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Europäische Konzepte frühkindlicher Bildung im Vergleich
Start date: Jun 1, 2014, End date: May 31, 2015 PROJECT  FINISHED 

Project background: The Bildungsanstalt für Kindergartenpädagogik (Higher Vocational School for Nursery Education) Sacré Coeur Pressbaum has been taking part in EU mobility projects over the last years and, due to former participants’ positive feedback on such projects, has organized an Erasmus+ project. The focus was put on participants’ placements in English nursery schools as well as on their improvement in English as a foreign language (including English for nursery school teachers). Project goals: The participants gained insight into various ways of learning in early childhood education. By comparing Austrian to English approaches, they were able to identify similarities and dissimilarities, which lead to developing a broadened pedagogical perspective on concepts of early childhood education and to identify (European) plurality as enrichment. Number and profile of participants: At the time of the project, the 35 participants were attending a higher vocational school with didactics and nursery school education being key areas of training. The school also focuses on training teachers in after-school care and in early childhood education. In the year of the mobility (2015) the participants attend third grade and were aged around 17. In the first two grades, they spend two hours a week in placements and from third grade onwards, they spend a day a week in placements including two week-long additional placements. Step by step, the participants are made familiar with the duties of fully qualified nursery school teachers, they learn to offer learning opportunities to children as well as planning, reflecting and analysing a wide range of situations in nursery school. We deemed them as young professionals who were well suitable for placements in England. The participants were accompanied by three academically-trained teachers in the areas of pedagogics (to support the participants in the placements) and English language teaching (to support them in the language intensive course). Activities: Divided into small groups, the participants spent 30 hours in placements and 30 hours in language courses. In their placements, the participants offered learning opportunities to children in various competencies (literacy, music, games, creativity, movement) and practiced supporting the daily routine in nursery schools. By the help of tasks set to prepare for the placements in England, the participants analysed the framework as defined in the goals and reflected upon their results in the post-learning phase. Carrying out the project: Due to past EU mobility project, the staff at Sacré Coeur Pressbaum has acquired know-how on carrying out such projects. In a well-tried system, the participants were prepared by their teachers in inter-disciplinary lessons. In England, carrying out the project was supported by our long-time partner, who organized the placements as well as the language intensive course. (Long-term) Effects: The project aimed at promoting an improved self-image of the participants as far as their competencies in nursery school teaching as well as in using English as a foreign language are concerned. The project made high demands in the areas of teaching practice and language learning. By meeting these demands, the participants pursued and pursue their future career with a boost in confidence in their own competencies. The participants met the requirements for early foreign language education in nursery schools. Finally, the participants are expected to have an advantage on the regional, national and European labour market.

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