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 students’ 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 for hairdressers, beauticians, opticians, textile designers, and music schools).
Two visits will take place in the surroundings of Split, and include cultural activities.
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).
Important note: The course is only available from October to May due to schools’ closure during summer time. Participants will receive information about the specific schools to be visited two weeks in advance of the course, depending on schools’ availability.
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;
- Cultural activity.
Day 5 – School visit IV
- Getting to know the school;
- Participants presentations;
- Workshop;
- Cultural activities.
Day 6 – Course closure
- Learning diary presentations;
- Course evaluation: round-up of acquired competencies, feedback, and discussion;
- Awarding of the course Certificate of Attendance.