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Kompetencije za 21.stoljeće
Start date: Sep 1, 2016, End date: Aug 31, 2017 PROJECT  FINISHED 

The project aim is to introduce and implement inquiry based learning in order to increase the quality of education and enable students to acquire permanent and relevant knowledge to live and work in the 21st century. The aim arises from the School's mission and its strategic goals, but also from the problems identified: 1) inefficiency and non-attractiveness of the traditional methods of teaching, 2) new needs of the labor market, 3) unsatisfactory level of innovation at regional and national level. The main reason for the overall implementation of the project is smart and sustainable development. Quality Committee which operates in our school identified the deficiencies and shortcomings of current teaching and concluded that it is necessary to ignore the traditional and structured teaching methods and to focus the development of school on student directed learning and inquiry based learning. The teachers of our school are generally authoritative and focused on the transfer of knowledge by traditionaly structured methods and the knowledge passed on to students is generally not long-term, nor based on an understanding of connection of the processes. Critical thinking, questioning assumptions and problem solving is completely neglected, but very necessary for personal development, career and overcoming life's obstacles (most wanted competence - projections of the World Economic Forum for 2020). Teaching based on inquiry and exploration imposes as the only logical solution. It is a method of teaching in which students are actively involved in learning, researching of the content, problems, and testing curricular concept. The students are the center of attention (as opposed to the current traditional approach where the teacher is the center of attention), and the teacher manages the educational processes. Students develop cognitive skills, achieve intended learning outcomes based on inquiry, own connectivity of facts and reasoning definitions, processes and concepts, and the knowledge is long-term and upgradeable. Students are more successful, satisfied and fully motivated for further active learning. The planned school success is not possible without the development of teachers, and the training is unfortunately not possible in Croatia. The partner school VS Krones is one of the few schools whose teaching is based on inquiry based learning and will have a mentoring function in this project. By going on job shadowing to Austrian school VS Krones teachers (three teachers) will acquire specific knowledge and skills on the implementation of inquiry based learning and will deliver Guidelines for the implementation of inquiry based learning that will be used by every teacher in the school. Teachers will learn methods of planning inquiry based learning, observation methods in school's processes, testing students by relevant issues that result with conclusions, setting prerequisites, research and analysis, explaining and linking with prior knowledge. They will learn how to plan curricula based on inquiry based learning, organize quality teaching in which students are the center of attention, and to encourage existing potentials. These competencies will be gained through: 1) Introduction to inquiry based learning, 2) preparing inquiry based learning, 3) implementation of inquiry based learning, 4) evaluation of learning outcomes, 5) development of the Guidelines for the implementation of inquiry based learning and 3 new curriculum for the following extracurricular activities based on inquiry based learning: 1) small scientists, 2) small technicians, 3) small computer scientists. The new curricula will be implemented for students from grades 1-4, and extensive dissemination is planned which includes reporting on the success of the implementation of the experimental inquiry based learning by the instructions of Ministry of Science and Technology. In the long term, the objective of our school is to change the teaching methods from traditional and structured teaching to student-centered and inquiry based learning, and the project will have a direct impact on at least 200 teachers, eight other schools as well as the short term to at least 800 students. In the longer term stated indicators will increase four times. This project focuses on smart and sustainable development of students as it creates competence to live and work in the 21st century and responds to the current needs as well as the projection of competencies in the year 2020th. The real results will be recognized and appreciated only for a few years, and also - in case the above skills do not develop for the future, the damage can be dramatic.

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