SCHOOL FOR NET-GENERATION: INTERNAL REFORM OF PRIMARY AND SECONDARY SCHOOL EDUCATION
Duration: 1st September 2014. – 31st August 2017.
Project Manager: Milan Matijević
Project Team: Dubravka Miljković, Siniša Opić, Vladimira Velički, Mario Dumančić, Višnja Rajić, Damir Velički, Goran Lapat, Tomislav Topolovčan
Institution: Faculty of Teacher Education of the University of Zagreb
Summary
In the last few years, research has shown that the teachers and methodologies in schools today are far from the expectations and needs of students belonging to the Net Generation. The advantages offered by new digital and communication media are not sufficiently exploited to enhance communication in the classroom, and the course books available to students of elementary and secondary schools are not appropriate to the students’ needs and expectations.
The main aim of the planned research is to explore the attitudes and (self-)evaluation of teachers, school principals (managers), parents and students about the specific traits of the existing didactical paradigm (teacher-centred education) that still dominates in Croatian schools, and to explore the possible didactical solutions for internal reform that focuses on student-centred education based on contemporary theories of teaching and learning and the possibility to enrich education with ICT.
Empirical non-experimental, quasi-experimental, and action research is planned. The following methods of data collection will be used during the research: questionnaires, interviews, focus groups, systematic observation, case studies, and content analysis. A number of stratified student samples (N≈3000), teacher samples (N≈600) and school principals (N≈300) from different counties in the Republic Croatia will be used for data collection. According to the general aim of the research and research problems, a number of research instruments (either constructed by the researchers or already verified) will be employed. In order to apply a holistic approach to the research area, qualitative and quantitative methodology will be used and triangulation will be applied for the purpose of ensuring quality in the data analysis.
Financed by Croatian Science Foundation
