62 | COSERE The Shared Leadership approach assumes that schools must rely both on the school Principal and on a small group of formal and non-formal school leaders (for instance, instructional leaders, experienced teachers, etc.). Schools that wish to keep their leading role, especially within eTwinning Schools, must guarantee a strong participation of various stakeholders: teachers, parents, and pupils. Successful, engaging and empowering school leadership, which motivates and includes formal and non-formal leaders, is key to bringing the changes we wish to see in these schools. Sharing leadership roles and responsibilities among a wider group of staff, and involving parents and pupils has a positive impact on schools. Moreover, sharing good practices and learning about different schools’ environments and practices can help to better understand one’s challenges and reflect on possible solutions. 2. eTwinning schools display a strong commitment to collaboration, sharing, and teamwork The teachers in the schoolwork together as a team to plan their eTwinning and other pedagogical activities and share their experiences and practices with their colleagues, both inside and outside their school. They collaborate on providing an eTwinning action plan and use it to drive innovation and change in their school and beyond. Teachers reflected on how much the area of collaboration was established in eTwinning Schools. European collaboration is the most important element in eTwinning, and this area includes aspects of students’ collaboration, teachers’ collaboration, and collaboration between students and teachers. Collaborative teaching and learning are the basis of each eTwinning project, that encourages European collaboration and work in multinational teams of students, built upon teachers’ joint activities, exchange of ideas and practices In eTwinning Schools, collaborative teaching and learning is expected to be mainstreamed: from the individual teacher and classroom, to the engagement of the whole school, where teachers and students from different classes work together and are involved in peer learning and feedback. Research and Practice (CO-LAB project, European Schoolnet, 2018) suggest that a positive school climate, including openness, discussion, and collaboration among staff, is related to teacher efficacy and to students’ achievements (TALIS 2018 conceptual framework). Moreover, research shows that students are motivated when they feel in control of their learning, when they learn something relevant to their own lives, and learn better when connected with others. Collaborative learning approaches answer the findings mentioned above and have the potential to foster 21st-century skills such as independent learning, collaborative problem-solving, critical thinking, and deep learning.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy NzYwNDE=