Inclusive education in Europe: Learning from Erasmus+
Discover a selection of Erasmus+ good practices promoting inclusive education in Europe.
There are thousands of Erasmus+ projects fostering inclusion in education throughout Europe and beyond.
The study report ‘Data collection and analysis of Erasmus+ projects: Focus on inclusion in education’ reviews the outcomes of such Erasmus+ projects, implemented between 2014 and 2020.
Objectives
The study’s aims were to
- identify and showcase successful approaches to promote inclusion in education
- support the development of European policy in this field
- explore how transnational cooperation among teachers, youth workers and other actors can add value
Approach
Starting from an inventory of 120 Erasmus+ ‘good practices’, 15 were selected for further examination as case studies. The report summarises the main findings of these 15 case studies.
Findings
The projects covered in the report
- demonstrate how unconventional spaces and the combination of formal, non-formal and informal learning can create engaging and stimulating learning environments
- provide a wide range of inspiring learning and teaching methods strengthening students’ motivation
- showcase the importance of well-being and a sense of belonging at school
- demonstrate how a positive, non-judgmental learning environment contributes to students’ academic achievement and can trigger changes in school culture
- underline the importance of teachers’ competences to master an inclusive and inspiring learning process
- emphasise the importance of involving families and the wider community to support inclusive schools
Another key message is that inclusion benefits everyone, irrespective of their socio-demographics.
Recommendations
More attention should be paid to individual needs and local specificities, rather than target groups to achieve inclusion in education.
The study calls for more support for schools to carry out transnational Erasmus+ projects. Such projects, bringing together expertise and perspectives from across Europe and beyond, are a source of innovative thinking, needed to address the challenge of inclusion in education.
Background
The research contributes to the ongoing European Union (EU) policy initiative Pathways to School Success.
Another recent report, ‘Data collection and analysis of Erasmus+ projects: Focus on education for environmental sustainability', highlighted successful approaches promoting ‘green education’ in a selection of case studies.