EY-COP-0028_A Comparative and Transferable Approach to Education for Democratic Citizenship
University of Craiova ·Romania
About this project
<p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">In a global context marked by the need to uphold democracy and human rights, education for democratic citizenship (EDC) is a prerequisite for shaping active and responsible citizens. In this context, the University of Craiova, alongside with Bifröst University and the University of Iceland, proposes a project which addresses the transversal competences that lead to EDC and shows how to develop them in classes not specifically oriented towards EDC topics. </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">Using a comparative and transdisciplinary approach to EDC and integrating information and communication technologies (ICT) in problem-based teaching/learning, the general objectives of the project are to design educational resources for developing EDC transversal competences and to strengthen the synergy between research and education. The project activities consist of: 1. investigating the partners’ needs in the field of EDC; 2. building a transferable model for developing and evaluating competences leading to EDC; and 3. capitalizing the results in a training course for future language teachers. Its intellectual outputs include two joint publications in peer-reviewed journals, a transferable model for the development and assessment of EDC transversal competences, and a handbook designed as a self-training/self-assessment tool for lifelong learning. </span></span></span></span></p> <p style="text-align:justify"><span style="font-size:11pt"><span><span style="font-family:"Calibri",sans-serif"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">T</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">he beneficiaries </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">are</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">:</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> the</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> Icelandic and Romanian researchers</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">, </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">teachers </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">and </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">students involved in the project activities; researchers and teachers from the partner universities who have the opportunity to develop their EDC-related expertise, and their experience in terms of methodological innovation; national and international academic</span> <span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">community, researchers</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> and</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> school teachers</span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif"> who will benefit from the </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">intellectual outputs and dissemination events. The added value of </span><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman",serif">the transnational cooperation with the donor state partners will be seen in a broader and more flexible approach of EDC, fostered by the contact between two different democratic cultures.</span></span></span></span></p>
Bilateral cooperation results
This project was meant to cover a gap still existing in Romanian education between the will declared in many recent political documents to strengthen EDC and its actual implementation into educational practice. The achievement of this objective was possible due to the cooperation with donor project partners from Iceland, which is considered to be one of the countries with the highest level of democracy, displaying a strong and genuine commitment to a democratic culture. The transnational cooperation with the donor state partners generated the following benefits: - A broader and more flexible approach to EDC, fostered by the contact between two different democratic cultures, shaped by different cultural traditions, values and attitudes; - The elaboration of a joint training course supported by a joint scientific reflection on EDC and the comparison of how EDC is implemented in the two educational systems; - Enhanced and mutually enriching good practice exchange between Romanian and Icelandic educational actors; - An increased ability of teachers to develop and assess the transversal competences that lead to EDC in language classes by means of ICT; - The creation of innovative teaching/learning methods and outputs; - A strengthened partnership between researchers and educators. All the partners expressed their interest in reinforcing and enhancing the bilateral collaboration after the end of this project. Both the Romanian and Icelandic partners consider that ACTA is a solid basis for future projects in the fields of education, language teaching, and teacher training.
Project partners
- University of Iceland Donor project partner· Iceland
- University of Bifrost Donor project partner· Iceland