Scheduling and Student Democracy for Inclusion and Learning

The primary goal of this project was to exchange best practices and integrate scientific research and proven experiences to enhance learning conditions in schools and break activities that support...

The primary goal of this project was to exchange best practices and integrate scientific research and proven experiences to enhance learning conditions in schools and break activities that support learning. By improving organization and break activities, we aimed to boost students' learning opportunities and foster inclusion. The target group included school leaders, timetable coordinators, leisure-time pedagogues, and staff working with student councils, ultimately benefiting students through better learning conditions, improved breaks, and practical student democracy. Activities were designed to challenge existing views on school organization and leverage the strengths of involved partners. This involved sharing best practices related to school organization, break activities, and student council operations, combined with theoretical insights from scientific research and proven experiences in various project areas. Additionally, we sought to enhance networking between schools and student councils through mobilities and local/regional dissemination activities.

The project implemented a systematic approach by combining current situation analysis with scientific based material to create development plans for each involved school and thematic area. In total, 12 development plans were developed, involving over 50 staff members in the work, all combined. from the partners. The project included three planned mobilities and one extra, involving job and classroom shadowing for 24 staff and 30 students. Good practices were shared within partner organizations, and seminars/workshops were conducted on various topics, including 'differences between experiences, proven experiences, and science', 'inclusion', 'break activities', 'school meals', and 'student councils'. We also tested a potential class schedule based on project guidelines and implemented student council networking both regionally and transnationally. The project facilitated seminars on topics such as the importance of break activities, school meals, and student councils' roles in school organization. Additionally, we organized dissemination activities for student councils in each involved country, fostering regional and transnational cooperation.

The project implemented a new model for evaluating and developing plans in the Lithuanian and Romanian organizations, involving steps such as current situation analysis, a theoretical framework based on science, and a development plan. This model was a modified version of what is typically used in Sweden. The project also resulted in three guidelines, which were disseminated through the project's website: guidelines about scheduling, breaks and break activities, and student councils. These guidelines serve as a foundation for discussions and inspiration for other organizations, helping to improve student council organization and demonstrating their potential impact. At the partner level, we observed improved scheduling processes in all involved schools. For instance, Swedish schools transitioned from testing pedagogical meals (lunches scheduled with teachers as part of education) in some classes to implementing them in most younger classes the following year. In Lithuania, they tested 'double lessons' (same subject for two consecutive lessons), and both Lithuania and Romania implemented more break activities. The project results were also presented at national and international conferences in Sweden and Lithuania in 2024.