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Description
NIDA has been working in schools for 20 years and observes the subject of pro-environmental education, the climate crisis and environmental degradation, which isn''t present in school programs. It''s necessary to build students'' environmental awareness by adjusting the curricula to the challenges of the modern world related to environmental and climate protection. Together with the Norwegian partner, we''ll develop an innovative methodology, thanks to which teachers and their students will gain knowledge and self-awareness of climate and ecological threats and take pro-ecological actions. By using the method of integrating pro-ecological content into English language curricula and involving teachers of various subjects, we will enrich our experience with the unique experience of our Norwegian partner and focus on issues related to biodiversity and bees.
The result of the cooperation will be an outline of at least 10 language and nature classes based on a school bee garden and (optionally) a beehive and environmental protection issues carried out using the CLIL (Content and Language Integrated Learning) method. As a part of the project, a board game with elements of entrepreneurship will be created. The use of the game will be woven into the lesson plan. The developed teaching methods will be implemented under the supervision of methodologists in 50 rural schools. Participants of the project are 50 English teachers and 250 science teachers, who will test the new program by working with 50-sudents groups. The visits to Kamionka and Oslo will give them an opportunity to observe nature education conducted by NIDA on the basis of Paradise Garden, as well as the Norwegian bee highway. They will be supported by a number of methodological workshops. The results will be disseminated at national conferences. The project will contribute to raising the environmental awareness of the participants and develop by being permanently included in the ET program (100 schools annualy).
Summary of project results
NIDA has been working in schools for 20 years and observes the subject of pro-environmental education, the climate crisis and environmental degradation, which isn''t present in school programs. It''s necessary to build students'' environmental awareness by adjusting the curricula to the challenges of the modern world related to environmental and climate protection.The INNES project fits closely to the concept of inclusive education by offering high-quality training and attractive educational activities for students. Moreover, teachers from rural schools have less access to training than colleagues from large cities, similarly, students from small rural schools are often deprived of the opportunity to participate in extracurricular activities, courses or tutoring. The project is aimed at teachers and students from rural schools, which will contribute to equalizing opportunities between developed and disadvantaged areas.
50 students of English from rural schools took part in the department. related to learning and training (study visit to Oslo) in August 2022, and then from Sept 22 (together with a team of science teachers) for several months conducted additional extra-curricular activities with their students in the field of ecology, biodiversity, the role and importance of bees'' life and the threats to their life and development that appear in the environment. The classes were combined with learning English and other science subjects, and included, among others: experience of the partner organization from Oslo -ByBi in the field of practical pro-ecological education, included educational activities. seniors as social educators. As part of these activities, 50 pollinator-friendly school gardens were created. 10 local seniors participated in the creation of some of the gardens. Thanks to this, students received high-quality education related to ecology, recognized and explored the relationships between humans and the environment. natural in the context of the importance of bees and wild pollinators in the ecosystem in which they function, and at the same time made them aware and developed a sense of obligation to take care of their own future through respect for nature and the environment. When conducting classes, teachers used 13 outlines of language and nature classes developed as part of the project, the educational game Once Upon a Bee, and the Nature Guardian''s guide, which are the results of intellectual work carried out as part of the project. Teachers also participated in methodological training in the field of inclusive education, and they improved their qualifications, which allowed them to equalize their opportunities compared to teachers working in developed areas (urban schools).
Teachers and students implemented an innovative new method of teaching about the environment using the pedagogy of play, adventure, an educational board game, and school space. In addition, English teachers from rural schools participating in two dissemination conferences (350 people) were inspired by the new teaching method and some of them also declared the creation of a school bee garden using the developed outlines, a game and a guide.
Summary of bilateral results
The greatest advantage of having an institution from the Donor States was the possibility to organize study visits in Oslo for project participants - English teachers from rural schools and for them to learn about Norwegian methods, ways of teaching children about ecology and biodiversity, and the Norwegian approach to educating the youngest. The teachers who took part in the trips were delighted with the visit, felt inspired to create pollinator-friendly school gardens and started the new school year with fresh ideas. Their knowledge and understanding of the importance of biodiversity in our environment and educating young generations about it have increased. In addition, they passed on their experience to other teachers from their schools, with whom they carried out additional language and science classes with children. Without having a Norwegian partner, such visits would be much more difficult to organize and ensure a high-quality substantive visit plan. In the project, we could rely on the experience of the ByBi association, which knows best the area that is the core of the organized visits. The NIDA Foundation wants to continue to cooperate with the ByBi organization informally in a similar scope.