Description
A few years ago, the Croatian educational system started a huge curricular reform, first in experimental schools which then became examples of good practices for the whole country.
The reform aimed to introduce innovative concepts (e.g., the planning of learning outcomes) and key competencies for lifelong learning (such as problem-solving, learning to learn, and coaching) in Croatian schools.
The whole process provided a huge opportunity for schools to change their teaching practices, reflect on new approaches, and evaluate them.
By taking part in this course, the participants will discover the details of the Croatian educational system and its recent reform. They will learn about the different levels of education that it provides and how the comprehensive Croatian educational reform influenced them.
Course participants will also learn about staff and learners’ daily life, school management, organization of lessons, projects, and extracurricular activities which makes each Croatian school special and unique.
During the course week, teachers will visit a variety of Croatian schools of a different order (primary, secondary) and type (grammar schools, VET education).
Each school will share its best practices and run a practical workshop on its strengths, which may refer to topics such as the Erasmus+ objectives for primary and secondary education, the use of digital tools in education, inclusion, types of formative assessment, mindfulness, interdisciplinarity, sustainable development, music education, eTwinning in VET school.
During the workshop, course participants will also present their schools to make the visit more interactive, collaborative, and international even to the hosting schools. This will provide a common ground for further cooperation.
By the end of the course, participants will be familiar with the Croatian educational system, history, and culture. Moreover, they will be ready to make connections with the visited schools or other Croatian schools to initiate future international mobility and Erasmus+ projects (e.g., KA1 and KA2).
What is included
Learning outcomes
The course will help the participants to:
- Learn about the Croatian educational system;
- Discover daily life in Croatian schools;
- Understand Croatian history and culture;
- Gain a rich linguistic and cultural experience;
- Design school exchange (student and staff mobility) between European participants and Croatian schools;
- Plan international cooperation and participation in international projects;
- Inspiration to create new extracurricular programs.
Tentative schedule
Day 1 – Introduction to the course
- Introduction to the course, and the external week activities;
- Icebreaker activities;
- Planning presentations of the participants’ schools during study visits (in each school different participants will present their schools).
Preparing for school visits
- Presentation of the Croatian school system;
- Croatian Curricular Reform: new approaches in education;
- Starting a learning diary.
Day 2 – School visit I
- Getting to know the school;
- Participants presentations;
- Workshop.
Day 3 – School visit II
- Getting to know the school;
- Participants presentations;
- Workshop;
- Cultural activity.
Day 4 – School visit III
- Getting to know the school;
- Participants presentations;
- Workshop;
Day 5 – Educational Systems – Responsibilities and Opportunities
- Discussion of the school visits;
- Sharing project ideas and implementing the course activities;
- Teachers’ rights and responsibilities in the system;
- Teachers’ opportunities to progress – Erasmus plus impact;
- Inspection, CPD (continuous professional development), and professional networking;
- Learning diary presentations.
Day 6 – Course closure
- Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance;
- Excursion and other external cultural activities.
