The schools from Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Italy and Turkey are pursued an objective to strengthen the learning paradigm in teaching maths, biology, and physics to achieve of better accountability, involvement into the learning process, connecting students learning to real life and raising their motivation. The project itself is designed to improve indexes of basic skills of science, namely mathematics, biology, and physics through exploring and applying more effective teaching methods that strengthen the learning processes. The project will contribute to the change of paradigms from teaching to learning, and getting education which is of high quality, accessible and orientated to creativity, as well as to education which is a life long process. It will also give input and strengthen teachers experience and focusing on new approaches to involve students into an active learning process and use effective methods in order to achieve changes to arise students’ motivation to learn science and languages more effectively. School communities from Latvia, Lithuania, Italy, Turkey and Portugal representing secondary schools from rural, geographically/socially disadvantaged areas participate in the project.The intention of exchanging and exploring different effective methods for strengthening the learning process in teaching physics, biology and maths, requires some international perspective and environment. This is done by organizing learning, teaching, training activities for both students and teachers. In in Italy the students will participate in Maths Laboratory and CLIL based Biology and Physics activities. The teachers will work on Effective methods in relation to CLIL based science and maths teaching methodology. In Lithuania they will be involved in Biology teaching activities by using Natural Science Mobile lab. The teachers of Mathematics will participate in a seminar 'Choosing teaching methods and Using Technology for Creating Active Learning Process in Teaching Mathematics". In Turkey there will be a Science Fair organized and students will participate in an activity based on creating a common project. The teachers of science and maths will work on elaboration of activity plans based on using short -term project methodology for teaching the aforementioned subjects.The teachers participating in the project will strengthen their profiles by learning from the European colleagues and creating lessons scripts that highly support the learning paradigm in the educational process. Their learnings will result in e-book containing lessons plans and material for further application in schools. The project will help to achieve higher motivation of students to learn biology, physics and maths; a willingness to cooperate with others for improving the teaching process; active involvement of students into the learning activities and abilities to give feedback about their learning; preparation of idea and lesson/activity packs for further exploration of the effective methods in the participating schools (a pack of ideas, methodological advice, lesson plans will be prepared after each common seminar and workshop for teachers); broader perspective and horizons of teachers on teaching methodologies in different countries and an appreciation of belonging to a wider community ; a transformation of the learning process into something much more motivating with the use of multiple and varied resources, materials and approaches developed during this project; fostering independence and autonomy competences and communication/linguistic skills of students.Working transnationally will provide a broader perspective and meaning for both teachers and students, enhancing motivation to the teaching and learning. A shared European educational experience conclusively results in a higher potential for individual national educational progression in both instructional and learning achievement capacity.
During 2016-2018, partner schools from Latvia, Lithuania, Portugal, Italy and Turkey implemented the Erasmus+ Strategic Partnership for Schools Project “Effective Methods for Strengthening the Learning Process in Teaching Science”. The project itself has been designed on a need to exchange teaching and learning experiences between European schools to improve indexes of basic skills of science, namely Mathematics, Biology and Physics through exploring and applying more effective teaching methods that strengthen the learning processes. The project set out to explore the potential of using effective methods and their effectiveness for a more creative learning environment and to enrich everyday educational processes in partner institutions. The project followed the objective to strengthen the learning paradigm in teaching Maths, Biology and Physics to achieve better accountability, involvement into the learning process, connecting students learning to real life and raising their motivation. The project has contributed to the change of paradigms from teaching to learning, and getting education which is of high quality, accessible and orientated to creativity, as well as to education which is a life long process. The project has given input and strengthened teachers’ experience focusing on new approaches to involve students into an active learning process and use effective methods in order to achieve changes to arise students’ motivation to learn science and English language more effectively. The intention of exchanging and exploring different effective methods for strengthening the learning process in teaching Physics, Biology and Maths has been successfully applied in practice organizing short-term learning, teaching, training activities for both students and teachers. There were short-term exchanges of groups of students and joint staff training events for teachers organized in Italy, Lithuania, and Turkey. The teaching, learning events based on participation in Maths Laboratory and CLIL based Biology and Physics activities, exploring effective methods in relation to CLIL based Science and Maths teaching methodology, Biology teaching by using Natural Science Mobile lab, choosing teaching methods and using technology in order to create active learning processes in teaching Mathematics, participating in Science Fair, an activity based on creating a common project. Based on the training experience, using skills and knowledge from transnational activities schools organized their own lessons and activities using the methods discussed. Partner schools also shared lessons plans, co-created lesson plans that support the learning paradigm in the educational process and provided colleagues with feedback. Their learning are resulted in the e-book which is a collection of lesson plans, descriptions of the successfully implemented projects and material for further application in schools. The collection of material in this book also reflects the broader perspective of teachers on teaching methodologies in different countries and an appreciation of belonging to a wider community. Working transnationally gave a broader perspective and meaning for both teachers and students, enhancing the motivation to teach and learn. This was also related to transforming the learning process into something much more engaging with the use of multiple and varied resources, materials and approaches developed during this project.