Estonian Network of Innovation Schools recognized at EU level
A University of Tartu program was one of the runners-up for a European award for integrating research and practice.
The European Association for Practitioner Research on Improving Learning (EAPRIL) chose the University of Tartu's Network of Innovation Schools among the nominees for the Best Research and Practice Project Award.
The winner was announced during EAPRIL's annual conference in Nicosia, Cyprus, on November 25-28. The award went to Switzerland. Yet, Margus Pedaste, the head of UT's Pedagogicum that established the Network project in March 2013, said he was pleased with being among the six shortlisted projects.
"The work that our network does was highly valued, our clear and entertaining video pitch, poster and presentation got a lot of positive attention," Pedaste said.
The network unites 57 kindergartens, vocational schools, elementary, primary and secondary schools, hobby schools and schools for children with special needs all over Estonia. The aim of the project is to bridge the gap between theory and practice in a community where the schools and university are equal members and benefit from each other’s strengths. Teachers, support specialists and administration cooperate with universities, who conduct primary and further training, do research and develop curricula and study resources.
The network has a number of simultaneously-running projects, including the Comenius Quantum Spin-off project.
The EAPRIL Award aims to recognize the best project by practitioner researchers in the field of education, learning and instruction, and training and development that contributes to educational practices of the entire EAPRIL community and beyond. It is a non-profit organization that promotes practice-based research on learning issues in the context of initial, formal, lifelong and organisational learning with the aim to enhance practice.
Watch a video pitch from the Network of Innovation Schools:
More videos that introduce the network are available here.