Abstract:

The context of the COVID-19 created a wealth of insecurity, uncertainty for students and a massive challenge for school educators. The D-MANeD project aims to address the needs of primary and secondary (high school) teachers and educators working with minorities, people with fewer opportunities, such as rural youth in creating innovative and inclusive learning experiences. Current research by the project partners has demonstrated that teachers report higher levels of distress, difficulty in engaging with students and lack of motivation when working online (emergency remote teaching). At the same time, there is evidence of mental health challenges with direct implications on their professional practice. The partners of the D-MANeD project, after conducting an exhaustive literature review, collected a list of innovative tools and methodologies for school teachers, related to the main areas of knowledge of the project: psycho-emotional balance and e-learning.

These tools and methodologies were presented in four training courses that were conducted during the project (both online and offline) with the consideration that they will enhance school teachers’ professional practice, improve their motivation and wellbeing and, of course, create indirect positive impact on their students. In this context, it is important to mention that these are not just theoretical approaches but we provided them with practical tips & support for effective implementation. The tools and the methodologies have been selected as an opportunity for professional development of teachers, especially those who don’t have access to such opportunities.

After receiving the training, the teachers were asked to implement those tools and methodologies in their teaching practice. The aim of this paper was to present the perceptions of the teachers on impact they had on their teaching, as well as on their students' learning journey. A survey was used to collect the data from the teachers and we achieved a total of 107 responses. The main findings from the survey demonstrated the need of the teachers for ongoing professional development opportunities and their motivation in exchanging views and experiences with peers and trainers from other European countries. At the same time, they identified the key challenges for successful implementation of those tools and methodologies in their classrooms, such as time and workload constraints, as well as lack of access to the necessary infrastructure/resources.

The consortium of the D-MANeD project consists of four schools ("Vasiliadis School" from Greece, "Grammar School" from Cyprus, "Liceul Tehnologic Anghel Saligny" from Romania and "Friedenauer Gemeinschaftsschule" from Germany), one training and research organization (SkillsUp Training & Research Services from the Netherlands), one Social Cooperative Enterprise ("Roes" from Greece), one research institute ("Center for Social Innovation" from Cyprus) and one NGO ("Asociatia Copiii in Sanul Familiei" from Romania). The project is coordinated by SkillsUp Training and Research Services and has been funded with support from the European Commission and has been approved by the Dutch National Agency.

Keywords:

Teaching innovation, school education, e-learning, psycho-emotional balance, training, tools, teaching methodologies.