15. Research Partnerships in Education
Paper
Consent as a Life Skill for Primary School Teachers and Students: Research Results from an Academic and Non-Academic European Partnership
Alina Boutiuc-Kaiser1, Ioanna Gkika2, Alper Güzel4, Adem Tekerek5, Anastasia Oikonomoula3
1University of Education Freiburg, Germany; 2The Smile of the Child, Greece; 3iED, Greece; 4Gazi University,Turkey; 5Gazi University,Turkey
Presenting Author: Boutiuc-Kaiser, Alina
Violence against children transcends boundaries of age, race, gender, sexual orientation, educational background, and socioeconomic status, remaining widespread despite global efforts for recognition, elimination, and prevention (WHO, 2019). Consent and prevention education, as emphasised in the Australian Human Rights Commission's 2017-2018 report, should be introduced early to counteract a culture of (sexual) assault through violence, targeted incapacitation, or coercion.
School-related gender-based violence (SRGBV), well-documented globally, necessitates early preventive measures, highlighting the importance of educators developing competencies to recognize and intervene in SRGBV situations (UNESCO and UN Women, 2016; UNESCO and UNGEI, 2023). The Gender Equality Strategy for 2020-2025 underscores gender-based violence as a significant challenge rooted in gender inequality, emphasizing prevention through early education and collaboration with men and boys in various fields (UN Women).
The concept of 'consent' is defined as respecting one another’s boundaries to be and feel safe, develop healthy relationships, and preserve dignity, requiring respect, communication, freedom, and equality (Casby & Lyons, 2019). Educating children about consent from a young age is crucial for fostering better relationships and instilling an understanding that individuals have the right to decide what happens to their bodies (Quealy-Gainer, 2020). Consent education extends to online interactions and relationships, addressing cyberbullying, a pervasive issue affecting a growing number of young adults (Trucco, et al., 2020; Subaramaniam et al., 2022). Moreover, several studies highlight the importance of educating children about consent as a preventive measure against abuse (Rizos, 2022).
According to the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education (2010) and the Plan of Action for the Fourth Phase of the World Programme on Human Rights Education (2022), Human Rights Education (HRE) is a lifelong process promoting knowledge, skills, attitudes, and behaviours for a universal culture of human rights.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedThis research paper addresses the urgent need for primary school education on consent as a life skill to fight the widespread issue of violence against children, transcending various demographics. Drawing on the principles of Human Rights Education (HRE) and a multi-country European partnership (https://messageconsent.eu/), the study examines existing policies and practices related to consent in primary teacher education. The methodology involves mapping education policies across Germany, Greece, Cyprus, Türkiye, Spain, Croatia, and Italy, identifying gaps, and developing comprehensive lesson plans and micro-lessons focused on communication skills, setting boundaries, and preventing gender-based violence. The paper aims to deliver research results at the national levels, present developed teaching materials, and offer insights into primary school education and consent issues from a Human Rights Education perspective at the European level.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsThis paper responds to the evolving education landscape by providing a comprehensive guide, lesson plans, and micro-lessons on teaching consent as a crucial life skill to elementary school teachers and educators. Aligned with HRE principles, the research aims to equip trainers to impart communication skills, address personal boundaries, and prevent gender-based violence by fostering mutual respect and conflict resolution early in education. The paper targets three main objectives: deliver research results at the national level, present developed teaching material, and provide insights on primary school education and consent issues from an HRE perspective at the European level, emphasising collaboration between academic, non-academic and NGOs partners for quality standards and sustainability goals.
ReferencesAustralian Human Rights Commission (2018). Australian Human Rights Commission 2017-18 Complaint statistics. Retrieved from: https://humanrights.gov.au/sites/default/files/AHRC_Complaints_AR_Stats_Tables_2017-18.pdf
Casby, C., & Lyons, B. (2019). Consent and children. Anaesthesia & Intensive Care Medicine, 20(1), 52-55.
Committee of Ministers Recommendation CM/Rec. (2010). 7 on the Council of Europe Charter on Education for Democratic Citizenship and Human Rights Education. Retrieved from: https://rm.coe.int/16803034e5
Quealy-Gainer, K. (2020). [Review of the book Consent (for Kids!): Boundaries, Respect, and Being in Charge of YOU, by Rachel Brian]. Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books 73(5), 203. doi:10.1353/bcc.2020.0003.
Resolution of the Committee of Minister on the youth policy of the Council of Europe, CM/Res (2008)23 United Nations, Plan of Action of the World Programme for Human Rights Education – First phase, Geneva, 2006
Rizos, Th. (2022). The importance of Sexual Education at school and its correlation to sexual assault prevention. (Publication No. 116102434)(Doctoral dissertation, Aegean University), http://hdl.handle.net/11610/24346
Subaramaniam, K., Kolandaisamy, R., Jalil, A. B., & Kolandaisamy, I. (2022). Cyberbullying Challenges on Society: A Review. Journal of Positive School Psychology, 6(2), 2174-2184.
Trucco, D., Palma, A., & UNICEF. (2020). Childhood and adolescence in the digital age: A comparative report of the Kids Online surveys on Brazil, Chile, Costa Rica and Uruguay.
UNICEF. (2023). A summary of the UN convention on the rights of the child. Retrieved May 04 2023, from https://www.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/10/UNCRC_summary-1_1.pdf
United Nations. (2022). Human Rights Education and Training, Office of the High Commissioner. Retrieved from: https://www.ohchr.org/en/resources/educators/human-rights-education-training
United Nations and United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO). (2022). Plan of Action for the Fourth Phase of the World Programme for Human Rights Education. Retrieved from https://www.ohchr.org/en/publications/human-rights-education-series/plan-action-fourth-phase-world-programme-human-rights
UNESCO and UN Women (2016) ‘Global guidance on addressing school-related gender-based violence’
UNESCO and UNGEI (2023) ‘School violence: Why gender matters and how to measure school related gender based violence (SRGBV)
World Health Organization. (2019). RESPECT women: Preventing violence against women. Geneva. Retrieved from: https://www.unwomen.org/sites/default/files/Headquarters/Attachments/Sections/Library/Publications/2019/RESPECT-Women-Preventing-violence-against-women-en.pdf
15. Research Partnerships in Education
Paper
Collaboration Across Boundaries: Sustainable Partnerships to Enable Young Children’s Place-Based Learning in the Community
Kathrin Paal, Jan Georgeson, Katherine Gulliver
University of Plymouth, United Kingdom
Presenting Author: Paal, Kathrin;
Georgeson, Jan
Universities play a vital role in achieving the Sustainable Development Goals through knowledge generation, sharing and cooperation with other sectors (SDG 17) (Seth, 2023). Nevertheless, to address the global challenge of climate change, considerably larger partnerships with a variety of stakeholders outside of higher education are necessary (Ho et al., 2023). School-university partnerships are perceived to be able to close the gap between theory and practice (Green et al., 2020; Passy et al., 2018). Research shows many positive outcomes of schools' active engagement in research such as practice transformation and social change (Goodnough, 2011). Partnerships between universities and museums can offer opportunities for children from a wide range of backgrounds to cross boundaries and experience other times, places and cultures (Wright, 2020).
We recently completed our 3-year Erasmus+ project ‘UPPScale - University Practice Partnerships: sustaining collaboration across learning environment’, where we investigated partnerships between HEIs and schools, early years settings and community groups. This led to the development of a set of Principles of Collaboration Across Boundaries to encourage effective partnership, in line with SDG 17.16 (UN General Assembly, 2015). As part of the project, we completed six Transnational Partnership Projects (TPPs) – one of them about ‘Place-based learning in the school surroundings’ with partners from Belgium, Czech Republic and England. Within this TPP, two groups of children in Belgium and the Czech Republic conducted their own place-based learning projects. Following the TPP, the English partners invited families and children to explore a local museum through the child-led approach.
Supported by SDG 4.7 (UN General Assembly, 2015), children have the right for suitable and supportive education. Their voices and stands should be respected and hope for the future provided. In our research project, we advocate for children to be seen as capable members of society and explore ways to enable their right to be heard and their ‘views ... given due weight’ (UN General Assembly, 1989, p. 5). Investing in children and innovative learning approaches can prepare them to be future citizens that actively engaged in a sustainable society. Every child should have the chance to participate in real-world projects that span national and international borders and involve a variety of stakeholders (Ho et al., 2023 ).
Place-based learning gives children a sense of their own agency and collective capacity (Smith, 2007), even at young age (Boyd, 2019). It helps to develop a stronger connection to the community, enhances appreciation for the natural world, and increases the commitment to be an active, contributing citizen (Sobel, 2004). With the place-based learning approach, learners are more autonomous. That means they get involved in their own learning agenda as they choose an area of their interest, the way to approach it, and they construct personally meaningful artifacts that are representations of their learning (Grant, 2002). The approach can also be used across the curriculum (Beames et al., 2012) and outside of institutional learning structures. Museums and galleries are ‘valuable places for learning with rich contexts and experiences for making sense of the world’ (Wright, 2020, p. 743).
Our original TPP explored how place-based learning projects can be conducted with children in the Early Years and Primary school. Following the TPP, we explored how the place-based learning approach could be used by families and stakeholders in the wider community in a local museum. We also aimed to illustrate ways place-based learning projects can be scaffolded to empower teachers and museum educators to adapt this approach into their practice and engage in cross-sectoral partnerships.
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedWithin the TPP, with the support of teachers and university researchers, 12 Belgian primary school children (9 to 10 years old) and 22 Czech preschool children (4 to 5 years old) conducted their own place-based learning projects within school hours. The primary school children chose to explore a cemetery that was located next to their school. Preschool children explored a nearby hill they visit regularly with their teachers but also with parents in their spare time. Following the TPP, with support of their parents and university researchers, children (3 to 11 years old) explored a local museum during a half-term activity.
We drew from the place- and inquiry-based learning approach (Van Helleputte & Cools, 2022), which was initially designed for primary school aged children. Within the TPP, teachers and researchers adapted the approach to be suitable for preschool children. Beyond the TPP, the approach was adapted to be used by families and educators in a museum. Children developed research questions, were data collectors, and were involved in data interpretation, analysis as well as dissemination.
Within the TPP, both groups of children voted for the most interesting place in the neighbourhood of the school. Children then explored the place with the help of a ‘hand-exploration’ tool (Van Helleputte & Cools, 2022). They collected all questions they had about things they have seen or noticed, sorted the questions and selected the most interesting one for them. To answer their research questions, they looked up information online and in literature. Children also visited and interviewed members of the community such as undertakers and their parents. After compiling information to answer their research questions, children presented their findings to their peers and teachers. To disseminate their findings further and introduce their place and research to the other children in the transnational project, each group made a video.
During the half-term activity, children chose the most interesting area or an artefact within a local museum. They explored with the help of the ‘hand-exploration’ tool and took photos. To answer their research questions, they consulted museum staff, exhibition guides and looked up information online and in literature. Children collated their photos and research findings in an individual scrapbook that was then presented by them to other children and families, museum staff and local stakeholders.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsFindings of this research project show that children had agency over every step of their project and activities helped to develop 21st century skills, such as critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication as well as information literacy. Our findings also show that the approach is adaptable to every age group, within the school curriculum and beyond. This indicates that children acquire skills for further collaborative action for sustainability.
The international aspect of the project’s first phase helped children to connect across borders, explore other languages and connect across age groups. It also provided a further purpose to disseminate their findings beyond their peers and teachers. The second phase helped children to explore across times and cultures and share their research findings with local stakeholders.
Overall, the findings of this transnational and cross-sectoral project provide a guide of place-based learning in the school surroundings for teachers in Early Years and Primary school to draw from as well as stakeholders such as museum educators to discover ways for a child-led exploration of an exhibition. The findings provide valuable information into the use of place-based learning approaches to foster caring partnerships between universities, schools, families and the wider community.
Findings also provided the opportunity to apply the Principles of Collaboration across sectoral and geographical boundaries and align the expectations of the role of different stakeholders to sustain partnerships between different sectors. We illustrate how schools, universities and stakeholders from the wider community can collaborate between age groups, countries and sustainably engage in partnerships. Findings also show how the diversity of contributors helped to develop and implement an innovative approach into school practices and outside of institutional learning structures such as a museum.
ReferencesBeames, S., Higgins, P., & Nicol, R. (2012). Learning outside the classroom: Theory and guidelines for practice. Routledge.
Boyd, D. (2019). Utilising place-based learning through local contexts to develop agents of change in Early Childhood Education for Sustainability. Education 3-13, 47(8), pp. 983-997.
Goodnough, K. (2011). “Examining the Long-Term Impact of Collaborative Action Research on Teacher Identity and Practice: The Perceptions of K-12 Teachers.” Educational Action Research 19 (1), pp. 73–86.
Grant, M. M. (2002). Getting a grip on project-based learning: Theory, cases and recommendations. Meridian: A middle school computer technologies journal, 5(1).
Green, C.A., Tindall-Ford, S.K. and Eady, M.J. (2020). ‘School-university partnerships in Australia: a systematic literature review’, Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 48 (4), pp. 403-435.
Ho, S.S., Bowser, G., Templer, P. and Green, S.A. (2023) Learning for sustainability: partnerships for the goals. Sustainable Earth Reviews, 6(8).
Passy, R., Georgeson, J., and Gompertz, B. (2018) Building learning partnerships between schools and universities: an example from south-west England. Journal of Education for Teaching: International Research and Pedagogy, 44(5), 1-17.
Seth, N. (2023). SDG 17 and the Role of Universities Achieving Agenda 2030. In Cabrera, Á. and Cutright, D. (Ed.), Higher Education and SDG17: Partnerships for the Goals (Higher Education and the Sustainable Development Goals), Emerald Publishing Limited, Leeds, pp. 19-25.
Smith, G. A. (2007). Place‐based education: Breaking through the constraining regularities of public school. Environmental Education Research, 13(2), pp. 189-207.
Sobel, D. (2004). Place-based education: Connecting classroom and community. Nature and listening, 4(1), pp. 1-7.
UN General Assembly (2015). Transforming our world: the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, A/RES/70/1. Available at: https://sdgs.un.org/2030agenda (Accessed: 25 January 2024).
UN General Assembly (1989). Convention on the Rights of the Child, 20 November, United Nations, Treaty Series, vol. 1577. Available at: https://downloads.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/UNCRC_united_nations_convention_on_the_rights_of_the_child.pdf (Accessed: 25 January 2024).
Van Helleputte, G. and Cools, D. (2022). Methodology of place-based & inquiry-based learning. Available at: https://uppscaleeu.wordpress.com/ (Resources)
Wright, D., 2020. Engaging young children and families in gallery education at Tate Liverpool. International Journal of Art & Design Education, 39(4), pp. 739-753.
15. Research Partnerships in Education
Ignite Talk (20 slides in 5 minutes)
How to Incentivize Cultural Diversity in International Collaborations Regarding SDGs
Behnaz Taebi1, Melissa Labuda2, Gootje Visser1
1The Hague University of Applied Sciences, The Netherlands; 2The Pennsylvania State University, Scranton Campus
Presenting Author: Taebi, Behnaz
Introduction
UNESCO has been promoting Education for Sustainable Development (ESD) since 1992. The Sustainable Development Goals represent a guide for society toward being more accessible for social development, human dignity, and demanding justice at all stages (Emas 2015). The role of education is crucial for altering behaviors and promoting analytical thinking toward a more sustainable society (Kopnina, 2015; Frantz and Mayer, 2014). Throughout their education, students develop the abilities in a multidisciplinary manner to understand the paths to sustainability that have financial, environmental, and social components.
During the Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL), American students and students from the Netherlands were given a safe environment to explore real issues in various contexts. According to the Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA, 2014), a safe environment is a crucial tool in the development of appropriate professional behavior.
For four years, we have been working on our COIL between The Hague University of Applied Sciences (THUAS) and Penn State University Scranton Campus (Penn- State). The courses were matched based on the similarity of course content. The Penn State Scranton students were enrolled in a Child Maltreatment Course. The students from THUAS were pursuing the Minor in Global Perspectives on Child Rearing and Family Support. During the development, evaluation and adjusting of this module we have been aware that one of the elements of education’s sustainable development is the use of innovative teaching methods (Kopnina 2015) and interactive education (Ghilardi-Lopes et al. 2013). The use of interactive education encourages students to apply what they have learned and to have a deeper understanding of how individual actions have implications.
Through the instruction we gave our students during this COIL, we ensured that students understood how sustainable living, gender equality and human rights are connected. The aim of this collaboration was a deeper understanding of global citizenship, respect for cultural diversity, and culture's role in advancing sustainability (United Nations, 2015). We were aware of the fact that behavior change is one of the traits of Education for Sustainable Development. This collaboration prepared our students to be more conscious, responsible citizens who can incorporate what they have learned into their future actions as a professional.
The students researched a non-governmental organization (NGO) in the US and in the Netherlands with an active role in advocacy of Children’s Rights. This was done via a review of current support/programs in their respective NGO’s in the US and the Netherlands. The students had to compare the two NGO’s based on how the image of a child in a country influences the work of the NGO’s with respect to SDG’s. Additionally, the students had to make clear correlations between the images on Child-Rearing, the rights of the child and to link them to sustainable development goals (SDG’s).
Methodology, Methods, Research Instruments or Sources UsedMethods
The aim of this collaboration was to learn how we are similar and different from those living around the world. To achieve this, we needed to be mindful of how our projects reflect the broader goal of intercultural communication. In order to be successful we encouraged the behavior of our students to be creative, logical, assertive, and independent (Steiner & Posch, 2006; Mingazova, 2014). To this end, we used google classroom as our learning platform for the collaboration. We let the students choose how they would be in contact with each other.
We encouraged students to use a communication (messaging) application of their choice to establish meeting times with their group mates. To increase intercultural learning, we included the completion of mini assignments. The first of these mini assignments were icebreakers. A second mini assignment explored cultural differences and similarities in relation to child rearing practices. A third mini assignment encouraged students to gain a greater understanding of the importance of teaching younger generations about sustainable development goals. The students engaged actively in creating activities/exercises that could be used to teach children about the sustainable development goals in their future professions.
These mini assignments were built towards strengthening their relationships with each other during the collaboration and increasing the students' understanding of NGO’s and their role in addressing the SDG’s. These mini assignments gave them the opportunity to not only get to know each other better but also spend more time to collaborate together on the final project.
Conclusions, Expected Outcomes or FindingsConclusion
COIL is defined by SUNY “‘as a way that students reflect with each other, thereby facilitating a cross-cultural dialogue that brings a global dimension to the course content. COIL contributes to internationalization at home in that it purposefully integrates international and intercultural dimensions into the formal curriculum. It is an inclusive internationalization strategy, which contributes to realizing the goal that all students should benefit from internationalization” ( http://coil.suny.edu/).
As an international mixed group, this COIL was designed for students as an opportunity for both intercultural communication and an exploration of NGO’s around the world and how they address the SDG’s. The overarching goal of this collaboration over the past 4 years was to focus on "Partnerships for the Goals," which makes clear that a variety of actors, including the private sector, governments, civil society, educators, policy makers, local communities and more must be involved in order to realize all of the SDGs.
ReferencesReferences
Emas, R. (2015). The concept of sustainable development: definition and defining principles. Brief for GSDR, 2015, 10-13140.
Kopnina, H. (2015). Sustainability in environmental education: new strategic thinking. Environment, development and sustainability, 17(5), 987-1002.
Frantz, C. M., & Mayer, F. S. (2014). The importance of connection to nature in assessing environmental education programs. Studies in educational evaluation, 41, 85-89.
QAA. (2014). Education for sustainable development: Guidance for UK higher education providers. http://www.qaa.ac.uk/en/Publications/Documents/Education-sustainable-development-Guidance-June-14.pdf.
Silva, L., Braga, J. C., Ghilardi-Lopes, N. P., Pinhata, E., Simões, E., Ribeiro, T., ... & Shinohara, B. (2013). Educational game on global environmental changes: Collaborative design using a social network. Proceedings of SBGames. São Paulo: Sociedade Brasileira de Computação, 520-523.
https://sdgs.un.org/goals
Mingazova, N. M. (2014). Modification Of the active learning methods in environmental education in Russian universities. Procedia-Social and Behavioral Sciences, 131, 85-89.
Posch, A., & Steiner, G. (2006). Integrating research and teaching on innovation for sustainable development. International journal of sustainability in higher education, 7(3), 276-292.
http://coil.suny.edu/
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