The Dual System of Vocational Training is mostly seen as one of the most effectives vocational educational systems because students are trained according with the real needs of the Companies; unfortunately this System is not implemented in all European countries. In addition, in those countries the pedagogical methodology used is still giving “master classes”: one teacher to many students; with the aggravating factor that the curricula of the subjects were designed long time ago and are distant from the needs and current technologies used in companies. As a result of this situation, young students have lack of skills and competences for making them ready to enter into the labour market.
The aim of this project has been twofold: on one hand we want to bring closer the needs of the companies to schools and, on the other hand, to improve the pedagogical methodology –way of teaching at schools– allowing teachers to pay attention to each singular student, and concerning about their own personal learning rhythms.
The instrument we have used to make real this purpose is what we have called the “ProjectX”, a methodological guide for the student to carry out a concrete activity, one to one with the teacher, in which theory and practice are both perfectly integrated and is related to the real workplace. Each ProjectX has been developed on the basis of Learning Outcomes, which means we have also created a tool based in the ECVET credit system that has allowed mobility of students between the participating institutions. In this way we are aligned with the European Strategy 2020 which boosts the mobility of students and teachers in a high grade of quality.
The participating partners are educative institutions: they have applied the results of the project on their ordinary work. They know each other because they have been working before in different projects: no one is “strange”, and the experience until now has been great in terms of communication and professionalism, so it presupposes a good future collaboration.
The main results of this project have been the booklet: “Teaching through ProjectX”, which describes the methodology for constructing “ProjectXs”, and a booklet with 25 ProjectX (every institution has made at least three ProjectX), with the associated Units of Learning Outcomes related with the ECVET Credit System.
The sustainability of the project is being guaranteed because within the participating institutions the model can be spread to other knowledge areas and other teachers, furthermore other VET institutions, not included in the project partnership, are implementing the ProjectX methodology.
This is not a work to be done by a Project Manager, but by teachers. The “ProjectsX” will be “theirs”, and for being used in “their ordinary lessons”. In addition, the booklet explaining the methodology as well as practical examples is available on the project’s website, so other institutions are able to learn it and to develop their own ProjectXs.
The impact is also clear: lessons will be customized and more attractive for students; and students and teachers’ mobility will be promoted.
