersonal skills, and others from the point of view of productivity, effectiveness and achievement of objectives. It is necessary to make sure whether the chosen leader is able to fulfil the objectives of the group. Too often there are students whose self-confidence and boldness make them be chosen as leaders, but that guide the action of the group towards some undesirable purposes. What should the teacher do in this case? One of the observations that was too often repeated during the project is that pupils/students value a good conclusion of the work and therefore accept that the teacher intervenes to that purpose. If the teacher believes that a more direct intervention in the choice of leaders can lead to better results and explain this to students they tend to naturally accept this role of the teacher. Another important issue for consideration is to know to what extent pupils/students consider the teacher as a possible leader. It is not only a question of knowing whether they consider that the teacher has the characteristics of a leader and consider him/her as such, but if they ever consider this possibility. The answer to this will depend on many factors, including the students’ age, but it is nonetheless an interesting question for further reflection.
Although pupils/students feel that a leader should be organised, responsible, confident, tolerant, modest, and a good coordinator of the work, leaders tend to be chosen for their expertise in the tasks they have to develop and for their fluency.
The teacher has to detect as many positive leaders in each group as possible to be able to manage the distribution of different tasks in order to get the best comradeship for developing each task with motivation and self-criticism and | 15 achieve a successful result.
4 organise themselves Are the pupils/students able to
without a teacher’s help?
From the insights collected it is clear that the teachers’ guidance is very important in the beginning of a task and when there is too much information to be dealt with. As soon as the pupils/students understand which path to go to achieve success, they take the lead and even dispense with the presence of teachers. They can organise themselves according to their abilities/skills (students make the distribution of the tasks better than the teacher because they are more sincere with their possibilities and their skills) and succeed in the tasks even if they have no prior experience.
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If the instructions are clear and precise, pupils/students have no difficulty in following them, except if they have to do some manual tasks, which young people seem to have an increasing difficulty in accomplishing. If there are no precise instructions, pupils/students may hesitate and in the end demotivate about the task. In any of the cases, they seem to need some feedback about what they are doing and the empathy of the mentor to achieve a good performance. Being positively encouraged and praised by the teacher leads to better results. The help and guidance of teachers seem to be helpful, not in terms of creativity, but in terms of serious and more effective work.
The role of the teacher is fundamental in the initial organisation and in showing the way to begin the work as well as giving clear and precise indications in the beginning of a task. Along the task it is also important to ensure the fulfilment of it without interfering too much and giving pupils/students enough freedom and autonomy to accomplish the task.
The role of the teacher is fundamental in the initial organization and in showing the way to begin the work.
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As soon as pupils/students understand which path to go to achieve success, they take the lead and even dispense with the presence of teachers.
5
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Do pupils/students
ideas on their own?
produce
Pupils/Students can usually produce their own ideas if the topics are of their own interest or if they feel closely attached to them. They can produce ideas from very simple to very complicated ones. They are creative and work with their own strategies and ideas. They share opinions easily, in order to deepen their knowledge and their relationships. They are spontaneous, acting in accordance to what they think and feel. If they are working on a real project, they also show more interest. When they are faced with difficulties in finding the best solution for their questions, they do not hesitate to look for help.
Teachers must demonstrate understanding and openness to their interests and ideas and then try to lead them for the intended purposes, guiding them to focus on feasible ones according to their skills, equipment and time, considering they can produce many ideas from very simple to very complicated and confusing ones.
Pupils/Students are creative and work with their own strategies and ideas. They produce ideas from very simple to very complicated ones.
The teacher must guide them to focus on the feasible tasks according to their skills, resources, materials, and time available.
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6
Do pupils/students achieve the expected result within a
deadline?
Pupils/Students enjoy being challenged but they rarely mind deadlines. It seems that they have to be pressed to complete a task, because otherwise they will finish it out of the deadline. During international meetings, and with the surveillance and guidance of the teachers, tasks were done in time or with little delay. The pupils /students were aware that they wouldn’t have another chance to do the task.
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At school, and as the tasks have longer time for implementation rather than deadlines, the pupils/ students have some difficulties in achieving them. They have to be always reminded about the time to hand in their work and, even so, it isn’t sometimes respected, especially if it is not precise. They pay more attention when deadlines are shorter.
When the deadlines are not well defined, the pupils/students do not consider this aspect important. If deadlines are too far away in time and/or flexible, there is a postponing of the work. Apparently pupils/students tend to concentrate their work in short and intense periods of time, independently of the time they have to do it. Sometimes the work is done only when the deadline is near; sometimes, when there is high motivation, the pupils/students can finish a task long before the deadline. Seemingly, there is no direct relation between the time they have to do a task and its deadline. Time isn’t important, the most important issue is to reach the goal.
Giving a shorter deadline may have a positive effect in the efficiency with which they do a task, because they do it right after knowing what they have to do, thus assuring a greater proximity between the proposal and the work. In case of projects that require longer time, teachers should propose intermediate deadlines to the completion of certain steps, so that they can check their progress and give some feedback. It is also very important that the teacher demonstrates some flexibility with the fulfilment of deadlines considering the pupils/students’ explanations. It is important to allow pupils/students finish their tasks instead of accepting unfinished ones. Nevertheless, when there are pupils/students that need more time to complete a task, the teacher has to provide a real feedback to those students who are still working on it because they have to feel the teacher is also still involved in the task. Otherwise, students may feel the teacher has forgotten all about the task and has released them from the responsibility of finishing it.
The pupils/students enjoy being challenged but they rarely respect deadlines. It seems that they have to be pressed to complete a task, because otherwise they will finish it out of the deadline.
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Seemingly, there is no direct relation between the time they have to do a task and its deadline. Time isn’t important, the most important issue is to reach the goal.
opinions 7 different solve problems? How do pupils/students cope with and
Most part of the observations suggest that pupils/students are quite open-minded to different opinions and able to value team work rather than individual work when the quality of the final outcome depends on it. Pupils/Students share and accept others’ opinions if they can deepen their relationship and increase their knowledge. They can be consensual if the task demands it and if necessary, they use their own strategies to solve problems often without a tutor’s help. They tend to avoid tasks that require too much effort and are not interesting for them.
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According to some observations pupils/students are sometimes very critical towards peers, but lack some self-criticism. This is not unique among pupils/students but in this group it assumes greater importance because they are more direct in this criticism and less careful in the choice of how to do it. To strengthen pupils/students’ ability to deal with different opinions and solve problems it is considered very important: •
to promote the greatest possible diversity of experiences and situations, including exchanges with other cultures as it was possible in this project;
•
to allow pupils/students to discuss in class different matters concerning the present;
•
not to judge any opinion as right or wrong but ask pupils/ students about the fairness of each one is (role swap);
Pupils/Students should be faced with different situations and opinions, different points of view and explained that different options can be used to solve a problem, so that they can realise the importance of diverse points of view. This diversity of opinions will provide them with more options to solve problems.
...pupils/students are quite open-minded to different opinions and able to value team work...
| 23 ...sometimes they are very critical towards peers, but lack some selfcriticism ...
8
What motivates pupils/students to
work on a task?
Pupils/Students are more motivated to work if the result of the task can be shown to other people, teachers, parents, friends, people in general. The more people will see it, the greater their motivation seems to be. They want to have new experiences, they want to act, to interact, to show themselves. They do like to express themselves through body language and they love the opportunity to be creative. It is also referred that they enjoy doing activities and learning outside the classroom.
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They prefer activities that are closer to their every day life and that they can relate to, or that may offer the chance to deal with unexpected and challenging elements. It is very important to bring pupils/students to real-life professional environments, especially the older ones. But more important than the type of activity to be held or its dynamics, the change, the diversity seems to be what most motivates them. They seem to become more motivated and involved if they have a clear idea about the outcome of the task and if they can get some kind of benefit out of their participation. The motivation shown by teachers also seems to play an important role in pupils/ students’ motivation and interest to carry out a task. Diversifying activities, contexts and environments, providing personal protagonism experiences, and a close connection between the pupils/students’ work and its public recognition, seem to be the most important for the pupils/students’ motivation. Teachers may suggest different levels of engagement: 1. The task has to be delivered to the teacher who is going to correct it and who is going to mark it. 2. The task has to be presented to their class mates. 3. The task has to be presented to a broader audience of students and teachers. 4. The task has to be presented to their parents and relatives.
They want to have new experiences, they want to act, to interact, to show themselves.
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...the change, the diversity, seems to be what most motivates them.
more important than the type of activity to be held or its dynamics, the change seems to be what most motivates them.
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In general they are quite individualistic, little self-critical and even show some irresponsibility, but enjoy sharing feelings of collective achievement.
9 in Y-ers What changes does the teacher notice
involved in the tasks?
Y-ers are very influenced by the context and situations that surround them. The teachers have observed that the pupils/students have become more sociable along the development of the project. They communicate more easily regardless of their age, language or culture. They have also become more fluent in English and seem more open-minded and confident. The observations mention that they seem (to be) more motivated to cooperate with others and participate in the tasks they find interesting. It is also very clear that they like to communicate through personal image: apparently clothes and make up can influence their behaviour. Regarding the changes observed during the activities it is possible to identify two clear phases in the development of a task: before and after the moment it is perceived that the task will be successful and the outcome very interesting to the pupils/students. They do not invest much effort in a specific task before its expected success becomes evident as they are involved in many other activities at the same time. Once it does, they show a completely different degree of motivation and activity. During this process of expectancy and motivation and before the pupils/students feel a strong connection with the task, the role of the teacher is understood as absolutely fundamental as it is referred by the pupils/students. In this phase it is essential that the teacher demonstrates confidence in the work of the students and the conviction it will be successful. Y-ers can easily adapt to new and different roles if the task involves creativity. In general they are quite individualistic, little self-critical and even show some irresponsibility, but enjoy sharing feelings of collective achievement. The teachers refer that they feel proud and seem satisfied after a task is completed, even if the results are not the best possible.
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FINDINGS OF THE
QUESTIONNAIRES
Throughout the project two questionnaires were conducted, one for pupils/students and one for teachers. These questionnaires allowed us to collect information about the main motivations of pupils/students and teachers regarding the school and, in some aspects, to establish a comparison showing the more evident similarities and differences between them. In this chapter a summary of the results and a brief comparative analysis based on the pupils/students’ results will be presented. The questionnaires and the complete results can be found in the Annex.
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What attracts pupils/students most at school? According to the questionnaire responses, what most appeals to the majority of pupils/ students in school are friends, activities and socializing. The youngest pupils, the Slovene pupils, particularly valued friends while the oldest students, The Greek and Turk students, referred socialising and activities as the most important. Teachers are not one of the reasons pupils/students are most attracted by. In contrast, among teachers, the relationship with pupils/students (important or extremely important to 97%), and the relationship with colleagues (93%), are considered the most important aspects of all. Encouraging pupils/students to give suggestions to increase their interest is also included in the most valued aspects.
30 |
It seems consensual to pupils/students and teachers that good interpersonal relationships in school is the most motivating factor, but pupils/students do not consider teachers particularly significant in their relational context.
60%
50%
40%
30%
20%
10%
0% FRIENDS
SCHOOL SUBJECTS
SOCIALISING
ACTIVITIES
TEACHERS
NOTHING
OTHER
Can teachers’ approach to a boring subject make it interesting? There is a widespread view that teachers can turn a boring subject into an interesting one, but that does not seem to be enough to consider teachers one of the most motivating factors. Only the Polish pupils/students refer to teachers as a stronger reason than the subjects, whereas Spanish and German pupils/students refer the subjects as one of the reasons that most appeals to them at school.
Teachers express a concern with their own role valuing aspects such as: giving clear instructions for tasks, active teaching, simulating authentic situatios to prepare pupils/students for real life, explaining the importance of the subjects for students’ further studies, matching the tasks to the pupils/students’ needs rather than their exam requirements, etc. However, it is not clear in this context if the analysis that they make of these aspects translates afterwards into an effective motivation and recognition of pupils/students because although all students recognise that teachers can make a subject more interesting, they do not consider them as an important factor for their motivation.
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45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% 1 NOT AT ALL
2
3
4 VERY MUCH
How do pupils/students prefer to work? What kind of activities do they prefer? There is a clear preference for working in groups or in pairs among the pupils/students. The whole class work is very unappreciated even in relation to individual work. On the other hand, there is a very clear preference for outside work by the pupils/students. Nevertheless, work in class is not one of the types of activity generally less appreciated, which may mean that the most significant for pupils/students is not so much the place, the context, but the type of work and, in line with the analysis of the insights, the diversity of the type of work. Working in class may be a perfectly acceptable option for pupils/students but, preferably, if not working in whole class. 40%
How do pupils/students prefer to work?
35% 30%
32 |
25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% INDIVIDUALLY
IN PAIRS
IN WHOLE CLASS
IN A GROUP
50%
What kind of activities do they prefer?
45% 40% 35% 30% 25% 20% 15% 10% 5% 0% IN CLASS
OUTSIDE
USING ICT
PROJECT WORK
AT WORKSHOP
OTHER
In the opposite direction, 76% of the teachers consider the work with the whole class important or extremely important while outside activities or organise the class in pairs or in groups are considered less important aspects (only 43 and 46%, respectively, consider these types of work important or extremely important), even though from the point of view of their own work they consider team work as one of the most motivating issues or, something contradictory, consider very important the student-centred tasks and lessons. There seems to be here a clear divergence between the interests of pupils/students, the aspects teachers say to value and how they then consider the best way to organise their classes. Also in the opposite direction, outside activities, one of the types of work most valued by pupils/students, is among the teachers less valued; project work is highly valued by the teachers but does not have the same importance for pupils/students. The use of ICT in the context of the classroom is highly valued by the teachers while the pupils/students do not give it much importance. In contrast, the use of social networks to communicate and work with pupils/students is one of the least appreciated aspects by teachers. Here too there seems to be a discrepancy between the habits of pupils/students, namely the intensive use of social networks to communicate, and the interests of the teachers or the way they interpret the pupils/students’ expectations.
SOME OF THE ASPECTS MOST AND LESS VALUED BY THE TEACHERS
IN WHOLE CLASS
IN A GROUP
IN PAIRS
USING ICT IN LESSONS
PROJECT WORK
OUTSIDE ACTIVITIES
USING SOCIAL NETWORKS WITH PS
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Do pupils/students think that studying will help them succeed in life? There is among pupils/students a strong belief that studying will help succeed in life. A conviction that becomes less clear among older students, Greeks and Turks. 90% 80% 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10%
34 |
0% YES
NO
I DON'T KNOW
OTHER
Do they do the homework? In their opinion how beneficial is doing homework? Most pupils/students do their homework. There is a very positive opinion about how beneficial it is. Older students are the ones who consider this work less useful and, coincidentally, less fulfil this task. Teachers also value the importance of homework highly. 70% 60% 50% 40% 30% 20% 10% 0% YES
NO
SOMETIMES
1 NOT AT ALL
2
3
4 VERY MUCH
Chart overview for the set of all pupils/students (For all questions except question 6)
0
0,1
0,2
0,3
0,4
0,5
0,6
0,7
0,8
0,9
1. What attracts you most at school? FRIENDS SCHOOL SUBJECTS SOCIALISING ACTIVITIES TEACHERS NOTHING OTHER 2. How do you prefer to work? INDIVIDUALLY IN PAIRS IN WHOLE CLASS IN A GROUP 3. What kind of activities do you prefer? IN CLASS OUTSIDE USING ICT PROJECT WORK AT WORKSHOP OTHER 4. Generally speaking, do you do your homework? YES NO SOMETIMES 5. In your opinion, how beneficial is doing homework to you? 1 NOT AT ALL 2 3 4 VERY MUCH 7. Can teacher`s approach to a boring subject make it interesting? 1 NOT AT ALL 2 3 4 VERY MUCH 8. Do you think that studying will help you succeedin life? YES NO I DON'T KNOW OTHER
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How should an ideal teacher be?
36 |
The pupils/students and teachers’ opinion on how an ideal teacher should be is summarised in the following two graphs. Again it is evident that pupils/students mainly emphasise the relational aspects, friendliness and sense of humor, whereas teachers, first underline organisational aspects even though they also recognise the importance of their relationship and concern with students very clearly.
(For Pupils/Students)
28%
22%
16% 13%
9%
4%
4%
4% 1%
FRIENDLY
WITH SENSE OF HUMOUR
WELL-ORGANISED
PATIENT
ENTHUSIASTIC
GOOD-LOOKING
PERMISSIVE
STRICT
OTHER
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(For Teachers) 20%
16%
12% 11%
11%
APPROACHABLE
ENTHUSIASTIC
10% 8% 7%
3% 0%
1%
PERMISSIVE
GOOD-LOOKING
STRICT
WITH A SENSE OF HUMOUR
FRIENDLY
PATIENT
RESPECTFUL
CONCERNED WELL-ORGANISED ABOUT STUDENTS
Teachers’ answers (Questions 1 - 15)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
1. Work independently and use initiative.
2. The relationship with my colleagues.
3. The relationship with my students.
4. Be able to work in team work.
38 |
5. Active teaching.
6. Have a challenging job.
7. Participate in social events my school organizes
8. Participate in extra-curricular activities
9. Have reduced number of classes/ lessons.
10. Set class rules myself.
11. Ask students to help set the class rules. 12. Encourage students to give suggestions to increase their interest. 13. Work with the whole class.
14. Organise the class in pairs.
15. Organise the class in groups.
1. Not important
2.
3.
4.
5. Extremely important
50%
60%
70%
80%
Teachers’ answers (Questions 16 - 31)
0%
10%
20%
30%
40%
50%
60%
70%
80%
16. Give clear instructions for tasks. 17. Give directive instructions for doing the tasks. 18. Traditional lessons (teacher-centered). 19. Student-centered tasks and lessons. 20. Use games and competitions.
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21. Open air activities / lessons. 22. Use ICT in lessons. 23. Use ICT to communicate with students and colleagues (Intranet, Moodle ...) 24. Use social networks to work/ communicate with my students (Facebook ...) 25. Suggest project work. 26. School trips. 27. Students’ homework. 28. Explain the importance of the subjects for students’ further studies. 29. Match the tasks to the students’ needs rather than their exams requirements. 30. Simulate authentic situations to prepare students for real life. 31. Use humour in my classroom.
1. Not important
2.
3.
4.
5. Extremely important
Chart overview for Teachers’ Questionnaire A Aspects that teachers considered most important
According to the sum of the indices of the scale chosen by the all set of teachers for each item
0 16. Give clear instructions for tasks. 3. The relationship with my students. 2. The relationship with my colleagues. 12. Encourage students to give suggestions to increase… 5. Active teaching. 30. Simulate authentic situations to prepare students for real life. 31. Use humour in my classroom. 1. Work independently and use initiative. 28. Explain the importance of the subjects for…
40 |
4. Be able to work in team work. 13. Work with the whole class. 8. Participate in extra-curricular activities 6. Have a challenging job. 17. Give directive instructions for doing the tasks. 22. Use ICT in lessons. 19. Student-centered tasks and lessons. 27. Students’ homework. 7. Participate in social events my school organizes 29. Match the tasks to the students’ needs rather than… 26. School trips. 25. Suggest project work. 10. Set class rules myself. 11. Ask students to help set the class rules. 23. Use ICT to communicate with students and colleagues… 20. Use games and competitions. 15. Organise the class in groups. 9. Have reduced number of classes/ lessons. 14. Organise the class in pairs. 21. Open air activities / lessons. 18. Traditional lessons (teacher-centered). 24. Use social networks to work/ communicate…
0,5
1
1,5
2
2,5
3
3,5
4
4,5
5
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42 |
INSTEAD OF CONCLUSIONS A well-known slogan says ‘All different, all equal’ ... differences among nations and generations are obvious and it seems right to be so. Coexisting was an aim throughout centuries, nowadays classical borders are taken over, like it or not, by globalisation. We should all strive to live in a sustainable harmony by understanding, complementing and respecting each other. Any kind of balanced and win-win coexistence needs efforts of all involved. Criticism and complains without a positive and proactive approach will not yield a cohesive society. We all have some weak issues; therefore a will for improvement is on all of us. A school environment is one of the good opportunities where we can learn the tuning. However, in our understanding differences are still considered as enrichments to our lives. Y-ers do have lots of amazing aspects to learn from ... let us try to remain their significant reference teachers, mentors and/or guides. At the end, we can say: Thanks to Y-ers for being who they are!
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44 |
ANNEX | 45
46 |
A. THE
PARTNERS EDIRNE SÜLEYMAN DEMIREL FEN LISESI General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Edirne | TURKEY OSNOVNA ŠOLA NOVE FUŽINE Primary school (EDU-SCHPrm) Ljubljana | SLOVENIA ESCOLA SECUNDÁRIA C/3CEB DE TONDELA General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Tondela | PORTUGAL 2O EPAL N. IONIAS MAGNISIAS Vocational or technical secondary school (EDU-SCHVoc) Nea Ionia | GREECE GIMNAZJUM im. JANUSZA KORCZAKA General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Blachownia | POLAND INSTITUT PLA DE LES MORERES General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Vilanova del Camí | SPAIN ELLY-HEUSS-SCHULE General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Wiesbaden | GERMANY
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EDIRNE SÜLEYMAN DEMIREL FEN LISESI General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Edirne | TURKEY Edirne Süleyman Demirel Fen Lisesi Pazarkule Yolu, Edirne, Turkey http://www.esdfl.k12.tr/ Our school is located in the district of Karaağaç in Edirne at a 3-kilometre distance from the border with Greece. Our school is a co-ed secondary school which admits students according to the result of a national examination after the 8th grade from various cities and towns in Turkey. We have a school dormitory that provides accommodation for the students who are enrolled from cities outside Edirne. Our school is a science high school where students have the opportunity to be educated with students with similar mathematics and science knowledge. It aims to provide students with good academic knowledge to help them get higher education in the fields of medicine and engineering.
48 |
Our school has currently 385 students from 9th grade to 12th grade. The students have eight lessons a day from 8.30 a.m. to 3.40 p.m., which makes students spend a lot of time at school. In order to study at university, students have to sit for the university examination after the 12thgrade, which comprises all school subjects learnt at secondary school. Therefore, our students need to spend most of their time studying. Intensive school programme and university exam studies do not let students get involved much in social or cultural activities. So this project will be a chance for them to be exposed to activities and workshops outside the lessons.
OSNOVNA SOLA NOVE FUZINE Primary school (EDU-SCHPrm) Ljubljana | SLOVENIA Preglov trg 8, SI-1000 Ljubljana, Slovenia http://www.os-novefuzine.si/
It is a public primary school located in a sleeping settlement of Nove Fuzine in the capital city Ljubljana. It is considered as a middle sized (cca. 200-250 pupils) school with pupils aged from 6 to 14 years, who are also of various cultural backgrounds due to migrants and refugees. The school also offers many additional activities which aim to motivate and also to improve other pupil’s skills and talents. The school has given a primary education to few exceptional cultural and sport individuals. Several national and international projects have been successfully implemented which were of benefit for pupils and teachers. Keeping innovativeness, adaptation to new generations, care for each pupil and for teachers’ improvements are also among its priorities.
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ESCOLA SECUNDÁRIA DE TONDELA
General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Tondela | PORTUGAL
Rua Dr. Amadeu Ferraz de Carvalho, 3460-521 Tondela http://www.aetomazribeiro.net https://sites.google.com/site/tunyptw/
Our school is part of a group of schools, whose name is Agrupamento de Escolas de Tondela Tomaz Ribeiro, since the school year 2012/2013. This group is made of kindergartens, schools for students aged 6 -10, schools for students aged 10 -15 and a secondary school, where the TunY project is being carried out. There are about 170 teachers in the ‘agrupamento’. Escola Secundária de Tondela is attended by 700 students aged 12 -18. There are different courses being taught in our school namely formative and educational courses for students aged 14-16, professional courses for students aged 15 - 18 and the regular courses for students who would like to go on their studies at university.
50 |
Our school is situated in Tondela, which is a small town in the centre of Portugal, situated in the Besteiros Valley, 65 km from Coimbra, 270 km from Lisboa and 120 km from Porto. Many of our students come from rural areas and spend all day at school. They are mostly native, but there are some students who come from eastern European countries, Brazil and some whose parents are migrants.
2O EPAL N. IONIAS MAGNISIAS
Vocational or technical secondary school (EDU-SCHVoc) Nea Ionia | GREECE Melinas Mercury and Agiou Nektariou str. Zip code 38446 Nea Ionia, Volos, Greece email: mail@2epal-n-ionias.mag.sch.gr http://2epal-n-ionias.mag.sch.gr/ http://2epal-n-ionias.mag.sch.gr/comenius
Our school is located in the northern side of Volos, in New Ionia. Volos is a seaside city in central Greece, with a population of over 120.000 residents. It is a Vocational School having the following specializations: Informatics and Maritime studies.
Electrology, Electronics,
It has about 500 students from 16 to 18 and 55 teachers of various specializations. In our school we develop programs for out of school activities in the notion of an “outdoor school� like: sports, cultural, ecology, health education, visits in places of technical and scientific interest and also participate in European programs and scientific contests. The principle of our school is a democratic and open in the society school that will derive from it and will end up in it.
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GIMNAZJUM im. JANUSZA KORCZAKA General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Blachownia | POLAND ul. Bankowa 13, 42-290 Blachownia, Poland http://www.gimblachownia.szkolnastrona.pl/
Janusz Korczak Gimnazjum is a lower secondary school for students aged 13-16. At present about 290 students attend the school, there are 34 teachers as well as several non-pedagogical staff. The school’s building dates back to 1950’s and consists of around 20 classrooms, a library, a common room and a gym.
52 |
The school is the only secondary school in the Common of Blachownia. Our students come from different backgrounds, a lot of them from rather poor families with the problem of unemployment. For them, the school is the only place of development, lets them experience culture and opens their minds to the world.
INSTITUT PLA DE LES MORERES General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Vilanova del Camí | SPAIN C/ Cristòfol Colom s/n, 08788 Vilanova del Camí, Catalonia (Spain) www.institutpladelesmoreres.cat www.comeniuspladelesmoreres.org
Institut Pla de les Moreres is the only secondary school in Vilanova del Camí, a town 65 km from Barcelona. Vilanova has a population of 12,000 inhabitants. The school has 50 teachers and 500 pupils aged from 12 to 18 years old. From 12 to 16 they take part in compulsory education (ESO) with the option of continuing on to Batxillerat (pre university studies) for two years. Though students are Catalan speakers, most of the citizens in this district have come from other regions of Spain, in the 60s, and their first speaking language is Spanish. Students need to find out new ways to understand different cultures, learning new skills to be applied in their social environment through different cultural activities. Most of the population is jobless nowadays and students can’t go abroad to improve their English language. Therefore this project is a great chance to provide pupils with a chance to meet new foreign partners, to get new skills and gain cultural knowledge.
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ELLY-HEUSS-SCHULE General secondary school (EDU-SCHSec) Wiesbaden | GERMANY Platz der deutschen Einheit 2, 65185 Wiesbaden 0611 312249 www.elly-heuss-schule-wiesbaden.de/
The Elly-Heuss-Schule is a bilingual school with approximately 1400 students and 140 teachers and English is the first foreign language. In grade 6 students can either choose Latin or French and in grade 8 Spanish or Italian as second and third foreign language. Accordin to the bilingual principle, from grade 7 on, the subject Geography, History, Political Science and Biology are taught in English. A special focus lies on football, handball, volleyball and rowing and consequently the Elly-Heuss-Schule cooperates with the German National association Deutscher Fussball Bund (DFB) and other sports associations and clubs.
54 |
Wiesbaden is the capital of the federal state of Hessen. It has about 275,400 inhabitants. Wiesbaden, together with the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Mainz, is part of the Frankfurt Rhine Main Region, a metropolitan area with a combined population of about 5.8 million people. Wiesbaden is a green city in the heart of the Rhine-Main-region, and an economic, cultural and social centre. As a consequence the everyday culture is very heterogenous.
B. THE QUESTIONNAIRES
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A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT MOTIVATION 1 FOR PUPILS/STUDENTS The aim of this questionnaire is to learn what your attitude towards school activities and learning is as well as what motivates you to work. Please tick the answers.
How old are you? *
Which country are you from? *
• 12-14 • 15-16 • 17+
• Greece • Germany • Poland • Portugal • Slovenia • Spain • Turkey
What gender are you? * • Male • Female 1. What attracts you most at school?
56 |
• friends • school subjects • socialising • activities • teachers • nothing • other: 2. How do you prefer to work? • individually • in pairs • in whole class • in a group 3. What kind of activities do you prefer? • in class • outside • using ICT • project work • at workshop • Other:
1 2 3 4 Not at all Very much 6. In your opinion, what qualities should an ideal teacher have? (tick max three) • well-organised • friendly • good-looking • patient • enthusiastic • strict • permissive • with sense of humour • other: 7. Can teacher`s approach to a boring subject make it interesting? 1 2 3 4 Not at all Very much
4. Generally speaking, do you do your homework? • Yes • No • Sometimes
5. In your opinion, how beneficial is doing homework to you?
8. Do you think that studying will help you succeed in life? • Yes • No • I don’t know • Other:
abbreviations: Tun Y: All countries; DE: Germany; ES: Spain; GR: Greece; PL: Poland; PT: Portugal; TR: Turkey
A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT MOTIVATION 1 FOR PUPILS/STUDENTS (SAMPLE|DATA)
Tun Y DE ES GR PL PT SI TR QUESTIONNAIRES 350 50 50 50 50 50 50 50 GENDER MALE 49% 54% 54% 62% 48% 44% 46% 42% FEMALE 51% 46% 46% 38% 52% 56% 54% 58% OLD 12|14 42% 44% 44% 2% 58% 44% 92% 4% 15|16 45% 56% 56% 28% 42% 46% 8% 90% 17+ 13% 0% 0% 70% 0% 10% 0% 6% 1. What attracts you most at school? FRIENDS 49% 44% 28% 39% 60% 44% 80% 56% SCHOOL SUBJECTS 13% 22% 34% 13% 3% 10% 7% 6% SOCIALISING 14% 10% 18% 13% 13% 23% 7% 13% ACTIVITIES 15% 13% 20% 21% 12% 19% 0% 13% TEACHERS 3% 3% 0% 3% 9% 3% 0% 4% NOTHING 4% 4% 0% 10% 1% 1% 4% 8% OTHER 2% 4% 0% 3% 1% 0% 2% 0% 2. How do you prefer to work? INDIVIDUALLY 24% 31% 38% 20% 18% 22% 8% 31% IN PAIRS 31% 31% 32% 35% 29% 43% 37% 8% IN WHOLE CLASS 7% 13% 4% 6% 5% 5% 6% 8% IN A GROUP 38% 25% 26% 39% 47% 30% 49% 53% 3. What kind of activities do you prefer? IN CLASS 16% 20% 12% 22% 16% 18% 9% 8% OUTSIDE 42% 31% 22% 49% 41% 42% 51% 71% USING ICT 12% 6% 2% 14% 16% 18% 26% 4% PROJECT WORK 12% 28% 6% 8% 12% 11% 8% 10% AT WORKSHOP 9% 11% 4% 6% 16% 11% 6% 6% OTHER 1% 4% 1% 0% 0% 0% 0% 2% 4. Generally speaking, do you do your homework? YES 61% 78% 80% 33% 58% 68% 62% 46% NO 4% 2% 2% 12% 4% 0% 2% 6% SOMETIMES 36% 20% 18% 57% 38% 32% 36% 48% 5. In your opinion, how beneficial is doing homework to you? 1 NOT AT ALL 9% 10% 2% 8% 8% 4% 10% 22% 2 19% 26% 10% 28% 26% 2% 10% 30% 3 46% 54% 46% 48% 34% 60% 58% 22% 4 VERY MUCH 26% 10% 42% 16% 32% 34% 22% 26% 6. In your opinion, what qualities should an ideal teacher have? (tick max three) WELL-ORGANISED 16% 20% 24% 13% 17% 14% 6% 13% FRIENDLY 28% 26% 24% 31% 28% 27% 30% 31% GOOD-LOOKING 4% 1% 5% 2% 2% 1% 11% 5% PATIENT 13% 6% 11% 18% 14% 21% 9% 15% ENTHUSIASTIC 9% 7% 15% 9% 6% 16% 6% 5% STRICT 4% 9% 6% 1% 1% 0% 4% 4% PERMISSIVE 4% 1% 3% 2% 9% 1% 6% 3% WITH SENSE OF HUMOUR 22% 28% 11% 23% 23% 19% 28% 23% OTHER 1% 2% 0% 1% 0% 0% 1% 1% 7. Can teacher`s approach to a boring subject make it interesting? 1 NOT AT ALL 5% 2% 2% 12% 6% 2% 6% 8% 2 19% 22% 22% 24% 6% 16% 20% 24% 3 39% 36% 50% 38% 32% 66% 30% 20% 4 VERY MUCH 37% 40% 26% 26% 56% 16% 44% 48% 8. Do you think that studying will help you succeed in life? YES 80% 76% 94% 68% 86% 90% 88% 58% NO 5% 4% 4% 14% 4% 0% 0% 8% I DON’T KNOW 12% 14% 2% 16% 10% 6% 12% 26% OTHER 3% 6% 0% 2% 0% 4% 0% 8%
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A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT MOTIVATION 2 FOR TEACHERS
This questionnaire aims to understand what motivates teachers and what methods and approaches teachers are using to achieve curricula learning goals. (* Required) Gender * Male Female Age * 20 | 30 years old 31 | 40 years old 41 | 50 years old + 50 years old
Years of teaching experience: * 0|5 6 | 10 11 | 20 21 | 30 + 30 Currently teaching * 12-14 year-old pupils 14-16 year-old pupils 16+ year-old students
School where you teach: * Germany Greece Poland Portugal Slovenia Spain Turkey
MOTIVATION FOR TEACHING The following statements relate to factors that may affect your personal motivation as a teacher. Please indicate how important the following statements are according to the following scale: 1 2 3 4 5 Not important Extremely important
58 |
Work independently and use initiative. * The relationship with my colleagues. * The relationship with my students. * Be able to work in team work. * Active teaching. * Have a challenging job. * Participate in social events my school organizes* Participate in extra-curricular activities* Have reduced number of classes/ lessons. * Set class rules myself. * Ask students to help set the class rules. * Encourage students to give suggestions to increase their interest. *
Use ICT to communicate with students and colleagues (Intranet, Moodle ...) * Use social networks to work/ communicate with my students (Facebook ...) * Suggest project work. * School trips. * Students’ homework. * Explain the importance of the subjects for students’ further studies. * Match the tasks to the students’ needs rather than their exams requirements. * Simulate authentic situations to prepare students for real life. * Use humour in my classroom. *
Work with the whole class. *
How should an ideal teacher be?
Organise the class in pairs. *
(choose the three most important)*
Organise the class in groups. * Give clear instructions for tasks. * Give directive instructions for doing the tasks. * Traditional lessons (teacher-centred). * Student-centered tasks and lessons. * Use games and competitions. * Open air activities / lessons. * Use ICT in lessons. *
well-organised friendly good-looking patient concerned about the students enthusiastic strict permissive with a sense of humour respectful approachable
A QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT MOTIVATION 2 FOR TEACHERS (SAMPLE|DATA)
ANSWERS 105 (15/Country) sex age years of teching MALE 33% 20|30 8% 0|05 10% FEMALE 67% 31|40 27% 6|10 15% 41|50 49% 11|20 31% +51 16% 21|30 37% +30 7%
1. Not important
2.
3.
4.
5. Extremely important
1. Work independently and use initiative.
0%
2%
18%
37%
43%
2. The relationship with my colleagues.
0%
1%
6%
48%
45%
3. The relationship with my students.
0%
0%
3%
25%
72%
4. Be able to work in team work.
0%
5%
21%
39%
35%
5. Active teaching. 0% 0% 12% 49% 39% 6. Have a challenging job.
1%
1%
23%
48%
27%
7. Participate in social events my school organises.
0%
4%
30%
41%
25%
8. Participate in extra-curricular activities
1%
4%
22%
39%
34%
9. Have reduced number of classes/ lessons.
11%
7%
34%
31%
17%
10. Set class rules myself.
3%
10%
27%
38%
22%
11. Ask students to help set the class rules.
6%
3%
32%
42%
17%
12. Encourage students to give suggestions to increase their interest. 0%
0%
11%
45%
44%
13. Work with the whole class.
1%
3%
20%
43%
33%
14. Organise the class in pairs.
7%
8%
42%
32%
11%
15. Organise the class in groups.
4%
11%
39%
31%
15%
16. Give clear instructions for tasks.
0%
0%
4%
22%
75%
17. Give directive instructions for doing the tasks.
0%
7%
24%
35%
34%
18. Traditional lessons (teacher-centred).
4%
29%
40%
25%
1%
19. Student-centred tasks and lessons.
0%
2%
25%
52%
21%
20. Use games and competitions.
4%
11%
27%
44%
14%
21. Open air activities / lessons.
10%
22%
32%
26%
10%
22. Use ICT in lessons.
2%
6%
21%
42%
29%
23. Use ICT to communicate with students and colleagues ...
6%
11%
30%
27%
25%
24. Use social networks to work/ communicate ...
26%
25%
29%
12%
7%
25. Suggest project work. 3% 8% 28% 42% 19% 26. School trips. 2% 6% 30% 37% 25% 27. Students’ homework. 1% 5% 23% 46% 25% 28. Explain the importance of the subjects for students’ further stud... 0%
5%
16%
41%
38%
29. Match the tasks to the students’ needs rather than exams req...
1%
8%
21%
51%
20%
30. Simulate authentic situations to prepare students for real life.
0%
3%
13%
41%
43%
31. Use humour in my classroom.
1%
0%
17%
39%
43%
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ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS We would like to thank pupils/students, teachers and headteachers that have made this handbook possible. In particular we would like to especially acknowledge the contribution of Natasha Cvetek, for her support at the conception of the project as well as her comments on early draft and all the encouraging words.
60 |
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Europe | Jun 2014