Promoting Inclusion in Society Through Education: Professional Dilemmas in Practice

Context and Background The objective of the transnational project PROMISE was to develop, implement and evaluate innovative practices in teacher professional learning based on a wide knowledge and experience of different European partners to face common challenges in teacher education for inclusion in Europe. The project supported the achievement of the European objectives formulated in the strategic framework for European cooperation in education and training 2020 (ET2020). The PROMISE project had a systemic approach. The conceptual framework was based on a series of consecutive projects, which reflect the history of in-service education and professional development. Objectives The project objectives aligned with the EU priority to address educational and thereby social inclusion; enhanced participation in learning opportunities for all young people resulting in avoidance of their disengagement from schools and society in general. The project provided professional learning opportunities that use a range of creative, innovative methodologies and tools to allow teachers to approach these issues with a sense of curiosity and an openness to exploring new ways of thinking, knowing and doing; the head, hand and heart. Participating in this type of learning required participants to engage in ‘boundary crossing’ on a number of levels – local, national, regional, sectoral, physical, professional, cognitive and emotional – which was necessary to find solutions to the societal and educational issues addressed. Number and Type of Profile of Participants The primary target group for the project were teachers at various stages in their careers and in a range of contexts including pre- and in-service teachers and those working in the vocational sector. In addition, the project included the involvement of teacher educators, education leaders, education researchers and policymakers. The project aimed to have at least 800 participants directly involved in the activities of the project but it is estimated that dissemination methods employed resulted in a higher number of at least 1450 people who have engaged with the project outputs. Description of Activities In the initial stages of the project, the consortium met as planned face to face to ensure progress towards the project objectives in five transnational project meetings. Subsequent to outbreak of the global pandemic with associated travel restrictions, the partners committed to meeting at least bi-monthly online to ensure that progress towards the objectives continued. At times of increased project activity, these meetings were increased to monthly events. The activities of the project include the development, implementation and evaluation of common and individual professional learning units, tools and resources addressing key elements of inclusive practice and providing innovative learning opportunities for participants. The project activity commenced with collection of authentic professional dilemmas by all partners from stakeholders in their context in the form of vignettes of practice to ensure that the final project products would be meaningful to the target groups. Each of the products developed for IO1-3 were initially delivered by the partner organisations in their own context and during two Learning Events held in Aberdeen and Fontys for evaluative purposes. A project website was then designed based on the underlying principle of the project that teachers are most engaged with their professional learning when they hold ownership of it. As such the website was designed then further shared and evaluated at learning events and dissemination events attended transnationally. Whilst it was considered disappointing not to meet face to face for the learning events in the later stages of the project, innovative design of online learning and dissemination events resulted in high participation from across Europe and the opportunity for a larger number of participants that would not have been possible if the events had required physical travel. Following the learning events, the project website was amended in response to evaluative comments made by participants. The IO4 product was an online e-book outlining the experience of undertaking an Erasmus+ project. Initial planning and data collection occurred from the start of the project. Innovative, creative methodologies were employed to collect snapshots of experience through a collection of postcards reflecting different stages of the project activity. The e-book has now been compiled and published on the project website. Dissemination has included all four multiplier events as planned although some of these have been undertaken online due to COVID-19 travel restrictions. However, hosting the events including the final dissemination conference online resulted in higher participant attendance. The consortium has also published results in academic peer-reviewed publications, professional journals and attended a number of academic and professional conferences to present keynote addresses and papers to disseminate project activity, output and findings. Results All final products have been shared freely on an open access website: https://promise-eu.net/about The website has been designed to permit teachers and other educators including teacher educators to explore areas of professional learning that match their immediate and long-term needs. These include the professional learning units related to promotion of inclusion for all. Each element of the website is linked to provide seamless navigation between the vignettes of practice, individual professional learning tools and the common professional learning units. The website material was used as a basis for the online learning event and the subsequent multiplier events to exemplify how the website might be used as an online resource for professional learning in a range of contexts. Analysis of website usage by the consortium indicates a high level of interest and engagement from across Europe including some countries not originally planned for within Europe and beyond including South America. Additionally, the e-book describing the experience of being part of an Erasmus+ project has been published on the website as a support tool for future consortia considering participation in Erasmus+ projects. Impact Attained The transnational work had a positive impact at different levels. There was a high learning impact for the participating organisations due to a wide range of experiences within an international partnership with the opportunity to engage in dialogue and collaboratively and constructively find solutions to these ongoing challenges in inclusion. These boundary crossing opportunities are having a long-term impact on the participating organisations as the opportunity to engage in innovative boundary crossing moments has marked a change the way they approach future priorities. The project activity has raised the profile of the participating organisations and created new opportunities to extend the project and its results or develop new partnerships for the future. Evaluation and feedback from target groups – both those participating in the project events and those engaging with the website – indicates that the professional learning outputs have had a positive impact on two levels. The decision to collect authentic vignettes of practice outlining the real professional dilemmas being faced by educators across Europe to underpin development of the intellectual outputs generated professional learning materials that are positively improving education provision now. Additionally, the underpinning principle that teachers are best placed to enact their own professional agency in decisions about their professional learning needs has led to a sustainable approach to future professional dilemmas through the notion of in-profession coaching. Sharing of the results has had an impact on the decisions about how future teachers might be prepared to join the profession. The project results have served as examples and inspired others by showing what is possible in European cooperation. Effective dissemination and exploitation of the results on regional, national and international level through attendance at both academic and professional conferences and publication of results in a wide range of journals has raised the awareness and engagement of a wide range of relevant stakeholders and a share of the developed solutions and knowledge. The consortium have been approached by individuals in a range of European organisations to discuss the implications for future provision of professional learning opportunities for both pre- and in-service teachers. Longer Term Benefits The project is developed on the basis of an understanding of active professionalism (Sachs, 2000). The consortium understand that all members of a school team may be change agents in the practices of the school. It has been noted, in previous projects, that often the most effective change agents in schools are those teachers who engage with the learning opportunities with enthusiasm whilst understanding the theoretical underpinning of their learning. This project provides opportunities for creative and innovative professional learning that can be used to enthuse educators in a range of contexts to continue to seek innovative solutions to the ongoing challenges in inclusive practice. The design of the intellectual outputs was designed to ensure their sustainable use beyond the lifetime of the project. Additionally, the consortium submitted a successful application for further funding to apply the findings of the PROMISE project to new professional dilemmas arising from the impact of the global pandemic on European education. The RAPIDE (Reimagining a Positive Direction for Education) Erasmus+ project will develop professional learning resources for teachers focusing specifically on teaching and learning in the digital era. Finally, two of the organisations have designed a research project which will explore one element of the PROMISE project findings in more detail. Currently, University of Aberdeen and Leeds Beckett University are undertaking a pilot project to explore the use of dilemma-based co-coaching in digital spaces. It is hoped to scale this project up to include the other project partners once European funding has been secured.