ProjeCt
Innovative Education Without Borders
This paradigm-shifting project transcends traditional subject boundaries, using project-based learning to help students achieve deeper understanding and solve real-world problems.
Both Hungarian and Slovak public education systems are organized around subjects. In many cases, different subjects are taught by different teachers, so there is often no overlap. However, by linking subjects and applying them as projects, students can gain much more useful and lasting knowledge.
The project method typically involves several subjects and fields at the same time, while the knowledge to be acquired is always closely linked to a practical problem to be solved, so students can gain knowledge and experience in more realistic situations. The project can be a tool for forging a questioning community out of a group of students.It is often said that school is a place where those who know the answers ask questions, and those who do not know ask those who do, or even those who not only do not know the answers but are also typically uninterested.A well-structured project can turn this around: students want to accomplish something meaningful, and to do so, they must learn by asking their own questions. It targets the phenomenon that most affects today’s teachers: the lack of motivation in schools.
The aim of our project is to develop a one-year project plan for primary school teachers, based on the core curriculum of both the Slovak and Hungarian public education systems, which will provide ideas and assistance to teachers in developing a single, interdisciplinary project that can be implemented across different subjects.interdisciplinary projects during the school year. Over the course of four months, we plan to hold several Zoom meetings with the two partners to discuss the differences and similarities between the core curricula of the two countries. The tangible outcome of our project will be a collection of best practices summarizing at least 100 pages of knowledge, which will be adapted to the knowledge base of primary school pupils.100-page collection of best practices summarizing the knowledge gained, which will be tailored to the knowledge base of primary school pupils. A teacher’s handbook and lesson plan will also be produced during the project. The professional materials will be promoted through a social media campaign.
The project will involve the participation of methodological experts and practicing teachers. The methodological materials will be prepared in both countries, taking into account and analyzing the current national curricula. The methodological experts will guarantee a high level of professionalism and will work on adapting current educational trends. Practicing teachers will guarantee and verify their practical experience and the feasibility of the projects in schools.
By writing sample lesson plans and related teacher handbooks and task collections and identifying good examples, we aim to create a comprehensive package for teachers that can be used in both countries. Existing good practices will be identified and collected in Hungary and shared through online workshops.
The research target group is teachers and lower grade students. The methodology involves research, the collection and publication of good practices with the involvement of external experts. The curriculum and teacher’s handbook will be based on the situation in Slovakia and developed in two languages, incorporating the experiences of Hungary, which will be analyzed in joint professional discussions.
Project code: SKHU/WETA/2021/4.1/008
Implementation period: 2022
