PRACTICE – PREVENTING RADICALISM THROUGH CRITICAL THINKING COMPETENCES

The Paris Declaration (2015) states teachers need new skills & competences to deal with complex classroom realities & to confidently respond to diversified groups, and the continuing professional development (CPD) programmes have been recognised as not always sufficiently relevant to teachers’ needs and challenges they face.

To respond to these needs, PRACTICE will innovate CPD approaches whilst responding to relevant need of teaching methods applicable to diverse learners with the aim to prevent radicalisation.

Across Europe, schools have a key role to play in preventing radicalisation by promoting common European values, fostering social inclusion, enhancing mutual understanding & tolerance, and developing students’ critical thinking about controversial and sensitive issues as a key protective factor against radicalisation.

PRACTICE addresses current challenges & needs of preventing radicalisation in school & of supporting opportunities for teachers’ continuing professional development in this area, by developing, testing & disseminating an innovative approach, using participatory methods collaborative process, that involve 7 partner organisations and 35 schools at local, national & EU level.

ACTIVITIES AND RESULTS

COMPARATIVE RESEARCH REPORT
Based on a Desk-based research & a Primary Research through interviews and focus group with 90 teachers, education professionals and stakeholders about the context, policy and practices about CPD, critical thinking teaching and Radicalisation prevention in the school sector in Italy, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Greece and UK.
RADICALISATION PREVENTION PROGRAMME
An Open Educational Resource (OER) with innovative tools for secondary school teachers and educational support staff to work effectively with students on critical thinking and radicalism prevention. The programme will be pilot-tested in 35 schools from 6 countries, with 56 teachers and around 1120 students.

GUIDELINES FOR TEACHERS
A useful tool for a correct use of the Radicalisation Prevention Programme in classroom, providing background, information and advice on how to manage and deal with issues of radicalisation in the school setting.
POLICY RECOMMENDATIONS PAPER
A paper aimed to influence policy makers for improving current policies and strategies about CPD innovation, Critical thinking teaching & Radicalism prevention in school making them more relevant to today’s classroom and school environments