Teachers & Researchers Networking for Inquiry-based learning

"<< Background >>The idea of networking is becoming particularly relevant in the modern age of globalisation and the development of information technology when many functions and processes are implemented through networks. The project ""Teachers & Researchers Networking for Inquiry-based Learning"" (Project) brought together educational researchers and school teams to enrich the experiences of students with inquiry-based learning by creating a sustainable network of schools and researchers. This international project was initiated by the Lithuanian Educational Research Association (LERA), whose mission is to create and implement advanced, research-based educational practices in schools, to expand cooperation between educational researchers and practitioners. In the field of STEAM education, networking between various educational actors is becoming increasingly important while aiming to develop new educational solutions supporting transdisciplinarity in teachers' practices and broader student competencies as researchers who apply a holistic approach.<< Objectives >>The Project aimed to initiate international teachers and researchers network for designing and implementing Inquiry-based learning (IBL) scenarios. To share the implemented practice with the educational community while describing the researchers' initiated innovative scenarios and teachers' support in their developed IBL projects' implementation.The objectives of the Project:1. To strengthen cooperation between teachers and researchers and to enable a new generation of students - prospective researchers through IBL project activities.2. To increase the use of Inquiry as a research method in schools aiming to grow innovative teaching and learning scenarios and approaches.3. To provide qualitative information about the value of Inquiry-based learning and evaluation criteria for the students' IBL projects' activities and its benefits for everyday educational practice.<< Implementation >>LERA brought together teachers and researchers from Lithuanian and Latvian schools to create networking based on the four stages and implement the main Project activities:I. RESEARCH NETWORKING initiative:– Preparation through collaborative learning (first stage of networking)– Testing a new practice (2nd stage of networking)III. METHODOLOGY PILOTING related to:– Creating and deepening new experiences (3rd networking stage)– Evaluation of new practices (4th stage of networking) contained the following conceptual Project Results:TEACHERS & RESEARCHERS NETWORKING PROCEDURES (including Evaluation Tool for Inquiry-Based Learning Projects.)II. MANAGEMENT (quality assurance aiming for sustainable management of innovative activities implementation and dissemination of the developed good practice and project results).<< Results >>The achieved project’s results during January-July, 2022 exceeded the planned ones in the initial period of January-June, 2022:✓ 18 online Network events for 26 participants and 2 online international Network events presenting projects‘ results;✓ 16 teams (19 teachers and 7 researchers involved in the networking);✓ 18 implemented and shared on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform IBL projects;✓ 3 Inquiry Learning Spaces (ILS) for IBL projects are available on the Go-Lab platform.✓ 175 students participated;✓ 5 articles (1 article on the coordinator’s website; 3 articles on the partners’ websites, and 1 article on the national Lithuanian periodical e-journal „Švietimo naujienos"" / 'Educational news'); ✓ 3 videos on the coordinator’s and partners’ websites;✓ TEACHERS & RESEARCHERS NETWORKING PROCEDURES (including the Evaluation Tool for Inquiry-based Learning Projects) shared on the Erasmus+ Project Results Platform."