Upgrade with Learner-centred Approach
- Adela Vitkovska
- Nov 6, 2025
- 9 min read
Start date 01-09-2020–End date 31-12-2022
EU Grant–346.519,33 €
Programme–Erasmus+
Key Action:
Cooperation for innovation and the exchange of good practices
Action Type:
Strategic Partnerships for higher education
Countries covered–5
Coordinator
KATOLICKA UNIVERZITA V RUZOMBERKU
Hrabovská cesta 1A
03401 RUZOMBEROK
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Coordinator Type: Higher education institution (tertiary level)
Phone: +421444320961
Background
The purpose of the project was to create a common system in which a continuous professional development of teachers in the leaner-centred approach will be defined as well as the school setting in which this approach will be carried out. We focused on the inevitable changes that will allow this project to be implemented in full and successfully. We began with the development of teachers' competencies and their self-management and leadership. Then we looked at the school setting and build quality on the EFQM model of excellence, which purpose is to improve the performance of organizations and their ability to manage change and transformation. We designed the guidelines for primary schools and universities, that choose the transformation in the learner-centered approach, where we follow Gabriela Lojová´s 7 key principles –active learning, content (relevant knowledge), cognitive + affective domains, approach to learners (acceptance, encouragement), positive learning atmosphere, teacher´s role and learners´role. The main objectives of the project were: - to increase the quality of University education through the implementation of the learner-centred approach and Learn&Lead self-management of the teachers - developing excellent schools based on the EFQM model of excellence, - developing the Learn&Lead functional self-management and development pathway of a teacher within the school environment. We managed to fulfill these goals and even, in some cases, fulfill them beyond the scope of the project. We decided to submit the project and start preparing it at all, based on the realization of the absence of a comprehensive and integrated system of teacher self-development, but also of the school institutions themselves. We also realized that education in these areas needs to start already during the teacher's preparation for their profession. The educational syllabi contain these thematic units, but there is a lack of connection to practice and other possibilities where the future teacher verifies his practical skills and competences, and we created this for them as part of the project outputs.
Objectives
By implementing the project, we wanted to improve the quality and improve the teaching process at schools and universities. With competence building (knowledge, skills and attitude) of a teacher within partner Universities and primary schools we upgraded and harmonized at the same time the pedagogical processes currently applied. Implementing the LCA in line with the model of excellence based on the EFQM and the Learn&Lead self-management idea, both the teacher and principals/managers in the schools are equipped with the necessary tools to upgrade their teaching and managerial processes. Longer term benefits which we created are study subjects in English, Slovak and Lithuanian (taught at Universities) in the area of LCA and self-development/management at Bachelor and Masters degree. Our goal was to create a system of educational activities, courses, study subjects and life-long courses so that a member of the educational process of students and pupils could be educated in the area of a pupil- and student-oriented approach and Learn&Lead teacher self-development, which we succeeded in doing. From the point of view of the project team, these two approaches proved to be the most productive in the area of development of individual schools and access to learners. However, if we did not include the school management itself in the process and the setting of the new organizational culture of these schools, the success would be only half. That's why we included education in the field of the EFQM model in the project, which has proven to be very usable in the school system in some partner countries (Baltic countries).
Implementation
As part of the project, we created several products and outputs that we are working with and will continue to work with after the end of the project. We have created: • the LCA Teacher Development Framework, • LCA self-assessment sheet, • LCA Guidelines for Primary schools - ULCAGPS, • curricula of three study subjects for bachelor-level of university study called „The learner-centered approach 1B, 2B, 3B • the curriculum of a 2 study subject for the master-level study called „Learn&Lead – selfmanangent for teachers“ for student-teachers, • two curricula for Lifelong learning innovative programs for in-service teachers „Application of the LCA for Teachers“ and „Teacher Self-management and development – Learn&Lead“, trained in-service teachers and managers in the „Learner-centred approach “ and "Learn&Lead Self-management", • courses for managers in all types of schools and Universities in developing excellent schools based on the EFQM model, • courses for LCA teacher-trainers who will work with the trained teachers in their schools and countries, • we organized two conferences that exceeded our expectations in terms of capacity and were an important dissemination element of the project. The representatives of the schools that participated in the conference showed interest in implementing the outputs from our project. • In order to expand the range of dissemination, we also published a collection of contributions from the final conference, which will be freely available to all who show interest in it. We publish all outputs on the project website.
Results
At this point, we would like to mention the difficult period in which the project was created and was ongoing. It was the period of the global pandemic, which, especially in the first half of the project, significantly limited and marked the course of individual project activities. The project partners were, for example, colleagues from North Macedonia, which were subject to much stricter restrictions than the countries of the European Union, at the beginning of the project we could not travel at all, so our contacts were limited to the online space only. We had big problems securing participants for the first trainings in Ružomberok, which were still taking place during the period of really strict restrictions, and we could name many other obstacles that we had to deal with in addition and which we would not have to deal with if the whole world was not in a global pandemic . Nevertheless, we can state that we have met the goals, and even exceeded some of them. We have created the project website (www.ulca.eu) in order to keep all the information in one place and organized. The website consists of information on the project, project activities, LCA guidelines for primary schools, LCA Teacher Development Framework, gallery, and newsletters. As for the update of the content of this website, all the partners were obliged to submit their articles, photos, and other supporting information from project activities throughout the whole project line. • the LCA Teacher Development Framework, • LCA self-assessment sheet, • LCA Guidelines for Primary schools - ULCAGPS, • curricula of three study subjects for bachelor-level of university study called „The learner-centered approach 1B, 2B, 3B • the curriculum of a 2 study subject for the master-level study 1M, 2M called „Learn&Lead – selfmanangent for teachers“ for student-teachers, • two curricula for Lifelong learning innovative programs for in-service teachers „Application of the LCA for Teachers“ and „Teacher Self-management and development – Learn&Lead“, trained in-service teachers and managers in the „Learner-centred approach “ and "Learn&Lead Self-management", • courses for managers in all types of schools and Universities in developing excellent schools based on the EFQM model, • courses for LCA teacher-trainers who will work with the trained teachers in their schools and countries, • we organized two conferences that exceeded our expectations in terms of capacity and were an important dissemination element of the project. The representatives of the schools that participated in the conference showed interest in implementing the outputs from our project • In order to expand the range of dissemination, we also published a collection of contributions from the final conference, which will be freely available to all who show interest in it. We publish all outputs on the project website. • As part of the dissemination of the project, we organized many workshops for teachers, where we presented the individual outputs of the project. • We marked all the posts we published on social networks with #ULCA. • As one, not the only, important output of the ULCA project, we perceive the power supply to new projects that are already being implemented, such as KNOWLO or Excellent Boost, etc. These projects refer to the ULCA project as a basis for their project work and project activities and outputs.
Partners
ANNINMUIZAS BULVARIS 38-37
1067 RIGA
Rīga
🇱🇻 Latvia
Partner Type: Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
Phone: +37127763451
Solunska glava br.3 Dracevo
1000 Skopje/ Macedonia
Скопски (Skopski)
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
Partner Type: Non-governmental organisation/association/social enterprise
Phone: +38970585920
Hlavná 7047/24
919 34 Biely Kostol
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Partner Type: School/Institute/Educational centre – Adult education
Phone: +42190341255
ATEITIES G 20
08303 VILNIUS
Vilniaus apskritis
🇱🇹 Lithuania
Partner Type: Higher education institution (tertiary level)
Phone: +37052714625
Partizanska 146
1440 Negotino
Вардарски (Vardarski)
🇲🇰 North Macedonia
Partner Type: School/Institute/Educational centre – General education (primary level)
Phone: +38943361900
Dobje pri Planini 20 a
3224 Dobje pri Planini
Savinjska
🇸🇮 Slovenia
Partner Type: School/Institute/Educational centre – General education (primary level)
Phone: +38637471960
Zirmunu g. 53
LT-09110 Vilnius
Vilniaus apskritis
🇱🇹 Lithuania
Partner Type: School/Institute/Educational centre – General education (primary level)
Phone: +37052772736
Bystrická cesta 14
03401 Ružomberok
Žilinský kraj
🇸🇰 Slovakia
Partner Type: School/Institute/Educational centre – General education (primary level)
Phone: +421 44 432 05 85
Results
IO1The Learner-centred approach Teacher Development Framework + Self assessment sheet for a teacher
Description
We have created LCA Teacher Development Framework (LCA TDF), based on the LCA competencies framework of stages of a teacher´s professional career development. It describes the developmental phases of teachers and teacher-trainers throughout their career, criteria for selection of teachers and teacher-trainers for the given stages of career. The aim of the LCA TDF is to support teachers, whichever subject they teach, in their own professional development.
Together with LCA TDF we have created an Self-assessment tool (form) on the project website, which was not planned in the project, where in-service teachers can do their self-assessment based on the LCA TDF. Results are exported into PDF file, which can be downloaded.
We have created Self-assessment sheet which teachers fill before their LCA trainings and 5 months after the trainings to see their development.
We translated the LCA TDF, self-assessment tool and self-assessment sheet to 6 languages.
Type
Other: Methodological framework for implementation
Contents
IO3: The LCA Guidelines for Primary School
Description
The aim of the LCA Guidelines for Primary Schools (GPS) is to support primary school teachers, whichever subject they teach, in their own professional development in the learner-centred approach teaching within their primary schools. It is also a tool for managers and coordinators who are responsible for assuring the quality of education, and for trainers and mentors who provide support and in-service development opportunities for primary school teachers. This document will describe various components of the primary school that will need to be taken into account then the school becomes the LCA primary school.
We have translated the LCA GPS into all national languages of partners and English, so schools in every partners' country, and every country in the world can implement them.
Type
Guide
Contents
IO4: Study subjects on Learner-centred Approach + Selfmanagement Learn&Lead
Description
We focused on professional development of educators and help them achieve their excellence through the structured competence-based career path. Student-centered learning and teaching plays an important role in motivating, self-reflecting and self-involving in learning process.
This study subjects were created based on the LCA TDF (IO1) and also in partnership with those teachers who have been trained in the Learner-centred approach within ULCA project.
The new study subjects were developed for Bachelor and Master students of Catholic University in Ruzomberok (Slovakia) and Mykolas Romeris University (Lithuania). Those are pre-service teachers that will become future teachers after completion of their university studies.
We created 3 subjects in Learner-centred Approach for Bachelor students and 2 subjects in Learn&Lead for Masters students.
These subjects are part of the General Subjets curricula as voluntary subjects, so students of all study programmes can choose them.
Type
Curriculum
Contents
IO6: Lifelong learning teacher-trainer programme "Rozvoj kompetencií v prístupe zameranom na žiaka"
Description
The aim of our innovative lifelong learining (LLL) programme is to deepen, expand and innovate the professional pedagogical competences of teachers (but also professionals) in practice, which are necessary to improve the educational process in the school.
This programme is a unique LLL teacher-training programme that is based on the real needs of the current teachers coming from all types of schools in the EU region.
This LLL is most suitable for In-service teachers of all study subjects and types of schools (primary and secondary), including Universities.
The aim is to develop appropriate knowledge, skills and competencies for teaching staff in a learner-centred approach (LCA). The purpose of the program is to acquaint the participants with the process of forming a learner-centered approach and its basic principles, to develop their didactic competences and skills so that they recognize and adopt the basic principles of LCA approach
Type
Curriculum
Contents
IO7: Lifelong learning teacher-trainer programme "Sebariadenie a sebarozvoj učiteľa Learn&Lead"
Description
Together with 5 study subjects, we have created 2 LLL programmes to maintain the sustainability of the ULCA project.
On the base of the participants´ and LCA trainers´ experience gained mainly in the C2 and C5 of this project we were able to define the needs of their further development and in line with the elaborated Learn & Lead Teacher Management Competencies from the HAPPY SCHOOL 2020 project coordinated by HARMONY ACADEMY (2018-2020). This programme was elaborated and submitted for the accreditation by HARMONY ACADEMY in the Slovak Republic.
This LLL programme is suitable for in-service teachers of all study subjects and types of schools (primary and secondary), including Universities and for teachers in all managerial positions in all types of schools (primary and secondary), including Universities
Type
Curriculum
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