School innovation in Europe: non-formal learning and entrepreneurship training in the Economics High School of Buzău
Non-formal learning and entrepreneurship training in the Economics High School of Buzău
2.2. Teachers and their relationships with pupils and parents
A supportive long-term relationship between the teacher and learner is crucial for improving learner engagement and achievement. Positive relationships with learners also increase teachers’ job-satisfaction. Trust-based, respectful and cooperative relationships between teachers and learners, their parents and the wider community also influence positive learning outcomes.
Essential elements for such relationships include:
- Setting high expectations for the achievement of all students.
- Building and maintaining a caring, inclusive classroom environment and a culture of trust.
- Understanding educational disadvantage: accepting that some learners may come from family and social backgrounds which may not be advantageous to learning and that they may need additional support.
- Teacher attitudes and communication skills: teachers need to be aware that their attitudes, expectations and the words they use may have a significant impact and influence on learners. Communication skills are also needed to work effectively with parents, other school staff and professionals outside of school. Any communication with parents should be clear (for example, avoiding less well-known terminology), and be welcoming for those who are not familiar with the system.
- Recognising the important role of parents and other adults and peers with whom they learners relate most closely: teachers need to acknowledge the role which key individuals in the learner’s life play in the learning process and take advantage of the benefits of their involvement.
- Awareness of diversity in classrooms: schools should work to actively embrace differences of both staff and learners. Teachers should develop their knowledge, competences and skills related to understanding diversity in all its forms: intercultural education, multilingualism and teaching second language learners should be embedded within initial teacher education and reinforced through continuous professional development (in-service training, teaching mobility programmes, workshops, conferences.
- A school culture that takes learners’ voices seriously and considers their views in school development processes.
Find out more:
- URBACT project 'PREVENT - Involving parents in the prevention of early school leaving'
- Bryk, A, Schneider, B., 'Trust in Schools: A Core Resource for School Reform', Creating Caring Schools, Vol. 60, No. 6, 2003, pp. 40–45
- Day, L, Mozuraityte, N, Redgrave, K, McCoshan, A., Preventing early school leaving in Europe: Lessons learned from second chance education, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 2013
- Day, L., Percy-Smith, B., Ruxton, S., McKenna, K., Redgrave, K., Ronicle, J. Young, T., Evaluation of legislation, policy and practice of child participation in the EU: Research summary, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 2015
- Downes, P., 'Developing a Framework and Agenda for Students' Voices in the School System across Europe: From Diametric to Concentric Relational Spaces for Early School Leaving Prevention', European Journal of Education, Vol. 48, No., 3, 2013, pp. 346–362. doi./10.1111/ejed.12035
- Downes, P., Towards a Differentiated, Holistic and Systemic Approach to Parental Involvement in Europe for Early School Leaving Prevention, European Union, European Regional Development Fund, Urbact Programme, Paris, 2014
- Downes, P. 'Prevention of early school leaving through teacher education: Some European Perspectives', In Rabensteiner, P. and Rabensteiner, G. (eds.), Internationalisation in Teacher Education, Germany, 2014, pp. 17 – 31.
- EU Council, Council conclusions on reducing early school leaving and promoting success in school, Council of the European Union, Brussels, 2015
- European Commission, 'Reducing early school leaving: Key messages and policy support', Final Report of the Thematic Working Group on Early School Leaving, European Commission, Brussels, 2013
- European Commission, Study on educational support for newly arrived migrant children, Publications Office, Luxembourg, 2013
- European Commission, Supporting teacher competence development for better learning outcomes, European Commission, Brussels, 2013
- European Commission, Language teaching and learning in multilingual classrooms, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2015
- European Commission/EACEA/Eurydice, The Teaching Profession in Europe: Practices, Perceptions and Policies, Publications Office of the European Union, Luxembourg, 2015
- European Commission, Schools policy: A whole school approach to tackling early school leaving, Education & Training 2020, European Commission, Brussels, 2015
- Fernández-Batanero, J., 'Strategies for inclusion in the face of social exclusion: Case study in Andalusia (Spain)', European Journal of Special Needs Education, Vol. 29, No. 3, 2014, pp. 415–428. doi:10.1080/08856257.2014.906978
- IBE-UNESCO, Reaching Out to All Learners: A Resource Pack for Supporting Inclusive Education, Training Tools for Curriculum Development, International Bureau of Education, Geneva, 2016
- Isac, M., Araújo, L., Dinis da Costa, P., Soto Calvo, E., Albergaria-Almeida, P., Teaching practices in primary and secondary schools in Europe: Insights from large-scale assessments in education, Office for Official Publications of the European Communities, Luxembourg, 2015
- Nairz-Wirth, E,, Feldmann, K., Diexer, B., Handlungsempfehlungen für Lehrende, Schulleitung und Eltern zur erfolgreichen Prävention von Schulabsentismus und Schulabbruch. Aufbruch zu einer neuen Schulkultur, Vienna University of Economics and Business. Vienna, 2012
- Nouwen, W., Clycq, N., Braspenningx, M., and Timmerman, C., Cross-case Analyses of School-based Prevention and Intervention Measures, Project Paper 6, RESL.eu Project, Centre for Migration and Intercultural Studies, University of Antwerp, 2016
- Sachs, J., 'Teacher professionalism: why are we still talking about it?'. Teachers and Teaching, Vol. 22, No. 4, 2015, pp. 413–425. doi:10.1080/13540602.2015.1082732
- Stéger, C., 'Review and Analysis of the EU Teacher-related Policies and Activities'. European Journal of Education, 49, No. 3, 2014, pp. 332–347. doi:10.1111/ejed.12089
School innovation in Europe: non-formal education and student engagement to support better achievement and social competences at the Ion Luca Caragiale School in Tulcea
At the end of the 1990s, the first attempts to innovate at school level started with some primary classes being organised based on the ‘Step by step’ alternative pedagogy system.
Schlangenfuß
This project was set up more than 10 years ago to reintegrate students who refused to go to school. Since 2007, the programme has focused solely on students who suffer from school phobia, anxiety disorders or depression. The programme is unique in Austria and is publicly funded.
IndY (Individualized Learning at the school centre Ybbs)
In the school year 2015/16 the Schulzentrum Ybbs (a school center consisting of three vocational upper secondary schools) introduced a concept called IndY, which involves that 20% of the teaching time is intended for individualized learning. IndY aims at improving students’ expertise, motivation, self-responsibility, self-management, collaborative skills, emotional intelligence and learning methods.
Brave’s Club: Zero Violence from age zero
To improve the school climate, a group of schools from the Learning Communities project decided to create the Brave’s Club. It is based on a “dialogical model of conflict prevention”. Since the Club started in 2014, it has made progress in eradicating school violence in both primary and secondary schools. This strategy is making it easier to bring together effective evidence-informed practices on preventing violence in classrooms in general, and more specifically, gender violence.
Socialisation to prevent gender violence in schools
Education stakeholders dedicated to the goal of “living together” have organised committees in most learning communities in Spain. These committees are comprised of teachers, family members and students, and are dedicated to identifying everyday conflicts in schools. Once a committee has decided which area it wants to tackle, a deliberative and participatory process involving the whole learning community is launched.
“On the shoulders of giants” (teacher training)
“On the Shoulders of Giants: Successful educational projects for socially inclusive education” is a voluntary teacher continuing professional development programme. It is attended by a majority of early childhood, primary and secondary education teachers from the province of Valencia.
School innovation in Europe: Curriculum innovation for a conductive and supporting learning environment at the President Kennedy School in Coventry
The school’s philosophy in relation to teaching and learning is focused students’ active understanding of and participation in the learning process. The school’s curriculum is based on the principles of progression and coherence.
School innovation in Europe: promoting students’ self-esteem and higher order thinking skills through curriculum innovation at the Willenhall Community Primary School
The school’s approach to teaching and learning is based on attaining educational excellence and achievement for all students. The school developed a stimulating curriculum which seeks to provide its students with an understanding of the learning processes in which they are involved (meta-cognition) – and to build their self-belief.
Learning hub at the TGM (Technologisches Gewerbemuseum)
The learning hub was implemented at the TGM (an upper-level secondary technical college) as a school experiment in the school year 2016/17. It has been implemented in the school’s Information Technology (IT) Department in two of the four classes in the first year (i.e. grade 9).