Motivation, engagement and educational aspirations: the roots of academic achievement

The initial aim of implementing the project was to identify the causes of low motivation and commitment that hindered our students' performance and how these causes could be combated. The presence...

The initial aim of implementing the project was to identify the causes of low motivation and commitment that hindered our students' performance and how these causes could be combated. The presence of the University in the project provided scientific substantiation and validation and shed light on new ways forward. The sharing between schools from different countries with different cultural backgrounds was intended to further enrich learning and improve teachers' pedagogical practices. Finally, the aim of this project was also to provide teachers with pedagogical tools in the area of project-based learning.

This project was developed in phases. In phase 0 - Thinking systematically - online meetings were held where ideas were shared about the contexts of each school and the main challenges each was encountering in motivating and engaging their students. During phase 1 - the promising opportunities - the teachers received online training from the Portuguese Catholic University. It was a 50-hour course, with synchronous and asynchronous sessions, the content of which was selected to meet the needs and gaps listed by the teachers in the previous phase. As part of the training, PBL projects were drawn up to be implemented by the teachers in their classes. In phase 2- Relearn, act, evaluate and adapt- the projects developed during phase 1 were implemented in some of the classes of the teachers involved. These were projects of a varied nature, designed taking into account the national programmes of each country, the learning objectives and the specific characteristics of the classes concerned. In phase 3 - Sharing and exchanging - the teachers visited the various participating schools, in three mobilities, one in each country, so that they could witness the implementation of the project in loco, sharing experiences, strategies and doubts.

As a result of phase 0, the teachers gained a clearer idea of the challenges they face on a daily basis and the certainty that, although in different contexts, in different countries, all professionals face similar difficulties. By the end of phase 1, the teachers enhanced their knowledge in key areas that allowed them to improve their pedagogical practices, increasing their use of PBL and SEL strategies. After phase 2, some of the classes where the teachers involved in the project taught had taken part in a learning project that motivated them and consequently increased their commitment. The students involved acquired new skills, broadened their horizons and valued knowledge. At the end of phase 3, the teachers had acquired tools and knowledge that will enable them to improve teaching practices and their students' results in the future.