Competences as a solution to global problems

By implementing this project we wanted to achieve specific goals: 1) building teacher competencies from partner institutions to implement project-based learning activities aimed to identify and so...

By implementing this project we wanted to achieve specific goals: 1) building teacher competencies from partner institutions to implement project-based learning activities aimed to identify and solve local environmental problems and problems of insufficient physical activity in students aged 8 to 10; 2) Building the competence of the students for active solving environmental problems, as well as the competence for monitoring their own physical activity in order to achieve recommendations of the World Health Organization on the minimum amount of daily physical activity (HEPA recommendations), which are in accordance with European actions aimed to solve the problem of physical inactivity (WHO's "Global action plan on physical activity 2018-2030"). By acquiring ecological and physical competences through the project-based learning, students have also been developing key competences for lifelong learning („Council recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning“, 2018.).

Physical activity program consisted of providing theoretical information about physical activity recommendation and tailoring physical exercise intervention comprised of two-minute simple physical exercises (e.g., running and hopping in place, doing squats) at the beginning of each academic class and exercises for acquiring various skills and improving physical fitness in physical education classes. Further, as important motivational factor and feedback upon their own physical activity, all students received wrist-worn fitness tracker. Children tried to achieve the target step number and number of minutes in moderate to vigorous physical activity during a day. Environmental activities comprised of detecting environmental problems in the schools’ local environments. Teachers and children have learned how to make compost from a kitchen waste, how to build a shelter for abandoned animals, how to use and spare plastic and other materials, etc. During the physical and eco activities all teachers acquired knowledge on how to plan the activities which will lead to students’ competences for ecology and adequate physical activity, as well as to the key competences („Council recommendation on key competences for lifelong learning", 2018.).

There are two main outputs of our project: 1) we created a booklet as a guide for teachers on how to plan, organize and implement project-based learning focused on solving environmental problems and problems of insufficient physical activity in preadolescent children. A special section of the booklet is focused on indicating links between specific project activities and the key competences for lifelong learning (especially personal, social and civic competence), which have a central role in the European teaching and learning programs ("Council recommendation on key competencies for lifelong learning", 2018); 2) Written scientific article on the effects of experimental program of physical activities on the students' daily physical activity volume, as well as on their anthropometrics and physical fitness status. In addition to these main outputs, we created an interactive project website for teachers, children, and parents (www.compasseu.rs) where one can see all the project activities but also can watch ecological and fitness tutorials on how they can test themselves for the physical fitness and ecological knowledge.