focus group report regarding feedback for greent course...
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FOCUS GROUP REPORT Regarding feedback for GREENT course content
- 2nd round -
Part of the GREENT Project
Funded by the ERASMUS+ Programme of the European Union
Created by JA Romania in collaboration with JA Bulgaria, JA Greece, JA Latvia and Ungt Entreprenorskap Sogn og Fjordane
This publication has been created with the financial support of the European Union through the Erasmus+
Programme. It reflects only the author's view and the National Agency and the European Commission are not
responsible for any use that may be made of the information it contains.
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CONTENT
1. Context ........................................................................................................................... 3
2. Methodology ................................................................................................................... 3
2.1. Main objective ........................................................................................................... 3
2.3. Research design ......................................................................................................... 3
2.4. Number of participants .............................................................................................. 4
2.5. Type of meeting ......................................................................................................... 5
2.6. Photos ....................................................................................................................... 9
3. Results ...........................................................................................................................11
3.1. Overall conclusions ...................................................................................................11
3.2. Specific feedback ......................................................................................................14
4. Next steps ......................................................................................................................25
4.1. Piloting the lessons ...................................................................................................25
4.2. Organization of Innovation Camps ............................................................................26
4.3. International conference in Sofia ..............................................................................26
5. Further recommendations ..............................................................................................27
5.1. Recommendations on assessing students’ progress ...................................................27
5.2. Recommendations on assuring the sustainability of the project ................................27
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1. Context
The GREENT project combines the efforts of 5 JA organizations (Bulgaria, Greece, Latvia, Norway
and Romania), active in the field of entrepreneurship education in 5 EU countries, in an attempt to offer
a long-term solution to a key pan-European challenge, related to the development of the green mindset
of future generations of EU entrepreneurs. The project addresses the need of transformation of the EU
economy into a green one and the development of new skills required for both green jobs and
entrepreneurship.
The project aims at bridging the “gap” in the educational system between the need of new green
skills and the lack of adequate educational content for development of such skills, through an innovative
training course for teachers in delivering green entrepreneurship education, utilizing blended learning
methodology. The key innovation is that teams of pilot teachers receive green entrepreneurship training
and the opportunity to develop and pilot the complete set of GREENT lessons. The project involves
directly at least 25 teachers and 500 high-school students in piloting the green entrepreneurship course
in the 5 partner countries. The lessons have been created based on the GREENT syllabus and blended
learning methodology.
The GREENT project will have a significant impact on teachers, students, project partners and
other stakeholders.
One of the activities of GREENT is to give feedback, through focus groups sessions, for the
GREENT lessons developed by the teachers in all 5 countries.
Each partner country organized at least a focus group session. In these sessions, participated
teachers from each partner country and JA staff members or relevant experts.
2. Methodology
2.1. Main objective
The main objective was to get feedback from teachers, based on several criteria, to the GREENT
lessons, in order to obtain relevant insights for improving the content of the created materials.
2.3. Research design
The research method used was the focus-group.
In each partner country was organized at least one focus-group session.
Participants discussed and have provided feedback on the content of the GREENT lessons. Each
country received a set of 7 - 8 lessons to analyze. Before the focus group sessions to take place, some
participants/teachers provided written feedback for at least one of the GREENT lessons.
In the image below is presented the distribution of lessons to be analyzed by each country:
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Figure 1. Lessons analyzed by countries
2.4. Number of participants – 58 distributed as follows:
Table 1. Distribution of participants
Partners JA Bulgaria JA Greece JA Latvia Ungt Entreprenorskap Sogn
og Fjordane JA Romania
No. of participants
31 5 7 7 8
JA Greece
Ungt
Entreprenorskap
Sogn og Fjordane
JA Romania JA Latvia JA Bulgaria
01. Course
Introduction08. Waste
15. The four
sustainability
conditions and
principle
22. Circular economy
30. Entrepreneurial
project stage 1 - Idea
generation
02. Systems 09. Pollution16. Sustainable
solutions
23. How to start up a
green business
31. Entrepreneurial
project stage 2 -
Team formation
03. System
Boundaries10. Biodiversity loss
17. Sustainable
solutions in everyday
life
24. Sustainable
business model
canvas
32. Entrepreneurial
project stage 3 -
Looking for partners
04. Natural cycles
and flows11. Soil degradation
18. Examples of
sustainable
businesses
25. Business plan
33. Entrepreneurial
project stage 4 -
Business model
canvas
05. Biodiversity
12. History of
sustainable
development
19. What is
entrepreneurship?
26. Essentials of
running a green
business
34. Entrepreneurial
project stage 5 -
Customer interviews
06. Self-regulating
mechanism of Earth
13. Different
approaches to
sustainability
20. Green
entrepreneurship
27. Mapping of local
opportunities to start
a green business
35. Entrepreneurial
project stage 6 -
Business model
canvas
28. Preparation for a
public event
29. Public event
Lessons to be analyzed by countries
07. Climate change14. Sustainability and
natural resources21. Green economy
36. Entrepreneurial
project stage 7 -
Final presentations
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Figure 2. Distribution of participants in focus groups
2.5. Type of meeting
Table 2. Type of meeting
Meeting type / No. participants JA
Bulgaria JA
Greece JA
Latvia Ungt Entreprenorskap
Sogn og Fjordane JA
Romania
Face-to-face 18 7 8
Online 13 5 7
More details about the participants are presented in the table below:
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Table 3. List of participants
Focus group/Country
Participants’ name Affiliation Contact person Type of meeting
Date
JA Bulgaria
Vera Petkantchin Coordinator of the GREENT project – JA staff member [email protected]
Physical meeting
09.03.2017
Albena Kostova 23-rd Secondary School Fr. Joliot-Curie, Sofia
Boyka Aykova John Atanasov Sofia Vocational High School of Electronics, Sofia
Veselina Kachakova Vocational School G.S.Rakovski, Kostenets
Vladimir Ninov 23-rd Secondary School Fr. Joliot-Curie, Sofia
Ganka Radenkova Sofia High School of Architecture and Geodesy Hristo Botev, Sofia
Daniela Vasileva Sofia High School of Architecture and Geodesy Hristo Botev, Sofia
Zornitsa Vladkova 40-th Secondary School Louis Pasteur, Sofia
Ivanina Peeva Basic School Vasil Levski, Botevgrad
Mariyana Vasileva Secondary School Georgi Benkovski, Pazardzhik
Mariyana Angelova John Atanasov Sofia Vocational High School of Electronics, Sofia
Stoyan Faldjiyski Ecosystem Europe Association, Sofia
Tsvetomir Iliev Sofia
Milan Rashevski Institute for Zero Energy Buildings, Sofia
Iva Asenova 51-st Secondary School Elisaveta Bagryana, Sofia
Nina Ruzhina Vocational School G.S.Rakovski, Kostenets
Teodora Vavova Secondary School Dr. Petar Beron, Kostinbrod
Shizen Izet Secondary School Dr. Petar Beron, Kostinbrod
Azize Sali Elin Pelin Secondary School, Aytos
Online and physical meeting
Anna Nanea High School of Foreign Languages Romain Rolland, Stara Zagora
Grozdenka Trendafilova National High School of Finance and Business, Sofia
Dina Kirilova Vocational School of Agriculture Kliment Timiryazev, Sandanski
Kalina Vlaycheva Romain Rolland High School of Foreign Languages, Stara Zagora
Neli Tihomirova High School of Natural Sciences and Mathematics Baba Tonka, Ruse
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Penka Peneva Vocational High School of Tourism P. Semov, Gabrovo
Plamena Stefanova Secondary School Dimitar Blagoev, Provadia
Radina Marincheva Municipal Children’s Complex, Sredets
Rozalia Dimkova Secondary School Vela Blagoeva, Veliko Tarnovo
Rositsa Angelova Secondary School Tchernorizets Hrabar, Plovdiv
Spaska Bistrashka Secondary School Vasil Levski, Karlovo
Tanya Madzharova High School of Foreign Languages Romain Rolland, Stara Zagora
JA Greece
Eleni Chelioti JA staff member [email protected]
Online meeting
02.03.2017
Panagiota Chatzopoulou American Farm School of Thessaloniki
Ioannis Mylonas American Farm School of Thessaloniki
Paris Petras American Farm School of Thessaloniki
Apostolos Vourkoudis American Farm School of Thessaloniki
JA Latvia
Jānis Bukšs JA staff member [email protected]
Online meeting
15.03.2017
Laura Teivāne JA staff member [email protected]
Juta Birzniece Teacher at Draudzīgā Aicinājuma Liepāja 5th seconday school
Ieva Sebre Teacher at Talsi State gymnazium (eco-school)
Ilze Rumbeniece Teacher at Jelgava State gymnazium
Brigita Eltermane Teacher at Olaine 1st secondary school (eco-school)
Ungt Entreprenorskap Sogn og Fjordane
(Norway)
Jørn Helgheim JA staff member [email protected]
Physical meeting
11.03.2017
Geir Løkke Tomassen Eikefjord Skule
Linda Storøy Hallbrend Skule
Leiv Johnny Endal Eid vidaregåande Skule
Hans Græsli Firda vidaregåande Skule
Judit Dudas Red Cross United World College
JA Romania
Evelina Bălu JA staff member [email protected]
Online feedback
provided and physical meeting
06.03.2017
Ana Hodoș JA staff member [email protected]
Monica Alexandrescu Gheorghe Lazăr National College, Bucharest
Mihaela Bucatariu Sf. Sava National College, Bucharest
Georgeta Georgescu Spiru Haret National College, Bucharest
Grațiela Goruneanu Alexandru Ioan Cuza Theoretical High School, Bucharest
Simona Hanca Colegiul Tehnic Turda
Ortansa Moise Cantemir-Vodă National College, Bucharest
Cristina Vasile Tudor Vianu National College of Computer Science, Bucharest
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Bulgaria - physical meeting which served a double goal – as a focus group and as an official launch of the new GREENT content. The teachers who
wrote the lessons gave their feedback on lessons 30-36 online and they also participated in the physical meeting where they shared their impressions to
the other teachers who were present. The feedback from teachers was very positive. They like the fact that this is a contemporary interdisciplinary topic
and the content can help them make their lessons more motivating for the students.
Greece - the teachers gave their feedback online. JA Greece had a physical meeting with 4 teachers on 16.2.2017 which was mainly focused on
the innovation camp, because the final lessons had just been sent out and the teachers hadn’t had the time to review them. Afterwards, they filled in
online a feedback form regarding the allocated GREENT lessons. Overall, they were very impressed with the quality and content of the lesson plans. There
is a big degree of clarity and homogeneity of the lesson plans. It was also a good opportunity for the teachers to review the lessons created by other
countries.
Latvia – there was not organized a face to face meeting, but the teachers received the lessons they had to review online and gave feedback
online. The teachers gave many practical advice on how to make the lessons better. A major comment is that the lessons are too long and they can’t fit
into the planned time for one class period.
Norway – there were two separate meetings with the teachers. The JA team also updated the teachers on all the lessons and the project in
general. A main concern expressed is the length of the lessons.
Romania - before the physical meeting, JA team collected written feedback from 6 teachers – each of them reviewed two lessons. In general, the
feedback was very positive – it will be very useful for both teachers and students, it is very contemporary. One of the problem is the time allocated to
each lesson (which is too short), but all teachers are free to handle the content and teach to students only those parts which seem most relevant and
interesting.
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2.6. Photos
The photos below are taken during the focus-groups sessions in Bulgaria, Norway and Romania.
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3. Results
In this section is shown the feedback provided by the participants who attended the focus group
sessions in the 5 countries.
The questions used for the focus groups were:
1. Is the content appropriate/interesting for the age of the students?
2. What do you think about the lesson structure?
3. Is the length of the lesson appropriate?
4. Is the time indicated for the completion of each activity appropriate/enough?
5. Are the language and the terminology of the lesson easy to understand?
6. Does the theoretical section present relevant information on the topic?
7. Are the examples presented in the case studies and entrepreneur profiles relevant?
8. Do the practical activities reinforce the theory in an appropriate way?
9. Is it a problem for you or for your students that some of the videos in the lesson are only
in English and don’t have subtitles in the national language?
10. Was there anything in the lesson that was not clear? If yes, please specify what that was.
11. Where in the school subjects/curriculum do you think you can fit this material?
12. How would you approach teaching this material in the classroom?
13. What recommendations do you have to improve the lesson content?
14. Any other feedback you may give us?
3.1. Overall conclusions
GREENT course has an interdisciplinary content, combining concepts from several disciplines in
in order to develop green entrepreneurial thinking of students.
For the way that entrepreneurship can be linked primarily to entrepreneurial education, the
lessons blend very well with the curriculum of 10th grade students (at least, in the Romanian curriculum).
The language used is accessible to students, and the way the lessons are drafted makes it easier for
students to understand the presented concepts.
This course could be an extension of the Entrepreneurial Education manual (Romanian
curriculum), as a new way to raise awareness among the teenagers.
For some teachers, the English content (videos without subtitles) is a problem.
Overall the feedback is extremely positive – both from the teachers who participated in writing
the content and from those who saw it for the first time. The teachers’ conviction is that this is a very
contemporary topic which is not very well touched in the regular school hours. They thought that the
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materials are very interesting considering the gathering of relevant information and links related to the
topic in one and the same place.
One of the experts who participated in the creation of the lessons highlighted the need for a
separate lesson on how to prepare a presentation and develop one’s presentation skills. There should
also be alternatives provided for schools that do not have access to Internet and computers.
The participants found most of the lesson plans very detailed about what the teacher should
prepare, say and do in the classroom. This is very good for teachers who are less experienced and need
to have carefully planned exactly what to do in the classroom. Also, it is a very good idea to provide many
of the activities in 2 versions: a technology-based and a non- technology alternative. There was also
positive feedback regarding the distinction between “core” and “optional” activities, so that the teacher
can adjust the lesson to the age and needs of their students. There were only some reservations about
whether the time estimated for certain lessons would be enough: there are a lot of activities, and the
teachers should reduce them, considering they can’t be done in the time that is suggested.
Another concern is that the content is lacking emphasis on the green entrepreneurship and of
the theoretical background in some of the lessons.
Some of teachers stated they will be teaching it as an extracurricular content, others said they
will include it within the curricula of: Entrepreneurial education, Economics, Science, English, Philosophy,
Environment & Agriculture or Biology. One teacher suggested that it would be an interesting idea to
invite a professional person to classroom. Others mentioned using interactive methods as well.
Bellow you can find the overall conclusions, divided in 6 criteria for the whole content:
1. Attractiveness of the content (The content is appropriate/interesting for the age of the students);
2. Length of the lesson (The length of the lesson is appropriate);
3. Accessibility of the lesson (The language and the terminology of the lesson are easy to
understand);
4. Relevance of the theoretical notions (The theoretical section presents relevant information on
the topic);
5. Reinforcement of the theoretical part by the practical activities (The practical activities reinforce
the theory in an appropriate way);
6. Students’ understanding of the English content (It is not a problem that some of the videos in the
lesson are only in English).
The answers have been allocated to a score as follows:
Yes = 3 points
Somehow = 2 points
No = 1 point
The overall and the specific scores for each criterion have been calculated for each country (for
the lessons distributed. For Latvia, the scores were calculated only for 7 of 8 lessons) and the chart bellow
illustrates the results obtained.
Example: Consider 7 lessons to be analyzed by one partner and one criteria: “The content is
appropriate/interesting for the age of the students”. If for one lesson the teachers said that the content
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is interesting, receiving thus “Yes”, then this lesson gets 3 points. If all 7 lessons are considered
interesting, then each one receives 3 points and the agreement rate is 100%.
The formula for calculation is: sum of all the points gathered for one criteria for all
lessons/(number of lessons * 3 points (maximum score)), so, in the above example, agreement rate =
21/(3*7) *100 = 100%
But if one lesson is considered not interesting, receiving thus 1 point, then the agreement rate =
19/(3*7)*100 =90%
Figure 3. Overall and specific scores
Overall:
- the participants stated that the content of the lesson plans is very interesting and relevant;
- the teachers’ feedback is that for some lessons there should be more time for the whole content
to be delivered, or, some parts of the content will be selected in order to be taught in 45 minutes;
- for some lessons, the terminology and the language used are too complicated for the age group
and level of understanding of the students;
- the theoretical part is interesting and the information is related to the topic of the lesson;
- the practical activities reinforce the theoretical notions. Some teachers suggested to give some
national examples as well for entrepreneurs/business;
- the teachers stated that in most cases the students won’t have problems in understanding the
English content.
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3.2. Specific feedback
Table 4. Specific feedback from countries
Code lesson
Strengths/Weaknesses Recommendations
01
The lesson is appropriate to the students’ age, having a good structure and timing for each section. The examples and practical activities reinforce the theoretical notions and the language used is easy to understand. It must be mentioned that the time indicated for the completion of each activity is or not enough depending on the pupils’ backgrounds and their prior knowledge.
02 The structure of the lesson is sufficient and detailed; the theoretical part is very interesting. The lesson can fit in Environment & Agriculture, Biology.
Increasing the time allocated for the lesson. Maybe the idea of an essay (which is of course optional) would not be very attractive for the students.
03
The lesson is interesting and appropriate to the students’ age; its structure is very well detailed. The terminology is not easy to understand. The lesson can fit in Environment & Agriculture.
The activity on the entrepreneurial profile may need some more time.
04 An interesting lesson with relevant theoretical notions and a terminology easy to understand by the students. The lesson can fit in Environment & Agriculture, Biology.
Maybe more focus should be given on practical activities. More time is needed for this lesson. Maybe some more examples would be even more helpful.
05
The lesson is appropriate to the student’s age; the examples and practical activities reinforce the theoretical notions. The terminology is not easy to understand. The lesson can fit in Environment & Agriculture, Biology.
More time is needed for this lesson.
06 Interesting content and detailed structure. The terminology is not easy to understand.
More time is needed for this lesson.
07
The lesson has an interesting content, appropriate to the students’ age; the time indicated for this lesson is sufficient, and the practical activities reinforce the theory in an appropriate way. The terminology is not easy to understand.
08 The content is appropriate for students’ age; the theory is interesting.
Increasing the time allocated for the lesson in order the students to be able to reflect and learn something from. For example, most probably, it is impossible to
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The lesson can fit in both in science classes and in social studies classes.
organize groups, select which of the eight websites to explore and to summarize an answer for eight questions in twenty minutes. Some parts of the theory will take a bit longer to be explained and should be adapted for younger students. Even though the examples presented in the case studies and entrepreneur profiles are relevant, each user of this program could add some national and local examples. The core homework activity is easier for younger students to do at school if it’s done as an activity in groups. The terminology used can be difficult to understand by the younger students or the one with “academic challenges”.
09
The content and the theory of the lesson are both interesting and relevant. The structure of the lesson seems both sensible and logical. The lesson can fit in both in science classes and in social studies classes.
Increasing the time allocated for the lesson. Using all elements of the lesson needs more time than 45 minutes. Using Weblinks and activities in this lesson, requires good skills in English. It can be a big challenge for younger students. Even though the examples presented in the case studies and entrepreneur profiles are relevant, each user of this program could add some national and local examples. This lesson could be used as a part of an “interdisciplinary” subject in both science and English classes.
10 No information available No information available
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The content of the lesson is both interesting and relevant. The theory Option 1 might be a bit complicated, especially for some of the students. The lesson structure is a bit to teacher-directed. The time indicated for intro is not enough. The theory Option 1 will also require a bit more time. For the rest, the time is well allocated. The theoretical part presents relevant information. There might be a bit too many difficult concepts, especially for students with reading difficulties. Especially the theory option 1 is a bit complicated. The lesson can fit parts of the curriculum for geography and the curriculum in the new Norwegian subject in climate and environment.
Even though the examples presented in the case studies and entrepreneur profiles are relevant, it is recommended to add some local examples too. It is recommended to provide more info about the concept “permaculture”. A bit too many difficult concepts in theory option 1. Maybe using option 2, and rather give option 1 as an addition to the academically strongest students. Even though the practical activities reinforce the theory (in a complicated way), they need something a bit simple and childish.
12 The content is both interesting and relevant. The structure is good and the subject develops nice during the lesson.
It will be good to spend some more time on this lesson. Especially if the students are motivated. Give the students local examples of sustainable business.
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The lesson can fit in social studies, vocational in-depth studies.
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The content is suitable for the older students. If the time is or not enough depends on how much time is spent to discuss and explain every part of the lesson. The language and the terminology are a bit difficult. The “argand Cooperative-soap from Afghanistan” is a bit off topic. The future game is good! The fact that some of the videos in the lesson are only in English and don’t have subtitles in the national language could be a problem for the students.
It is recommended to increase the time allocated for the entrepreneur profile. It is not recommended to give students homework in groups. As an alternative, could be used ”flipped classroom” – in this way, the students could watch it home and discuss in class.
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The content is appropriate/interesting for the age of the students. If the time is or not enough depends on how much time is spent to discuss and explain every part of the lesson. There is a lot of relevant theory to pick from, but it is not so suitable for the young students (for example, 8-10th grade). The local profile and the SWOT analysis is a good activity. If some of the videos in the lesson are only in English and don’t have subtitles in the national language, it could be a problem, because the students would need some explanations about the video is.
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The components of the structure are properly configured. It is a very well designed lesson, both in the development of students’ theoretical skills and in their enhancing of the ethical and behavioral component. The practical activities help the students fixate the theory. Unfortunately, the lack of subtitles in Romanian represents a problem for some students The lesson can fit in Philosophy – within the subjects: Ethics or Liberty and Responsibility, Entrepreneurial education, Economics,
More time allocated for the practical activities. Introducing bibliography at the end of the lesson.
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The content of the lesson is appropriate and interesting; the study cases are interesting. It is partially suitable to the indicated lesson structure, the theoretical part is specific to sciences (physics, chemistry, geology). It is a science lesson overcharged considering the time given. The language and the terminology are not easy to understand for classes specialized on human sciences.
For II. Intro – the gist of it (3 min.) are allocated 3 min. and then, to the 2nd paragraph, is mentioned that “This is an introduction to the main part of the lesson. You can prepare a slide presentation of not more than 2 slides and take up to 5 min.” So, it is recommended to reallocate the time. This lesson does not fit in Economics and/or Entrepreneurial education, because it seems more a science lesson, but some interesting notions could be adapted, such
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The theoretical section presents relevant information only partially. For examples, there are few information on the notion about climate change announced in the lesson title, but too many information about energy and material resources. This lesson doesn’t present entrepreneurs’ profiles, but the case studies are interesting and maybe the study case no. 2, for the highly energy efficient building, should clarify these concepts. The case study and the proposed questionnaire are very interesting.
as the highly energy efficient building, advantages for using renewable energy, plastic waste recycle. The case study and the proposed questionnaire are very interesting. Maybe more clarity in the presentation of solutions offered to teachers. Keeping the essential by giving up certain theoretical elements (e.g. the geology part) and ensuring adequacy of title, content, time spent on each activity and the entire lesson. Maybe there can be found solutions that are more appealing to present certain principles of sustainability and sustainable solutions to everyday life through videos and cartoons. Maybe the objective “Importance of everyday decisions and awareness of the interconnectedness of man and environment.” should be operationalized. Maybe it is recommended to renounce to the objective “Students will learn aspects of resource responsible behavior and examples of sustainable solutions”, because the lesson doesn’t propose to the students any activity in this direction. Maybe objectives such as “Evaluation of everyday life situations and taking conscious decisions on how to solve common problems in a sustainable manner” should be reformulated accordingly to the activities proposed to students (plastic waste usability, choosing the heating source etc.).
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The structure of the lesson respects the steps shown in the model. The length of the lesson is appropriate for the theme. In the theoretical part, are presented interesting information, relevant for the lesson. The case study and the proposed questionnaire are very interesting. The examples presented in the case studies and entrepreneur profiles are relevant for entrepreneurship and sustainable solutions, but not for their global impact. Unfortunately, the lack of subtitles in Romanian represents a problem for some students. This lesson fit in Entrepreneurial education, Corporate Social Responsibility and Natural Environment Protection.
The objectives of this lessons are the same ones formulated in the 16th lesson. Probably, lessons 16 and 17, mostly with the same objectives, could be delivered during 2 classes of Entrepreneurial Education, if the content of lesson 16 would be rigorously selected and simplified so that would contain solely the entrepreneurial concepts and sustainable consume solutions. In this case, the introduction of the lesson 16 should indicate the duration of two school hours. At Intro – the gist of it (3 min.) - Sustainable solutions are strategies to obtain some certain result/solve problems, considering social, ecological and economic principles for sustainable development. – it is recommended to replace “principles” with “dimensions”, because sustainable development has only 3 dimensions and more than 25 principles. At the short summary part, maybe there are some improvements that could be done: - a more specific formulation of the objectives, some of them being unclear (e.g. Evaluation of everyday life situations and taking conscious decisions on how to solve common problems in a sustainable manner; Students will learn about the
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importance of everyday decisions and awareness of the interconnectedness of man and environment.); - a more specific formulation about what the students will do (e.g. study cases referring to….); - maybe the lesson should include an assessment part to check if the objectives have been met; - the practical activities seem adapted to the notion of sustainable consume. Maybe it should be described as well in the objectives: sustainable solutions and entrepreneurship. Maybe the theoretical notions should be clarified, simplified, such as: economic growth, sustainable solutions, renewable character of resources, solutions that are resource-intensive. It seems that the lesson title doesn’t have coverage in the proposed activities, because they present some sustainable solutions not their impact. Maybe another title will solve the problem. It is recommended to provide to teachers some answers to the questions in the practical activities sections. Providing more auxiliary materials to be used in class. Keeping a concordance between title – content- time – activities. Include self-assessment tools. Giving up to the objectives without coverage during the proposed activities for students. Maybe more clarity in the presentation of solutions offered to teachers. Maybe the objective “Importance of everyday decisions and awareness of the interconnectedness of man and environment.” should be operationalized. Maybe objectives such as “Evaluation of everyday life situations and taking conscious decisions on how to solve common problems in a sustainable manner” should be reformulated accordingly to the activities proposed to the students.
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The lesson has an appropriate and interesting content. Language and terminology are easy to understand and the examples are relevant to the topic of the lesson. Unfortunately, the lack of subtitles in Romanian represents a problem for some students. This lesson fit in Entrepreneurial education.
To achieve the objectives in this lesson format, it is recommended to redistribute time, as follows: II. Introduction - 5 minutes. Not one minute (not enough for what should be done); III. Theoretical - 10 minutes, not 6 minutes (there are many concepts, and there is insufficient time to write them on the board); IV. Entrepreneur Profile - 15 minutes (there is a video of 8:54 minutes, it is necessary some time for discussions); V. Practical - 10 minutes, not 20 minutes;
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VI. Reflection - 5 minutes, not 6 minutes. More interactive methods. For example, stellar explosion and cluster. Entrepreneur profile: it is recommended to suggest some questions in order the students follow them when they watch the film.
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The lesson is appropriate to the student’s age, having a good structure and timing for each section. The examples and practical activities reinforce the theoretical notions and the language used is easy to understand. This lesson fit in Entrepreneurial education.
In the section, What will the students do during this lesson (I. Short summary) it is recommended to remove “A short research regarding entrepreneurship – types of entrepreneurship and examples of start-ups in different domains”, because this activity is no more included in the content of the lesson.
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The components of the lesson are properly configured. The structure is unitary, gradually presented, therefore easily to understand. The theoretical part raise the students’ interest towards those “required changes to reverse the social and ecological degradation” The practical activity is very interesting. This lesson fit in Entrepreneurial education, Economics, Philosophy – within the subjects: Ethics or Liberty and Responsibility.
There is not enough time for this lesson, maybe there should be 2 hours and the time for each section could be modified accordingly to a 2 hours lesson. A longer time for the practical activity is required. (There will be difficulties to keep this lesson to 45-50 min, even though the teacher will stick solely to the core activities.) The theoretical part maybe should contain more of a discovery type of learning instead of general explications. It should value everyday experiences of students. The first video could be replaced with a more specific one. The questions could be more specific.
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The lesson respects the structure imposed within the project. The terminology and language are accessible to the students in 9th and 10th grade and easy to understand for the ones in 11th and 12th grade. The examples and practical activities reinforce the theoretical notions and the language used is easy to understand. This lesson fit in Entrepreneurial education.
There will be difficulties to keep this lesson to 45-50 min, even though the teacher will stick solely to the core activities. Given that the section Background information on the history of the green economy concept (III. The theory (10 min.) is only for the teacher, it is recommended to remove “When the concept of green economy appeared.” from I. Short summary (What will the students learn).
22
The content is appropriate and evokes interest. The structure of lesson is logical and well-considered. Its length is appropriate. Language and terms are understandable and easily perceivable. The theoretical section gives enough information. Practical activities help to strengthen the theory gained in the lesson. The lesson can fit in Economics, Social sciences, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, English.
23 The content is appropriate and evokes interest. The structure of lesson is logical and well-considered. Its length is appropriate.
Extending the time allocated.
20
Topic is very interesting, but, probably it takes more than 45 minutes to be done. Theoretical section is rich of information. Practical activities are very extensive, and that leads to a result strengthening theoretical knowledge. There is no problem for students that some of the videos in the lesson are only in English and don’t have subtitles in the national language. The lesson can fit in Economics, Social sciences, Geography, Biology, Chemistry, English. Is a very well-produced material.
24
The content of the lesson is appropriate for age 16-17. A good length of the lesson, because it is possible to vary the activities provided. Given terms/notions are easy to define and describe. Probably those given examples of case studies are not understandable due to language barrier. The lesson can fit in Economics.
Extending the time allocated, because it is impossible to implement it in 45 minutes. Practical action is only under supervision of teacher; pupils should work individually according to the video that might lack clarity. If the teacher has no background in economics, it might be complicated to explain the details of canvas. It is recommended to give more details of canvas using key questions by which responses could help to create products description in canvas. Providing the table of canvas structure in the native language.
25
The part about U.C. Berkeley in the USA is useless, because the pupils cannot understand the importance of this information. Language and terms are understandable and easily perceivable. The theoretical section does not present relevant information on the topic, because it does not describe business plan. The text about university’s study change is an inappropriate action for the aim of the lesson. The lesson can fit in Economics. The video about the reason of necessity of plan is good basis for further action. The “12 Mistakes” video is more about planning personal business than mistakes of writing in formal plan.
Probably instead of U.C. Berkeley in the USA, pupils could compare a real business plan with canvas. Instead of reading the university text, it would be recommended comparing a real canvas and a usual business plan.
26
The content of lesson is appropriate for pupils’ age. The content is too general and uncertain. Lacking emphasis on the green economics. Even though, the lesson is structured minute by minute, there is not enough time for every activity.
Extending the time allocated, because it is impossible to implement it in 45 minutes. This lesson could be divided for several lessons emphasizing working in class. It is recommended to allocate time for providing feedback and hearing each group about the work it has done in the classroom.
21
The example (video), which is seen by all groups, is appropriate. The lesson is like an introductory lesson. The main emphasis is given on pupils’ cooperation while doing homework in groups. The lesson provides a very wide and general orientation in business field. There is not enough time for explaining the homework and group cooperation. The lesson can fit in Economics, Career education, Interests-related education.
27
The content of lesson is appropriate for pupils’ age. There is enough time to do all the core activities. The structure is good. The planned video in lesson is appropriate. In addition, there are theoretical information, which are not interesting for pupils. The lesson can fit in Economics, Career education, Interests-related education.
Extending the time allocated, because it is impossible to implement it in 45 minutes. It is recommended to have more emphasis on green entrepreneurship related to effective and cyclic usage of local resources. The lesson can be used as it is.
28 No information available No information available
29 No information available No information available
30
The structure of the lesson is clear and logical. It is appropriate to the student’s age, having a good structure and timing for each section. The concept of ‘elevator pitch’ is very clearly explained for their future presentations and it will help the students in the future. Also, the examples of ‘elevator pitch’ are relevant. There aren’t any case studies or entrepreneur profiles, but the examples of ‘elevator pitch’ are relevant The videos are easy to understand and there are subtitles in English to help the students and the teacher. Still for some students it might be challenging to watch videos in English without translation.
It is recommended to show one video about the elevator pitch in class and moving this activity before the idea generation. The lesson would be more interesting and useful if it contains clear info about how students can use the elevator pitch in their real lives. The Intro and the Reflection part might take a little longer than is specified. This lesson can fit almost all school subjects as the students can come up with ideas from different areas (Chemistry, Biology, Geography, etc.). Given that this lesson is a part of a whole, it should be taught as such. Otherwise it comes out of the blue. The students can be asked to watch the videos before the lesson. For homework, students can be asked to create their life elevator pitch. Maybe the students should be asked to think about a sustainable business idea before the lesson.
31
The idea of speed dating and voting is great. It is a very interesting lesson! In some cases, the time might not be enough for all students to present their ideas to each other one by one.
It will be very useful if students are introduced with the rules of the game from the very beginning. It will make them work harder.
22
The timing of the different steps in the practical activity is not very clear. In this lesson, there are: no theory and any specific terminology, not any case studies or entrepreneur profiles, not any videos. It can fit almost all school subjects (English, Geography, Economics, Management etc.) as the ideas might come from different fields. The students can develop new communication and presentation skills to use in their future presentations.
Team formation doesn’t need to be such a complicated process, since the background of the students is very similar (unlike real life). They may form teams quickly and start thinking of business ideas in a single stage/lesson. Maybe more time will be needed for the individual presentations. Providing the full instructions before the pitching and the grading starts. If the ideas are presented only once, there will be enough time for everyone to be heard and for the voting process. Before the activity, it is recommended to show a video of a good pitch to inspire the students. Also, it is recommended to ask each student to present his idea to the whole class, instead of presenting it so many times. Then all the students will vote for their favorite idea.
32
It gives a clear idea what the students are supposed to do during the lesson and for homework. Considering that there is one core activity, if the students work in teams efficiently, they will be able to complete it. It is a practical lesson, with clear language. The practical activity reinforces very much the theoretical notions, but in the lesson, is no theoretical section. There aren’t any case studies or entrepreneur profiles in this lesson. The lesson can fit in Geography, Biology, Chemistry, Philosophy, languages, entrepreneurial lessons. There is no problem because some of the videos in the lesson are only in English and don’t have subtitles in the national language; the students will search their own information and can use any language they want.
There could be an option for the research to be done offline – like brainstorming exercise and the contacts can be found and ordered at home. Researching online in class may not possible in 90% of the schools. It will be good if they are given a long list on paper with different organizations and mentors, with short resume of their experience and current activities. Research online may be home work for each group and not a class activity. The students could be asked to do an offline research. They could also receive an example on the board of a person or organization that might become their partner. Teams can be asked to pick team names. It is recommended to give the students some ideas of future partners.
33
The content is interesting, especially if they have done the Business model canvas in the previous GREENT lessons. The length of the lesson is appropriate, because the students already have an idea of their startup, so they will have enough time to put it together. The lesson is appropriate to the students` age, with a good structure and timing for each section. There’s no theoretical section in this lesson. The activity is practical, but it does not provide any case study or entrepreneur profile. The lesson can fit in Management, Economics, Entrepreneurship, Geography, Foreign languages.
A recommendation is to use some more visuals because they will be helpful. The homework is quite long and not an easy one. An alternative idea is for each student to make their own canvas at home and then discuss it with the team and they decide together how to build the team canvas. An idea is to invite a professional person to assist all students (just in case none of the invited mentors turns up). It is recommended to ask the students to review the chapter about BMC before the lesson to save some time. Homework before the lesson – every student makes their own canvas at home and then presents it within the team. Discussing and mixing the different ideas in one canvas.
23
34
This lesson is logically structured, because the students have already watched the videos and have an idea of making a customer interview. They know the steps and now should make their own questions. If the students will see the videos before the activity and will follow the plan, they will have enough time. There’s no theoretical section in this lesson. There are examples of customer interviews in the videos assigned for homework. They can help the students structure their own interviews. The presented model interviews can help the students come up with appropriate questions for their interviews. Given that the videos have subtitles in English and the students can read them if they don’t understand the speakers, there will be no problem cause the videos are only in English. The lesson can fit in English, Geography, Management, Marketing and Advertising, Civic studies, Economics, Foreign languages, Philosophy, JA Company Program.
Maybe more time will be needed for making and conducting the interviews. The teacher needs perfect organization – tracking time, instructions on the board. The teacher can give a brief example to students – even repeating what was said in one of the videos.
35
The content is interesting, especially if they have done the Business model canvas in the previous GREENT lessons. The structure is clear and logical. The students should remodel their business model canvas having in mind the results of their customer interviews. There’s no theoretical section in this lesson. There aren’t any videos in this lesson. That repeating reflection question at the end is great. The lesson can fit in English, Geography, Economics, Management, JA Company Program, Marketing and Advertising, Entrepreneurship, Civic studies.
It is recommended to give more time for the intro part, because 10 minutes may not be enough. The teacher can discuss the findings with the whole class (each team should present), make the correction with a marker of a different colour. The teacher should collect the answers of the last question (write them down) and share them with the class at the end.
36
There is a very detailed and clear explanation of each step of the final lesson. The practical activity reinforces very much the theoretical notions, but in the lesson, is no theoretical section. There aren’t any case studies or entrepreneur profiles in this lesson. The clear criteria for the jury to assess the presentations and the time limits is very interesting.
A connection with the elevator pitch from lesson 30 can be made – the teams may be asked to deliver a 1-minute elevator pitch instead of 4-minute presentation. The teacher could visualize the prep work for the teacher as a shopping list and take at least a week to complete. He/she might ask a member of each team to assist with the preparation. Additions to the „shopping list”: Certificates for students and Certificates for judges. Scheduling the questionnaire for a different time.
24
The lesson can fit in English, Management, Economics, Foreign languages, Entrepreneurship, Civic studies, Geography.
It is recommended to inform the students and the judges of the assessment criteria well in advance and to organize the presentation process in two parts: - All teams can use elavator pitch to present in ONE minute their business idea; - Only those who CAN DO IT and impress the jury have another FOUR minutes to
present.
25
4. Next steps
4.1. Piloting the lessons
In order that JA team can track the lessons which will be piloted and progress` students is very
important that all the teachers who will pilot the lessons to fill in the online feedback forms after each
implemented lesson in classroom, and the students complete the pre-test before the first lesson and the
post-test after they will participate to all piloted lessons in the classroom.
Piloting the lessons in each partner country:
Bulgaria - apart from the teachers who wrote the lesson plans, at least 5 other teachers have
expressed willingness to test some of the lessons. The JA team will collect their preferences after the
lessons are published on the website and the piloting will be done from April on, with expectations for
most of the piloting to be done in May and June.
Greece – considering what the JA staff from Greece said, the teachers have already piloted the
lessons that they created. JA Greece will notify the teachers to fill in the online feedback forms.
Latvia - the teachers have identified some of the lessons they want to pilot. They will do the
pilots in April and May. There will be 4 teachers who will pilot 4 lessons each.
Norway - the testing period will be in April and May, when at least 5 teachers will test minimum 3
lessons each. The teachers will test both the lessons that they made and lessons developed by other
teachers.
Romania - 8 teachers are going to pilot at least 4 lessons per person. All teachers will teach lesson
No. 1 and then they are free to choose the other 3 lessons. Romania also selected another some teachers,
besides the ones who wrote the lessons, who will pilot at least four lessons in the period April – June.
Table 5. Lessons that teachers will like to pilot, based in their choices
Lesson No.
Name of lesson No. of choices
made by teachers 1 Introduction 8
2 What is a system? 5
3 System boundaries, social systems, ecosystems 10
4 Natural cycles and flows – material and energy 5
5 Biodiversity and natural systems 10
6 Self-regulating mechanism of Earth 5
7 Climate change
0
8 Waste
9 Pollution
10 Biodiversity loss
11 Soil degradation
12 History of sustainable development
13 Different approaches to sustainability
14 Sustainability and natural resources
15 The four system conditions and the four sustainability principles 3
16 Sustainable solutions and their importance for the environment. Climate, energy
and waste handling. 1
17 Sustainable solutions in everyday life – global and local impact 1
18 Sustainable businesses 1
26
Lesson No.
Name of lesson No. of choices
made by teachers 19 What is entrepreneurship? 3
20 Green entrepreneurship 2
21 Green economy 6
22 Circular economy 0
23 How to start up a green business 6
24 Sustainable business model canvas 0
25 Business plan 1
26 Essentials of running a green business 5
27 Mapping of local opportunities to start a green business
0 28 One class period for preparation
29 One class period for the event itself
30 Entrepreneurial project stage 1 - Idea generation 10
31 Entrepreneurial project stage 2 - Team formation 5
32 Entrepreneurial project stage 3 - Looking for partners 5
33 Entrepreneurial project stage 4 - Developing a business model canvas 5
34 Entrepreneurial project stage 5 - Customer interviews 5
35 Entrepreneurial project stage 6 - Reworking the business model canvas 5
36 Entrepreneurial project stage 7 - Final public presentations and post test 5
4.2. Organization of Innovation Camps
The Innovation Camps (one day activity, part of the program, to be held in every partner country)
were set as follows:
Table 6. Date of Innovation camp(s) in each country
Organization Date of Innovation Camp(s) Year
JA Bulgaria Between 1st - 7th July 2017
JA Greece 6th April 2017
JA Latvia Beginning of June 2017
JA Norway 8th and 12th May 2017
JA Romania 12th May 2017
4.3. International conference in Sofia
Teachers were asked when is the most convenient date for them to participate at the
International Conference in Sofia in September 2017 and bellow are their choices:
Figure 4. Teachers` choices for International Conference in Sofia
2017 September
MONDAY TUESDAY WEDNESDAYTHURSDAY FRIDAY SATURDAY SUNDAY
28 29 30 31 01 02 03
3 choices
04 05 06 07 08 09 10
2 choices
11 12 13 14 15 16 17
1 choice
18 19 20 21 22 23 24
3 choices
25 26 27 28 29 30 01
6 choices
27
5. Further recommendations
5.1. Recommendations on assessing students’ progress
Teachers recommended the following forms of assessment:
Evaluation based on projects;
Evaluation based on multiple choice tests;
Self-assessment;
Peer-assessment;
Satisfaction questionnaires for both students and parents;
Likert scale;
Seeing students’ increasing motivation;
Seeing students’ smiling faces.
5.2. Recommendations on assuring the sustainability of the project
The teachers have given the following recommendations on how to ensure the sustainability of
the project:
Annual implementation of Innovation Camp;
Including the GREENT course within JA educational offer;
Periodical updating of the GREENT content;
Including sections of the GREENT course within JA competitions and events;
Courses/webinars/trainings for teachers;
Creating of an online platform;
Creating of a good practice guide;
Maintaining the groups formed in the project;
Including the GREENT course in the Entrepreneurial Education manual;
GREENT course could become a modern option to the Entrepreneurial Education
curriculum;
The project sustainability would be assured if the program is approved by the Ministry of
Education and becomes a part of the curriculum;
The lesson plans of the project could help in developing entrepreneurial ideas that would
be implemented in practice.