Description
The Project responds to the needs of schools and the requirements of the Czech and Norwegian school policy, which considers providing quality and continuous internal and external support for teachers to be one of their priorities. The main objective of the Project is to create and publish a joint Czech-Norwegian monograph that will be focused on the processes of learning support (not only) of adults at schools and in particular on supporting agents of learning processes and their relationship to the development of a school. Other objectives are to develop cooperation and to deepen the experience of partner institutions to use the practices that promote reflection of practice (T. Andersons reflecting teams) and mentoring within school environment.
Summary of project results
The main objective of the Project was to create and publish a joint Czech-Norwegian monograph that will be focused on the processes of learning support (not only) of adults at schools and in particular on supporting agents of learning processes and their relationship to the development of a school. Other objectives were to develop cooperation and to deepen the experience of partner institutions to use the practices that promote reflection of practice (T. Andersons reflecting teams) and mentoring within school environment. The main output of the project is the monograph titled Support for learning in schools in three langauage versions. The experience was shared through the meetings and workshops both in Norway and Czech Republic.
Summary of bilateral results
Nowadays society and schools are subject of rapid and significant changes (professionalization, quality teaching, technological development, inclusive education, etc.). Teachers need to individualize teaching in regard to the needs of individual pupils and bring evidence that their work facilitates the learning processes. The European strategic documents call for new challenges for teachers and the entire education system. A wide range of functional support mechanisms are needed. To prepare a common publication aimed at the support for learning in schools and to exchange experience with reflective practice and mentoring. One of the aims was to inform the Czech and Norwegian professional public about the forms of supportive measures for schools. Norwegian colleagues had the opportunity to share their experience with students, teachers and mentors in the Czech Republic while Czech partners had the opportunity to gain experience in Norway. The main output is a publication that was published by MUNIPress and has three language versions: Czech, Norwegian and English. Four authors cooperated in the writing of the book. The book discusses the main challenges in Czech and Norwegian schools, support mechanisms in both countries, theories associated with organizational learning and mentoring in schools. Also, it brings data of selected surveys carried out in the Czech Republic and Norway. The book will be available for free The publication can be helpful to a wide range of subjects for many years. The experience gained in Norway will be used in teaching at MU, particularly in subjects such as Reflections on personal development, Psychology of education and Basics of counselling. The concept of reflecting teams will be used in lecturing courses for teachers/mentors and for work with schools in Inclusive Education in North Moravian Region, a project which the Czech researcher is currently working on.