The INEDU project combines the efforts of 4 partners, representing two main regions of Europe – South Eastern (Bulgaria and Greece) and Central (Austria). The starting point of our joint effort is supporting physical education teachers in introducing, organising and implementing inclusive sport in mainstream schools. By providing physical education teachers with a comprehensive methodology for inclusive physical education and an online supervision platform for their professional development, we aim at increasing the quality of their work/performance. In that sense, our proposal is in direct link with the Erasmus+ school specific priority, emphasising on “strengthening the profile of the teaching professions” and more specifically with two of its distinct aspects, related to “continuous professional development of teachers” and “supporting teachers in developing innovative teaching”.
We are using the terms inclusive physical education and inclusive sport interchangeably to denote our vision of creating the right conditions and environment at schools, so that all learners, irrespective of their physical disability to be able to participate in structured sport activities together with their peers. The end users of our efforts are all students at school. By improving the competences of physical education teachers, we will enable schools to embrace inclusive sport perspective, allowing all students to be engaged. This will create strong impetus for inclusivity, which is in line with one of the horizontal priorities of Erasmus+.
With INEDU project we will create an online platform for professional supervision, which directly relates to another school specific priority, calling for innovative practices in a digital area. The platform will enable physical education teachers to meet regularly in safe, online environment and be engaged in a structured supervision process, which will further their professional development process.
Our aim is to improve inclusive sport provision in partner countries engaged. The immediate positive change will be for associate partner schools we will address during piloting of our intellectual outputs but in long-term perspective we are aiming at ensuring national and pan-European outreach.
Our aim will be achieved through implementing a set of objectives, as follows:
1. design and develop methodological manual in inclusive physical education and online platform for professional development of teachers in physical education through supervision; – piloting the developed outputs with 24 physical education teachers (8 per partner country) and 48 learners;
2. expand outputs exploitation to 48 physical education teachers (16 per partner country) and 96 learners;
3. disseminate project activities and results to 850 physical education teachers and other relevant stakeholders in the school education field.
The results we aim for are:
1. The creation of methodological manual for inclusive physical education, electronic document available in all partner languages and English.
2. The creation of on-line platform for professional development through supervision for physical education teachers.
3. 72 physical education teachers integrate 1 and 2 in their daily work (piloting: 24 and exploitation: 48).
4. 144 school learners are engaged in inclusive physical education, led by teachers using IO1 and IO2 (piloting: 48 and exploitation: 96).
5. 850 physical education teachers and other stakeholders reached through dissemination activities (1 multiplier event, 24 online publications, 16 thematic presentations at external events, ongoing information provision).
Intangible results we aim for are:
1. Improved professional competences of physical education teachers in partner organisations and beyond to deliver inclusive physical education at mainstream schools.
2. Increased professional development motivation and self-esteem of physical education teachers.
3. Improved motivation for learning and development of school learners with physical disabilities.
4. Increased diversity awareness for all learners.
5. Improved awareness of school education communities in partner countries and beyond in the area of improving continuous professional development training for their teaching staff.
In long-term perspective the project will contribute to expanding inclusive education provision and transforming schools into collaborative learning environments, where diversity is recognised as an asset, not an obstacle for high achievements. The online availability of our outputs will provide pan-European outreach and empower physical education teachers across Europe to embed them in their daily practice.
