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Metacognition in European Teaching: Activating Min..
Metacognition in European Teaching: Activating Minds Through the
Implementation of New Development Strategies
Start date: Sep 1, 2015,
End date: Aug 31, 2018
PROJECT
FINISHED
7 primary/ lower secondary schools from 7 different European countries (IT, DK, GR, LT, PT, SP, UK), supported by higher education organisations from IT, PT, SP, GR, DK, UK as silent partners, have joined in METAMINDS (Metacognition in European Teaching: Activating Minds Through the Implementation of New Development Strategies)
This strategic partnership, created in the framework of the Erasmus + KA2 action, has been focusing its attention on a series of relevant issues affecting education institutions today and concerning both teachers and learners:
Are teachers and learners always aware of all the methods and ingredients they have at hand to create educational success? Some of them are natural master chefs and they just know, almost instinctively, the right recipe. However, in such an increasingly complex and challenging context like today lots of teachers and learners experience frustration and a sense of failure:
-some teachers have difficulties to adapt teaching styles to pupils’ changed attitudes, to the introduction of ITC classroom and to mixed abilities classes;
-pupils do not respond to barely transmissive teaching anymore;
-low achieving pupils do not acquire the necessary basic skills through content-based tutoring, often lack motivation and self confidence, are unable to catch up with basic attainments, experience repeated school failure (leading in some of the partner countries to grade retention), and are more likely to become early school leavers. -
The impact of this situation is reflected by two of the Europe 2020 benchmarks (reducing the share of low achieving to less than 15% and of early leavers to less than 10%)
Fostering metacognitive teaching strategies to help teachers become more flexible, making pupils aware of their role of learners and improving transversal skills such as learning-to learn can tackle the root cause of the problem. To this aim, METAMINDS propose to carry out a two-fold action addressed at teachers and pupils (10-14 years of age) at the same time, with the aim of introducing/
enhancing metacognitive strategies.
Acting according to PAR (Participatory Action Research), a pilot teacher training on metacognition(O1), to be spread through peer-to-peer training ,and a pupil learning-to-learn module (O2) will be devised, pilot tested, assessed and disseminated inside the partner institutions and outside as on-line course and other OER (website of the project), and a publication. The role of external assessment played by higher education institutions acting as silent partners will guarantee the quality of the outputs. as well as help disseminate the results at higher education level and involve other relevant stakeholders Around 40% of teachers and 50% of pupils (mostly 10-14 years-of-age) of the partners schools will be directly involved.
Teachers will be engaged in joint training actions (distance and face-to-face activities during mobilities) and pupils will get in touch thanks to joint learning activities (virtual and physical mobilities).
A Metaminds blog in the target language of the partnership will collect pupils’ contributions
A video of how pupils see their schools and what is learning like for them will be produced.
A Metaminds E-twinning project will offer a suitable platform for all pupils to get to know their peers in the partner schools.
A Survey on metacognition in teaching and learning in the Education systems and Curricula of the partner countries will be also published as separate product.
The project is expected to increase teacher awareness of metacognitive strategies adopted in daily teaching and to improve pupils’learning-to-learn skills and motivation.
English and IT skills will be also promoted.
The curricula and educational offering of the partner institutions will be enriched by the introduction of learning-to-learn modules, especially aimed at improving learning performance and supporting low achievers and special needs pupils; in-service teacher training through peer-to-peer tutoring will become permanently available. The partners will have improved relationships with local/national and international institutions and stakeholders in the field of Education and increased capacity and professionalism to work at EU level
All the results and outputs will be made available as digital/ online resources and dissemination at local/regional/national and international levels will be carried out in events, seminars presentations, through different media and in an international multiplier event.