Democratic Values in Education (Multiplier Event)
Scientific Seminar
The ProHarmonia Education Centre proudly presented the outcomes of the ValiDE Project on 20.09.2024 at the recent SCIENCE - EDUCATION - DEMOCRACY conference, organized in cooperation with the Andrzej Frycz Modrzewski Kraków University and the Museum of Intercultural Dialogue, a branch of the National Museum in Kielce. The event served as a dynamic platform for educators, researchers, students, and NGO activists to exchange knowledge and experiences related to democracy education. Over 50 participants attended, engaging with new educational methods, exploring the latest research findings, and discussing the future of democracy education in both formal and non-formal settings. Highlights included insights from the Erasmus+ project “Values in Democracy Education” and an empirical study on developing teacher students’ attitudes.
During the English session, “Democratic Values in Education – Multiplier Event of the ValiDE Project”, representatives from our project showcased key insights from the project:
Kristin Endresen-Maharaj (University of Agder, Norway) introduced a newly developed study course concept designed to enhance teacher students’ value attitudes and didactic competencies. Her presentation emphasized how targeted educational frameworks can support prospective teachers in more effectively integrating values education into their lesson planning.
Natalia Demeshkant (University of the National Education Commission, Krakow, Poland) presented innovative teaching materials on values education for primary schools. These resources, incorporating structured lesson plans and digital components, are intended to help teachers seamlessly weave democratic values into their everyday classroom practice.
Inger Marie Dalehefte (University of Agder, Norway) offered insights into the integration of democratic competencies within German, Polish, and Norwegian school curricula. Her comparative findings shed light on how different educational systems embed core democratic values, providing a deeper understanding of policy-level influences on classroom teaching.
Magdalena Bryll (ProHarmonia Education Centre, Poland) demonstrated the use of Stop Motion Animation as a creative tool to foster greater student engagement and reflection. By linking artistic expression with democratic principles, her examples underscored the potential of such methods to enrich the learning environment.
Klaudia Wojciechowska (ProHarmonia Education Centre, Poland) highlighted the Lego® Serious Play® method as a means of building inclusive, participatory, and democratic learning communities. Her contribution illustrated how hands-on, collaborative approaches can transform traditional classroom settings into spaces of shared inquiry and joint problem-solving.
Stefanie Schnebel (University of Education of Weingarten, Germany) provided an overview of the ValiDE Project’s foundational concepts and empirical findings. She explained how research on teacher students’ value attitudes informs the development of educational interventions, ultimately guiding the implementation of effective democracy education strategies.
Interested in learning more?
The presentations and discussions at the conference draw upon several interconnected project results. Each project result (PR) offers deeper insights into specific aspects of the ValiDE initiative:
