03 Feb Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira
In September 2021, the second year of implementation of the BePart project started with the involvement of 3 teachers and 2 groups of students. The teachers started by preparing themselves on the concepts underlying the focus of the project, to work with the students involved. Each group of students started by identifying a problem, and selecting the most appropriate model, according to the background material provided. All the meetings and activities are registered in a Padlet.
Image 1 – Padlet of BePart Project
Thus, the following models were selected: The CLEAR Participation Model — Lawndes e Pratchett (2006) – Group 1 – and Council of Europe – RMSOS Framework (2003) – Group 2.
The first model establishes five key factors for impactful and meaningful participation. The second model is an assessment tool to evaluate our personal and organizational understanding of commitment and practical application of active participation.
To reach the selection of the models tegular meetings with fellowship of students (20 students divided into two groups, from different social and ethnic backgrounds, with learning difficulties, with special needs and from all genders; 5 mentor students from last year; 3 teachers) were held. During these meetings students debated about school participation, elaborated concept maps (what could students offer to the school community; what projects would students like to implement; what were the areas that could be worked on; how could students energize and engage the rest of the school community…). Therefore, students, filled in the online document: Needs assessment; checked the tree-decision from the Models of Youth Participation Handbook and chose the model by an online voting/group meeting.
What are the problems that students would like to solve?
Group 1 – Project: “O Futuro eu (The Future ME…)”
Level – 9th grade
Number of students – 15 students
Age average – 14 y.o.
Problem Identified – vocational guidance
At the end of ninth grade, students must choose their school path, considering their future job. The school has a career guidance service, but students want more information to choose their course. Students want to create a project to support vocational guidance, for all ninth graders, with the collaboration of the school’s Director, The Students and Family Support Office (psychologists and educational technicians), teachers and city council.
Currently, students are planning the project and preparing contacts with stakeholders.
Concept Maps
Check the tree-decision from the Models of Youth Participation Handbook
Model choice by online voting
Group 2 – Project: “From Passive to Active”
Level – 8th grade
Number of students – 5 students
Age average – 13 y.o.
Problem Identified – Active Methodologies in the classroom
Students think that the most important problem to deal with in school is the dominance of expositive and unchallenging methodologies, which annoy students and cause them to disconnect. They prefer much more playful teaching, with challenges that make them more active through collaborative work.
What is the role of students? What can students do to change the paradigm? How can they contribute to change?
Currently, students are planning the project and preparing contacts with stakeholders.
Needs Assessment: collaborative work (reflection, debate and registration)
First meeting of group 2 in our school library.
Choosing the participation model: Council of Europe – RMSOS Framework (2003)