EDC/HRE policies and practices based on
research and evaluation
Brief synthesis of recent research reports
Simona Velea
Senior Researcher, PhD
Institute for Education Sciences
Bucharest, Romania
Recent research studies related to
EDC/HRE in Romania
Teachers responsibility for moral and affective
development of children (2011-2012)
Evaluation research of the National Programme for
Nonformal Education - A different kind of school (2013)
Learning Participation and Participative Behaviour in
School (2013)
Students Culture and Learning (2014)
Addressing school violence through EDC/HRE (2016) and
extensive study on school violence (2017)
Education of children under international protection
(2017)
2
ISE, 3 mai 2012
Data Reliability
- Representative sample, based on random sampling of
schools and students/ teachers/ headmasters;
- Quasi-experimental approach: students attending
EDC/HRE school based curriculum (optional subjects)
and students /teachers who did not attend such
subjects;
- Reliability check techniques
-
3
Action research
ISE, 3 mai 2012
Common starting points
Does the school prepare the children for their social life? Is
this preparation possible unless providing strong civic and
moral guidelines?
Does the school provide an appropriate climate to support
EDC/HRE?
Do we know well enough the children needs?
How teachers, as specialists of a particular subject,
understand their role in relation to EDC/HRE?
How can we explain the tehndancy to pass on the
responsibility for EDC/HRE to other education actors?
How nonformal learning can complement the formal
education and how can it be better exploited?
What are the benefits of EDC/HRE school based curriculum?
4
21st ISE,
of June,
Strasbourg
3 mai
2012
Overview of the research findings
1. There is a gap between intention and educational
intervention.
• Teachers declares their interest in developing civic,
social and emotional skills of their students.
• They describe a variety of learning activities related to
civic, moral and affective education.
BUT
• The means and methods for EDC/HRE, at school level,
are not always fit for purpose.
Eg. "responsibility" through reward, punishment, conditioning
• The school is focused on intellectual education
(cognitive development). Teachers feel they are mainly
in charge with teaching their subject.
5
ISE, 3 mai 2012
2. The distance between the school values and family
and society values.
•
•
•
•
6
Social and institutional level: negative impact of
media, poor social status of school and teachers,
poor resources for education etc.;
Family level: the resignation of parents, devaluing
attitudes toward school / teachers, negative
examples of behaviour etc.;
School level: inconsistent values, the insufficient /
incomplete training of teachers, unclear roles of
teachers (fully assuming their subject aims, and less
EDC/HRE).
Students: more exposed to diverse information and
to a challenging environment, more focused on the
usefulness of learning...
ISE, 3 mai 2012
3. Teachers are not (enough) prepared for civic, social
and emotional development.
• The content and the way of providing the initial training for
teachers is less effective than expected.
• Teachers need better skills for in-depth understanding of
children’s attitudes and behaviors.
• There is also a need to clarify the roles of the teachers for
supporting the civic, social and emotional development of
the children.
4. The EDC/HRE school based curriculum (optional
subjects) proved its effectiveness, but the overall
contribution of school for prearing students for social
life is still poor.
• Highschool students attending EDC/HRE related subjects
(as optional subjects) are more prepared to take part in
school and community life, more engaged in different
associative activities.
7
ISE, 3 mai 2012
5. Lasting weaknesses of EDC/HRE
• Focus on knowledge / theoretical approach;
• Textbooks not appropriate for students interests and needs
(too academic, high-level content, lack of attractiveness of
knowledge, not enough relevant for students everyday life)
• EDC/HRE is part of core curriculum for primary and lower
secondary education; the need for continuous learning in
upper secondary level
6. The added value of the national programme for
nonformal learning
• better communication teachers-students;
• friendly and secure learning climate;
• stimulating collaboration (teachers, students) and
partnerships for education (NGOs, companies, other
institutions, parents etc.)
8
ISE, 3 mai 2012
Evidence based policies and
practices
1. Continuation of the national programme for nonformal
learning and its improvement.
2. Ensuring continuous learning opportunities for EDC/HRE
in the framework of the new national curriculum
(mandatory subject in lower secondary ed, plus optional
subjects)
3. In-service teacher training programmes.
4. National strategy for reducing school violence.
5. Still needed:
- coherence of all educational media (formal, nonformal,
informal)
- - appropriate ITT
- changing of teaching practices and the learning
environment (hidden curriculum in favor of EDC/HRE)
9
ISE, 3 mai 2012