Language Diversity in Greece by Eleni Skourtou & Vasilia Kourtis-Kazoullis & Themistoklis Aravossitas & Peter Pericles Trifonas

Author:Eleni Skourtou & Vasilia Kourtis-Kazoullis & Themistoklis Aravossitas & Peter Pericles Trifonas
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9783030283964
Publisher: Springer International Publishing

3 Stance and Resistance of Educators Involved in the Pilot

It should be mentioned, to begin with, that PEM’s first invitation for educators to participate in the pilot application was not received with much interest. The response was not great, perhaps because it coincided with the discussion about the evaluation of teaching at school, a process that causes concern among teachers, and, often, overt reactions. Similar reservations were expressed vividly at the first meetings as well. Gradually, however, and through collaboration and interaction on many levels (e.g. supervisor-coordinator with teachers, teachers with each other, the responsible scientist for the pilot with teachers and supervisors), a different dynamic community emerged. A dynamic community of collective reflection emerged, based on research and examination that seemed to mobilise teachers and empower them by contributing to their professional development.

The three-year pilot application worked extremely well, emphasizing the importance of time and experience. Gradually, the educators managed to disentangle themselves fully from the difficulties initially caused by the use of the PEM’s educational material within the existent institutional framework, and to utilize, as they claimed, the possibilities it provided. One teacher reports: ‘During the last year, by utilizing the experience I gained through my participation in the programme, I was able to make better use of the material, but also to feel more pleasure in being brave enough to try new things.’ One might also claim that during the pilot, there was progress in the attitude of educators toward the pilot, the didactics of the subject of history and teaching practices, in general.

More specifically, the pilot forced educators to function more creatively by finding their own solutions in the directions set by the pilot material. They were also gradually attempting an increasingly more creative use of the material. For example, they would start with a traditional use of the pilot textbooks, thinking that these ought to be taught page by page. However, they then started to function in inventive ways, selectively drawing elements from the textbooks, and taking as a guideline the actual needs of their students, they began to produce their own material, thus, continually enriching the available material.

Educators were finally able to escape the teaching logic of the single textbook, freeing themselves from the teaching practice that such logic inevitably leads to. As pointed out by a teacher in her final evaluation report: ‘Gradually, it became clear to me that by using elements from the PEM textbooks, I could not only create new material, but that this might be more effective, as such material would definitely be more appropriate for these particular students. Therefore, I escaped the imprisonment in the single textbook, but also in the school book in general.’ The critical and creative attitude of the educators was after all in agreement with the pilot material itself, as the latter is open enough to encourage its own flexible utilization.

Educators tested new teaching methods in action, recognizing their own powers and weaknesses. Gradually, they reached a point of change in their teaching practices and in the enrichment of their repertory of tools.

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