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In-country RWCT Review – Romania

Methodology of the RWCT Review in Romania 1. Document review

• There were collected and read RWCT program related reports from the in-country RWCT program (ex-) coordinators;

• There were collected and read the Romanian RWCT Association internal reports; needed information was extracted from these documents;

• Search on the internet for the Center Education 2000+ reports and information related to RWCT training program it delivers; the relevant information was extracted from their website;

• Search on the internet on the RWCT related publications; the relevant information was extracted from different websites;

• Individual e-mails were sent to 12 persons known as RWCT related publications authors; relevant information was extracted from their answers;

• Individual e-mails were sent to 5 persons known as authors of RWCT related research papers; relevant information was extracted from their answers;

• Search on internet on the RWCT related research papers; no (different than above) information was found.

2. RWCT teachers (11 teacher respondents)

The questionnaires were distributed to individuals via the Romanian RWCT’s electronic discussion list (over 100 subscribers) and, in a more targeted manner, to some people who are not subscribed to discussion list. In-depth interviews were carried out with two teachers who recently completed the RWCT training program. In the selection of those who were asked to fill out the questionnaire the intention was to cover a broad array of individuals who have completed the RWCT course at different times, and therefore have had a varying length of experience with the program. In addition, teachers of diverse subjects were targeted. Year of program completion

Number of teacher respondents

Subjects taught by the teacher respondents

2001 - 3 3 Economics Mathematics English & Geography

2007 - 3 3 Biology Primary education (2)

2008 - 3 3 Romanian language and literature Pre-primary English

2009 2 Romanian language and literature

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3. RWCT University teachers (8 University teacher respondents)

The questionnaires were distributed to individuals via the Romanian RWCT’s electronic discussion list (over 100 subscribers) and, in a more targeted manner, to some people who are not subscribed to discussion list. There were received 7 filled in questionnaires by University teachers. In-depth interview was carried out with one University teacher. Year of program completion Number of university professor

respondents 2002 8 – pedagogy professors

4. RWCT trainers (12 trainer respondents)

The questionnaires were distributed to individuals via the Romanian RWCT’s electronic discussion list (over 100 subscribers) and, in a more targeted manner, to some people who are not subscribed to discussion list. In-depth interviews were carried out with two trainers. In the selection of those who were asked to fill out the questionnaire the intention was to cover a broad array of individuals who were certified as RWCT trainers at different times, and therefore have had a varying length of experience with the program. Year of program completion Number of trainer respondents 2001 8 2005 2 2007 2

5. RWCT coordinator – she was interviewed. 6. RWCT Institutional partners

There were 4 partners investigated, 3 NGOs and a local authority (Local Council). Interviews were carried out with the representatives of the NGOs and the representative of the local authority filled in the questionnaire.

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Collected information

Document review I) Based on all available Internal and external reports

1. Number of teachers and trainers trained

Year

RWCT Teachers Under 40 hours of training

RWCT Teachers 40 hours or over

Number of newly certified RWCT Trainers in the given year

University teachers Under 40 hours of training

University Teachers 40 hours or over

Number of other target groups trained

1997 0 0 0 0 0 0

1998 0 30 0 0 0 0

1999 0 40 0 30 0 0

2000 0 83 20 0 0 0

2001 0 182 47 0 0 0

2002 0 875 0 15 25 12 parents

2003 0 560 0 0 0 0

2004 195 106 2 0 0 18

Community leaders

2005 236 78 2

0 0 0

2006 217 98 2 0 0 25

librarians

2007 1389 273 10

0 0 12 managers of art centers

2008 700 286 0 0 0 24 parents

2009 till now

0 140 0 0 0

0

2. What is the total number of hours of the RWCT course (valid to receive an RWCT teacher certificate): issued by your organization or a nationally accredited teacher training institution: - 89 hours, training delivered by the Romanian RWCT Association for all levels of pre-university teachers since October 2006, accredited by the Romanian National Center for in-Service Teacher Training, an agency of the Romanian Ministry of Education, Research and innovation. - 95 hours, training delivered by Center Education 2000+ for primary

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school teachers since 2004, accredited by the Romanian National Center for In-Service Teacher Training, an agency of the Romanian Ministry of Education, Research and innovation. 3. What is the total number of hours of the RWCT course (valid to receive an RWCT teacher trainer certificate) issued by your organization or a nationally accredited teacher training institution 89 hours of RWCT teacher training + at least 20 hours of ToT = 109 Issued by the Romanian RWCT Association and recognized by the Romanian National Center for In-Service Teacher Training. 6. List RWCT course adaptations to various content areas (except school and university content areas): a) Civic Education: for children and youth (children’s rights) b) HIV/AIDS: NA c) Management: school managers, managers of art centers (which receive residential artists) d) Gender Issues: NA e) other: for parents (how to support their children’s learning, how to start a parents’ association) 7. List the name and type of institutions that deliver RWCT related courses

1. for teachers: RWCT Association Romania, Center Education 2000+, Galati County Teacher Training House, Babes-Bolyai University Cluj, Al I Cuza University Iasi, West University Timisoara, University Oradea, Lucian Blaga University Sibiu; In addition, within the Phare-funded project of the Romanian Ministry of Education, Access to Education for Disadvantaged Groups, RWCT trainers trained staff of the teacher training houses in the 42 counties, 25 of which accredited training programs which include elements of the RWCT program. These trainees were not counted among the beneficiaries in the table at no. 1.

2. for other target groups: RWCT Association Romania 8. RWCT project budget This budget is not of any ONE organization, but an estimate of training costs covered from a variety of sources of a number of training providers; the sums were rounded to tenths; euros were converted to USD based on an average conversion rate of the respective year.

Year OSI Funding (USD)

Other sources (USD)

Service provision Total

1997 50,000 0 0 50,000

1998 50,000 0 0 50,000

1999 50,000 0 0 50,000

2000 50,000 0 0 50,000

2001 30,000 100,000 0 130,000

2002 0 0 3,000 3,000

2003 20,000 10,000 56,000 86,000

2004 0 0 20,350 20,350

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2005 0 53,000 15,600 68,600

2006 0 36,000 20,650 56,650

2007 0 0 96,750 96,750

2008 0 10,000 63,600 73,600

2009 0 10,000 14,000 24,000

9. List organizations that provided funding for RWCT projects a) International: Roma Education Fund, European Commission, US Embassy in Romania b) National: service provision II) Secondary sources: research papers (Studies or research paper and other publications), any RWCT-related publications. RWCT related publications:

1. Bernat, Simona-Elena (2004). Tehnica invatarii eficiente, Presa Universitara Clujeana Cluj-napoca

2. Bernat, Simona-Elena, Kovacs, Maria (2007). Diversifica-ti predarea! Editura CRDE, Cluj-Napoca

3. Bocoş, M. (2002), Instruire interactivă. Repere pentru reflecţie şi acţiune, ediţia I şi ediţia a II-a revăzută, Editura Presa Universitară Clujeană, Cluj-Napoca

4. Bratu, Gabriela. Aplicatii ale metodelor de gandire critica la invatamintul primar, Colectia: Colectia Gandire Critica, Editura Humanitas Educational

5. Laura Capita, Carol Capita, Tendinte in didactica istoriei, Pitesti, 2005 6. Chereja, Florica. Dezvoltarea gandirii critice in invatamantul primar, Colectia:

Colectia Gandire Critica, Editura Educatia 2000+ / Ed. Humanitas Educational 7. Creţu Daniela, Nicu Adriana, Aspecte privind dezvoltarea abilităţilor de

gândire critică la elevi, în volumul Ştiinţe ale educaţiei şi ale comunicării - Studii, Editura Academiei Forţelor Terestre, Sibiu, pp. 33-47, 2003

8. Cretu, Daniela. Proiectul "Lectura Si Scrierea Pentru Dezvoltarea Gândirii Critice" - Fundament Pentru Un Nou Cadru De Predare-Invatare, http://www.actrus.ro/reviste/3_2001/rev2s.html accessed on 25.06.2009

9. Daniela Creţu, Dezvoltarea motivaţiei învăţării, Ed. Psihomedia, Sibiu, 2003 10. Dulama Eliza Maria et al. (2007) Didactica geografiei, Editura BONS

OFFICES, Chişinău 11. Dulama Eliza Maria et al. (2008) A tanulási folyamat és a tanulási

eredmények értékelése, Editura Presa Universitară Clujeană, 2008; 12. Dulama Eliza Maria. (2002) Modele, strategii şi tehnici didactice activizante

cu aplicaţii în geografie, Editura Clusium, Cluj-Napoca; 13. Dulama Eliza Maria. (2004). Modelul învăţării depline a geografie, Editura

Clusium, Cluj-Napoca; 14. Dulama Eliza Maria (2006). Metodologie didactică, Editura Clusium, Cluj-

Napoca; 15. Dulama Eliza Maria (2008). Cum îi învăţăm pe alţii să înveţe, Editura

Clusium, Cluj-Napoca, 16. Dulama Eliza Maria (2008). Elemente de didactică, Editura Clusium, Cluj-

Napoca, 2008; 17. Dulama Eliza Maria (2008). Metodologii didactice (ed. 2), Editura Clusium,

Cluj-Napoca, 18. Dulama Eliza Maria (2008). Metodologii didactice activizante, Editura

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Clusium, Cluj-Napoca, 2008; 19. Dumitru, I. A., (2000). Dezvoltarea gândirii critice si invatarea eficienta,

Editura de Vest, Timisoara 20. Flueras, Vasile (2003). Paideia si gindire critica, Edit. Casa Cartii de Stiinta,

Cluj-Napoca 21. Flueras, Vasile (2005).Teoria si practica invatarii prin cooperare, Edit. Casa

cartii de Stiinta, Cluj-Napoca 22. Flueras, Vasile (2008). Gandirea laterală şi scrisul creativ, Edit. Casa cartii de

Stiinta, Cluj-Napoca 23. Kovacs, Maria (editor) (2007). Proiecte didactice pentru promovarea gândirii

critice, Editura Studium 24. Kovacs, Zoltan (2003). Aplicarea metodelor gandirii critice la fizica - Ghid

pentru studenti si profesori, Colectia: Colectia Gandire Critica, Editura Humanitas Educational

25. M. Bocoş, V. Flueraş (2006), Observation Sheet Pattern About Critical Thinking Development, in “Educaţia 21”, coord. M. Bocoş, Institutul de Pregătire Didactică, Centrul de Cercetare şi Inovaţie în Curriculum, Universitatea “Babeş-Bolyai” Cluj-Napoca, nr. 3, pp. 50-63

26. Naumescu, A., Bocoş, M. (2004), Didactica chimiei. De la teorie la practică, Editura Casa Cărţii de Ştiinţă, Cluj-Napoca

27. Nicu Adriana (2005). Formarea capacităţii de argumentare scrisă, în Revista Educaţia 21, nr. 2/2005, Editura Casa Cărţii de Ştiinţă, Cluj-Napoca.

28. Nicu Adriana (2007). Gândirea critică – dimensiune esenţială a formării iniţiale în volumul Comunicarea - din perspectivă transdisciplinară, DPPD, Universitatea „Lucian Blaga” din Sibiu, Academia Internaţională de Ştiinţe San Marino şi Asociaţia Internaţională de Ştiinţe din România, Editura Psihomedia, Sibiu

29. Nicu Adriana (2005). Modalităţi de evaluare a gândirii critice, în volumul Creativitatea în ştiinţă şi tehnică, Editura Universităţii Naţionale de Apărare, Bucureşti

30. Nicu Adriana (2007). Predarea prin întrebări şi învăţarea de profunzime, în volumul Comunicarea - din perspectivă transdisciplinară, DPPD, Universitatea „Lucian Blaga” din Sibiu, Academia Internaţională de Ştiinţe San Marino şi Asociaţia Internaţională de Ştiinţe din România, Editura Psihomedia, Sibiu

31. Nicu Adriana (2007). Reflective Writing – A Knowledge Building Tool, Thinking Classroom Journal, RWTC International Consortium, vol. 8, no. 4,

32. Nicu Adriana (2007), Rolul profesorului în modelul cooperativ-interactiv, în volumul Tradiţii, valori şi perspective în ştiinţele educaţiei, Editura Casa Cărţii de Ştiinţă, Cluj-Napoca

33. Nicu Adriana (2007). Strategii de formare a gândirii critice, Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, Bucureşti

34. Nicu Adriana (2007). The „think-aloud” technique in problem-solving, Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza”- Secţ. Ştiinţele Educaţiei, vol. XI/2007

35. Pamfil, Alina (2008) Limba si literatura romana in gimnaziu. Structuri didactice deschise, Editura Paralela 45

36. Pamfil Alina (2006). Studii de didactica literaturii romane, Casa Cartii de Stiinta, Cluj-Napoca

37. Pamfil, Alina (2003). Studiul limbii si literaturii romane in gimnaziu. Structuri didactice deschise, Editura paralela 45, Pitesti

38. Pamfil, Alina, Tamaian I (2005). Studiul limbii si lietarturii romane in secolul XX. Paradigme didactice, Casa Cartii de Stiinte, Cluj-Napoca

39. Carmen Popa, Simona Laurian (2007). Invatarea prin cooperare – de la teorie la practica, Editura Universitatii din Oradea

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40. Scheau I. (2004). Gândirea critică, Editura Dacia, Cluj-Napoca 41. Scheau I (2007). The theoretical presentation and the application of the

critical thinking methods to the curriculum for the primary school, in „Succession and prospects in pedagogy theory and practice development. 125 years preschool education in Bulgaria” Publisher Veda Slovena – JG, Sofia 2007

42. Scheau I (2006) „Theoretical Presentation and the Application of Alternative Evaluation Methods to Highschool Curriculum”, în “Buletinul Institutului Politehnic Iaşi” Tomul LII (LVI) Fasc.5

43. Scheau I., Todor I (2006). „Alternativ Evaluation”, în “Buletinul Institutului Politehnic Iaşi” Tomul LII (LVI) Fasc. 5

44. Scheau I., Todor I (2006). „Critical Thinking. Active Methods for teaching and Learning”, în “Buletinul Institutului Politehnic Iaşi” Tomul LII (LVI) Fasc. 5

45. Scheau I. (2009). Critical thinking and the change in education” in „Parce III. Paradigm changes within the sciences of education” Editura Aeternitas Alba Iulia

46. Stefan, Laura (2002). Metode pentru dezvoltarea gandirii critice utilizate pentru activizarea studentilor la seminar din perspectiva comunicarii didactice, publicata in Teorii moderne si tehnici eficace de comunicare didactica, Editura A.S.E.

47. Stefan, Laura (2003). Satisfactia profesionala si individualizarea invatarii, publicata in Teorii moderne si tehnici eficace de comunicare didactica, Editura A.S.E.

48. Vacaretu, Ariana-Stanca (2008). Lectii de matematicã pentru dezvoltarea gândirii critice, Eikon Educational Cluj-Napoca

RWCT-related journals; 1. Perspective – two issues a year since 2001 2. Scoala reflexiva – 6 issues published in 2004-7 3. Dialoguri didactice – 2 issues published in 2001 4. Proiecte didactice pentru promovarea gândirii critice – guidebook for

teachers 1. Number of RWCT related publications: over 50 RWCT related studies or research paper and other publications

Nicu, Adriana: The „think-aloud” technique in problem-solving, Iasi, 2007 (Analele Ştiinţifice ale Universităţii „Alexandru Ioan Cuza”- Secţ. Ştiinţele Educaţiei, vol. XI)

This study is part of an ample research, centered on a critical thinking development in the learning by cooperation context. The experiment involved a population segment aged between 9-13 years old,

Main conclusions -Problem solving represents an important element in forming the critical thinking and in fixing the social behavior; -a capable student to sustain his own point of view in the group will be able to offer more solving solutions. -By using the "think-aloud" technique, the solving process is reconstituting on induced sequences. The students can explain why they followed a certain procedure, at a certain

Main recommendations Not applicable

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respective students from the 3rd and 4th grade.

part of the problem and thus obtain additional information about their implicit knowledge. -The sample's s analysis as well as the whole available material after the ability experiment to solve the problems, leads us to le conclusion that students got aware of the running levels in "judging" a problem and that are able to explore this step in different life situations.

RWCT related studies or research paper and other publications

Nicu Adriana, Strategii de formare a gândirii critice (Critical Thinking Strategies), Editura Didactică şi Pedagogică, Bucureşti, 2007 This study focuses on the use of critical thinking & cooperative learning strategies, on establishing each student own tempo of learning and on reflection. The study’s practical approach was built around three coordinates: thinking, writing and reflection.

Main conclusions Has RWCT increased the students’ capacity to think critically, i.e.: [X] To engage in critical reflection; [X] To take responsibility for their own learning; [X] To form independent opinions; [ ] To show respect for opinion of others; [ ] Has RWCT increased students motivation for learning; [ ] Has RWCT improved students’ communication skills; [ ] Has RWCT improved students’ school performance (grades, attitudes, opinions…) - list any others conclusions here: -There have been identified reflective skills and reflective attitudes developed through writing argumentative essays, arguing opinions during the social studies lessons; - There have been identified reflective skills and reflective attitudes developed through problem solving during math and sciences lessons.

Main recommendations Using the RWCT strategies for the whole schooling period gives one more chance to remove the belief that education many times discourages critical thinking.

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RWCT related studies or research paper and other publications

3. Cretu, Daniela. Dezvoltarea motivaţiei învăţării (Development of motivation for learning), Ed. Psihomedia, Sibiu, 2003

Main conclusions Has RWCT increased the students’ capacity to think critically, i.e.: [ ] To engage in critical reflection; [ ] To take responsibility for their own learning; [X] To form independent opinions; [ ] To show respect for opinion of others; [X]RWCT increased students motivation for learning: -cognitive, socio-affective and functional based motivation increased -success/failure based motivation decreased [X ]RWCT improved students’ communication skills; [X] RWCT improved students’ school performance – increased efficiency in learning - list any others conclusions here: -RWCT increased learning satisfaction (learning environment, teaching-learning methods, active participation, learning content, assessment) -RWCT increased students’ social skills -RWCT has potential to increase students motivation for learning because: -there is an interference of the RWCT program with motivational models which increase motivation -RWCT values the intellectual and social needs of the students.

Main recommendations Not applicable

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RWCT teachers – centralized answers 1. Do you apply the ERR framework? Why Yes or Why No?

2001 It is essential to build the students’ new knowledge on the existing ones, so as to develop the new ones from the perspective of the existing knowledge It follows the logic of constructivist approach – it includes reflection as a mandatory phase – which helps deep learning It creates the habit of learning, it helps develop learning skills It builds learning It allows using the existing knowledge, and the application of the new ones It gives meaning to learning

2007 I cannot prepare a lesson otherwise – my previous experience is not very rich It contributes to the development of critical thinking, problem setting for both the students and the teacher

2008 Yes, because It motivates students to stay focused all through the lesson The ERR framework demands the inclusion of useful aspects in planning the lesson It engages the students in a new exciting form of learning

2009 Yes, because the framework grants a relaxed learning environment The absence of the teachers’ desk The teacher is a friend, a partner in learning of the student It meets the need to involve the student in learning

2. Please name the strategies you most frequently use (at least once a week).

Why? 2001 Brainstorming

Quadrants Round robin review Dual entry diary (they serve the objectives of the lessons – they are efficient) KWL – it structures learning very well DRTA with predictions – it adds flavor to the lesson when reading is done in this manner A variety of graphic organizers (concept map, Cooperative learning – one stay, three stray (for reflection and review of group products), jigsaw – for long texts, with the purpose of efficiency in coverage, and for developing students’ cooperative skills TPS It hugely depends on the objectives of the lesson e.g. if the objective is to understand a concept, I use concept map or quadrants, or a writing activity (quick write) which involves describing the concept, using a set of key terms

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2007 Quadrants Dual entry diary Predictions TPS Round robin review Reciprocal teaching KWL Blind hand Concept matrix Cinquain Brainstorming Cubing (because they help me achieve the objectives of the lesson, the students are more engaged, they cooperate, share ideas, are more attentive and better engaged in the learning activities) INSERT Paired reading (they develop observation skills, the students discover new information, and judge the ideas for themselves)

2008 KWL Key terms Pens in the middle (Because they can be used with pre-primary students) DRTA INSERT KWL Brainstorming TPS Clustering (because I want my students to be critical thinkers, so that they can analyse critically the situations they encounter as adults)

2009 Brainstorming – it helps collect a diversity of answers Clustering – it allows the quick structuring of information and it reveals the connection among various elements Cooperative learning strategies – develop social skills, active listening Quadrants – it matches a variety of types of text in the curriculum

3. What are the successes you have noted in students’ performance as a result of RWCT methodology application?

2001 The students learn better for a longer time

They manage to connect a variety of types of information they have They can make value judgments and argue for their judgment They approached literary texts with more enthusiasm They demonstrate creativity They ask better questions They understand much better the concepts and the processes to solve problems (algorithms) As considers results in final exams, though the expectation was that they wouldn’t improve, they were much better because the better

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understanding helps them produce a larger variety of solutions 2007 they are better engaged

they learn better they are capable to express opinions they have the courage to speak, to ask questions they use good arguments they have better self-confidence they have respect for the teacher the students understand the lessons much better they solve problems that involve various algorithms they do not learn by rote

2008 They have improved their language skills by expressing their thoughts freely The students communicate more and better among themselves They are more engaged in what they learn They are better engaged in the process of learning – the focus is on the process rather than on the outcome The students work better in groups They are more patient with each other They express their opinions with arguments, convincingly

2009 The students are more pleased, more involved, more ‘alive’, the shy ones are much better engaged They express their thoughts freely They are not afraid that the others would judge them for their answers - The answers are accepted They are accountable for the ideas they word

4. How has RWCT contributed to your career development?

2001 The program has been helpful in all ways – all activities she plans using

the ERR framework – this has been a guarantee of success in all endeavors It has made an enormous contribution to her professional career – she became a trainer, a training coordinator, an author, a conference presenter; it has helped her help her children develop their learning skills; project writer and manager; my professional circle was much extended She had a lot to share with others after my participation in the program. She started to write articles, projects, books: all the methodological approaches in the projects applied RWCT – the project work she has done since has been very successful with the students

2007 Wrote an article to present one of the lessons, and presented it in a national conference A VITAL contribution because she did not have a lot of experience, and the old methods seemed too sophisticated She has disseminated the program in a number of schools, and the students were very appreciative

2008 Participation in the program has made her much more careful about the students’ learning needs. She has tried to find a variety of ways to make the lessons more dynamic, which made her participate in other training

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courses as a means of her professional development (ToT and a Leonardo da Vinci exchange program) He has managed to avoid routine by applying what he learnt in the course It has contributed to her professional development and to the diversification of teaching techniques used in the classroom

2009 RWCT is a permanent challenge; They have authored articles; they intend to disseminate what they have learnt among their peers (teachers in their school) – this would contribute to their increased appreciation in the school

5. Have you had any difficulties in the application of RWCT methodology? Provide examples;

2001 Lack of time for finalizing the activities in one hour – she only teacher the

groups of students one hour a week – although Jigsaw would be appropriate for the lessons she teaches, one hour is not enough No difficulty impossible to overcome

2007 Some teachers look at my way of teaching with suspicion Although in the teachers’ meetings the strategies are promoted ‘officially’, her colleagues do not have a good opinion about her employing the methods Some colleagues thought I was playing with the kids Furniture

2008 The methods take more time, in general The students are sometimes reticent to changing their places in the classroom - some of them were not pleased to sit next to some peers; In some classrooms it was difficult to use some methods because of the fixed furniture The difficulties were inherent to adapting the methods to pre-primary level No difficulties

2009 Difficulties in organizing teaching – it takes a while until the students learn the various methods Time management issues – due to lack of students’ experience with the methods Higher costs – more materials, consumables needed – the school does not provide a photocopier

6. How did you overcome these difficulties or why couldn't you overcome

them? 2001 She adapted the methods to the specific lessons – the essence of the

method was there, but some details had to be changed 2007 The principal encouraged her to continue applying the methods after he

observed her teach The students asked the other teachers, too to use the same approach to teaching, so she trained her colleagues She changed the classroom, and she made some adaptations for the number of students

2008 Some unfinished activities can be completed as homework or in the next lesson She has explained to the students why they were working in that special

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manner Furniture – she improvised, changed rooms when it was possible He tried some methods with older pre-primary students and they worked, which gave him courage to try with younger ones as well

2009 By practicing the methods and explaining them several times to the students

7. Has RWCT made any difference or has it increased the students’ capacity to

think critically: a) Do they engage in critical reflection? How?

2001 The students engage in critical reflection, they express their own opinions about the topics we discuss, they have learnt to listen to each other, they support each other in group work, they have learnt that all statements they make have to be argued for Older students - or students with more significant exposure to the ERR framework - do it more spontaneously- there is a danger that reflection is set as homework, which in uncontrolled by the teacher, and then reflection may not really occur

2007 They have different interpretations to texts, they finish stories in a variety of manners (how they would have ended the story) The students compare characters in stories to real persons The students analyze behavior and try to explain why they are

2008 Yes, they do reflect – they have learnt not to blindly accept literary analyses made by others, but they express their own ideas about pieces of literature; Having evaluated each activity at the end of the lesson, the children realize how they have learnt; some methods are very well known to the students Yes, they have learnt how to express their opinion in a more convincing manner, with no fear that their colleagues may make fun of them

2009 Yes, both in writing and in oral response; critical reflection takes place several times during a lesson,

b) Do they take responsibility for their own learning? How?

2001 When I assess them, I ask the students to state why they got that grade, and what they plan to do to improve their performance; Students are more eager to understand – which to her reflects responsibility for learning; until they clarify their understanding, she cannot move on with the lesson because they won’t let her; high-school students take more responsibility, they make an individual learning plan for themselves – they have become accustomed to this – they don’t expect the teacher to manage their learning

2007 Often they look for supplementary information about a topic, but there are also children who simply learn what was discussed in the classroom without opening the textbook at home

2008 Yes, the students are much more conscientious – they write their own literary analyses, and they argue in support of their opinions Participation in group activities shows they take responsibility Yes, as a result of the tasks assigned to them

2009 Don’t know yet

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c) Do they form independent opinions? How do you handle diversity of opinions?

2001 The students express their own opinions about various issues, and when their opinion does not coincide with others’, they argue, or we do a value line in which they have the opportunity to support their idea, and thus the idea they have promoted can prove to be valid or on the contrary to be rejected with arguments. In terms of mathematics, this means that they think about solutions on their own – what is happening thanks to RWCT is that they are happy when they identify several solutions to the same problem;

2007 They have a variety of opinions – all opinions are accepted; when we have to extract the main idea from a story, we write all the ideas on the blackboard, and then we concentrate them, combine them until we get an expression that pleases them all, an idea which reflects everyone’s main idea The students accept a diversity of opinions, and argue for them

2008 Divergent opinions are encouraged – each opinion is argued, and respect is paid to other’s opinions; the students analyze each others’ opinions to finally find the best solution; She has encouraged the students to express their own opinions about the issues discussed – usually they record the diverging opinions, and each student has to take a stand (and argue for it) Each kid has the opportunity to express their ideas, no activity is completed before everyone has expressed their view Yes, especially those who have good English speaking skills – group work helps manage the diversity of opinions

2009 Derives from a

d) Do they show respect for opinion of others? How? 2001 The students listen to each other, they know how to argue against ideas,

and that the quality of their arguments in favor of a theory is important; They listen to each other more respectfully; the teacher’s attitude as a model has a major influence here

2007 Yes, the students respect each others’ opinions They argue for their opinions, they listen to each other, and if there are strong arguments in favor of an opinion, then there are several students who will accept that opinion

2008 The students respectfully listen to each other Counterarguments are made in a respectful manner, without the pathos that is characteristic of their age group They learn increasingly better to listen to each other – given their age (pre-primary) we still have to work here Yes and no – sometimes the teacher had to step in to resolve an imminent conflict

2009 Derives from a)

e) Do students have a more increased motivation for learning? How do you observe it?

2001 The students appreciate interactivity, and they are much more open to investing work into the lesson when we use RWCT methods The framework has had a lot of influence here – they see the use of starting from something familiar, adding to it, reflecting on its meaning

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etc. So their increased motivation is mainly due to the application of the framework

2007 Their openness shows

2008 Motivation has increased – which has been demonstrated by the fact that they now read more literature, and they understand critical analyses made by experts, about which they also have their own opinion The students are curious to learn more – they have more questions

2009 The students read more books – they use a lot of text which they themselves interpret – not learn by rote what critics have said or written

f) Have they improved their communication skills? How?

2001 They communicate much better both among themselves, and with their teachers, which proves that they have learnt that there are rules to obey to have an efficient communication - They are quick to detect the false arguments their colleagues; ‘speaking’ mathematics is important to her – this develops in time; it is obvious that the methods used for understanding new concepts contribute a lot to learning ‘mathematics’ and to communication skills in connection with mathematical issues; when the teacher wants to develop mathematical ‘language’, first the students will use a mixture of ‘natural’ and ‘specialized’, and towards the end of high-school they will have learnt fluent ‘mathematics’

2007 Yes, the students are self-confident, and have confidence in their peers – they know they won’t be put down if they make a mistake

2008 While in the beginning of the school year the students had difficulty expressing an opinion, now they don’t – they express themselves with confidence Yes, they listen more carefully and ask more questions Some yes, they have more courage to express their ideas

2009 Derives from a

g) Has their school performance improved (grades, attitudes, opinions…)? 2001 By adapting the methods, both student results and their attitude to

learning have improved Yes, they are better in terms of national exams, and the fact that they can think is very important because they don’t use memorized algorithms – if they understand the concepts and the reasoning well, then they can solve new problems on their own. (they are less dependent on memorized solutions)

2007 Yes – better grades

2008 School results have improved from one semester to the next – in my opinion, it is more important that their attitude to learning has changed for the better

2009 Derives from a; evaluation in national exams – e.g. in the baccalaureate In the oral examination, it depends on the examiner because there are some Romanian teachers who support the idea that the examples in the books must be ‘recited’, therefore the students are not expected to express original ideas

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h) Describe any other impact of RWCT methodology on your teaching experience.

2001 Using the RWCT methods in out-of-school and extra-curricular activities;

2007 After a demonstration lesson that she taught in front of other teachers, an experienced teacher approached her asking to help her prepare a lesson (including how to seat the students) When the inspector came to observe her, she was impressed and recommended that several teachers observe her, and follow her model – she was asked to train other teachers in the county

2008 Although I work more at home preparing a variety of materials, the lessons are much more dynamic and more attractive for the students It helps me structure my activities with older kids – the methods can be applied with adults too – they help me in the group activity I lead (he is a director of a kindergarten) She believes that she has managed to be more open to ideas, and more analytical

2009 No impact they can describe

8. How has your relationships with fellow educators been affected by your engagement in the program?

a) at the school level: 2001 Colleagues ask for her professional advice

Whenever some methodological material has to be prepared, the principal asks her to do it (counts on her expertise) For the methodological meetings in the city, she is asked to do demonstration lessons Colleagues of mathematics teachers who are preparing for inspection ask for her expert opinion

2007 Very much influence – some more experienced colleagues want her advice – unfortunately some of them not openly (they are ashamed)

2008 She communicates better with her peers She has disseminated the information she learnt in the program to colleagues She taught demonstration lessons for her peers Gained respect from colleagues who did the same training program (RWCT)

2009 The other Romanian teachers had done the training program before, now that they have also covered it, they talk a lot about them; The relationship they developed with the other Romanian teachers from other schools is very important

b) at the national level:

2001 Using the RWCT methods in teaching specific contexts (economics) – shares with colleagues; RWCT Association member Done RWCT program accreditation Done training, and met with a large number of teachers Wrote and disseminated a book on teaching mathematics using the ERR framework, interactively and by using cooperative learning Published a large number of articles about the importance of RWCT in mathematics

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2007 Very well – training she has conducted – met new teachers; Colleagues from other towns/cities ask for her professional opinion She has joined the national association of RWCT teachers

2008 She has participated in a few conferences on modern didactics Articles she authored – she relied on the ideas gained from the program She has had the opportunity to discuss with a variety of teachers who teach similarly

2009 A teacher from another town (Braila) has asked for some materials related to the RWCT program

c) at the international level:

2001 Met American teachers / professors

RWCT IC, international conferences, articles published in the Thinking Classroom, international projects, IRA / IDEC / FELA membership

2007 2008 On the occasion of the Leonardo da Vinci project (assessment and self-

assessment) she presented to her Irish colleagues a variety of methods she uses – the exchange of ideas was constructive

2009

9. How has your participation in the RWCT Program contributed to your accessing professional information?

2001 It helped me relate critically to a variety of information, to select the most useful ones, and adjust them to my needs Thinking classroom, Reading teacher Participation in national and international conference She has actively looked for RWCT related information She became member of the American National Council of Teachers of Mathematics – she has subscribed to their journal

2007 I read extensively – I have access to the RWCT association’s journal The publications produced in the RWCT program

2008 She has received information about publications she had not known before participating in the program After doing the program, I became much more interested in all issues related to modern teaching methods and assessment – I looked for recent publications, to better understand critical thinking Facilitated sharing information with colleagues, including via journals

2009 After each training session, they made a note of the readings recommended by the trainer, and they have a set of Romanian literature textbooks which are based on modern, RWCT-based didactics (Alina Pamfil) – when they did the course, they realized that the didactics they learnt in college was RWCT based Perspective – the Romanian teachers’ biannual journal

10. Did you make presentations during conferences/meetings about your RWCT

related practices, experiences? What was the reaction of the participants? 2001 In this category, the teachers tend to have at least one participation in a

national or international conference per year. The topics they share may vary, but they rely on their RWCT learning in either the approach to the presentation, or the approach they describe in the presentation.

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E.g. The series of conferences “The Future of Mathematics Education”, presentations: “Mathematics- A Fresh Approach” “Discovering mathematics by reading” – presentation at the 14th European Conference on Reading, Zagreb, Croatia Encouragement for changes: Our contribution to the European Year of Citizenship through Education - Lingue e culture: una sfida per la cittadinanza, Roma, 2005 4th European Emas Congress for schools – Emas Conference 2006 Education and Training, Vienna, 2006 - presented “Propagating EMAS for schools – the DIR-EMAS project” – related with education for sustainable development "Encouragement for Changes - Encouragement for communication" presentation at the 3rd International Children & Communication Conference, Istanbul University, Faculty of Communication, Turkey, 2006 “Second Chance in Mathematic Education” la 9th International Conference on "Mathematics Education in a Global Community", September 7th – 12th, 2007, Charlotte, North Carolina Training programs within the Phare 2004 Access to Education for Disadvantaged Groups, Madrid, AELE, Cathedra Telemaco, Complutense University, Madrid, in the conference “Skills development for teacher training in inclusive schools”, 2009

2007 She has made presentations to teachers at the local level – the participants responded very well, and appreciated the presentation The ones who knew the students said they were much changed; the teachers appreciated the differentiated approach I used; She has made presentations in teachers’ meetings, conferences

2008 Yes, she published an article in the proceedings of a conference She has made several presentations in national and international conferences – well received, the participants were interested

2009 no

11. Did you refine RWCT framework and strategies? Have you developed any new strategies/techniques? a) List any other developments you did to original RWCT methodology; NA b) Have you undertaken any initiatives at the educational policy level,

textbooks and curriculum development, assessment, etc? Please describe.

2001 Students book and workbook, as well as teachers’ guide, and curriculum for Second Chance mathematics (levels 1 and 3) – framework and strategies Assessment guide for mathematics, Second Chance education The curriculum and assessment in Romanian language and literature, and Civic Education, has been greatly influenced by the RWCT program. The curriculum developers and textbook writers were trained in the program. All the curricula for Second Chance education, as well as the textbooks, teachers’ guides, and students’ workbooks are built around the ERR framework and present a significant number of strategies.

2007 No, except some adjustments Yes, she has used the ideas in producing a textbook (7th grade Romanes

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language) 2008 No

No, but she has adjusted the strategies to the specific needs of each classroom

2009 They developed a strategy called “the subjective map of reading” - developed an elective course curriculum – “The poetics of modern lyrical text” - Fresher graduates of the course propose school-based curriculum (electives) which make use of the learning in the program

12. Has your involvement in the RWCT program changed your self confidence as

a teacher? How? 2001 Yes, I have noticed that using RWCT brings me satisfaction from teaching,

it inspires students, and has helped my professional growth You gain recognition as an expert from peers

2007 Yes, I can express myself better, and have more courage supporting my ideas with arguments I have much more confidence in myself.

2008 I have become much more self-confident and much better aware of my teaching skills I have realized that teaching can be beautiful and useful and that preparing plans is not so strenuous.

2009 A sense of contentedness – you are a different person after you go through the training

13. Has the RWCT program influenced Education Reform in your country,

especially: A matter of attribution – we cannot know for sure, but we do know some textbook authors, curriculum developers, assessment task developers (persons who participated in the RWCT project),

a) School curriculum. How?

2001 Second Chance curriculum – entirely RWCT-based 2007 2008 Critical thinking is a transversal competence targeted by the Romanian

language and literature curriculum 2009 In Romanian language and literature the curriculum has undergone major

changes, with much more focus on the functional aspects of language – under the influence of RWCT

b) Textbooks. How?

2001 RWCT teachers have authored textbooks and curricula, at both the primary

education level, and the secondary (lower and upper) levels

2007 2008 There are parts in manuals that rely on RWCT-type strategies 2009 Textbooks and teaching materials which include instruments for self-

assessment

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c) Teacher Standards, How

2001 Critical thinking skills are to be developed by primary and secondary education teachers; teachers are expected to be able to assess critical thinking skills – RWCT influence

2007 NA 2008 NA 2009 NA

d) Examinations. How? 2001 NA 2007 NA 2008 In the methodology curriculum for second degree teachers’ examination,

there appear most methods promoted in the program, but the framework is not present

2009 The national examinations in Romanian and history are much geared towards expression of original ideas e.g. Argumentativ essays included in the baccalaureate

e) Other:

2001 NA 2007 NA 2008 Through publications that can be read by the teachers whose teaching

style is marked by RWCT 2009 NA

14. Has the RWCT Program exerted any influence on your school in terms of:

a) School curriculum. How? 2001 School based curriculum is influenced by the RWCT program; the ERR

frame 2007 NA 2008 NA 2009 School-based curriculum using the RWCT approach gets approved by the

principal

b) School management. How? 2001 Many teachers from our school participated in RWCT training. This

influences the school management – there is different approach of the school management; e.g. school management is more participative, teachers started themselves to think critically when facing a problem

2007 2008 2009 They have heard about schools where the teachers receive support to use

interactive methods (copier, consumables)

c) Classroom management. How? 2001 Yes – students develop classroom rules, many of the students use high-

level questions, teacher teaches less and mainly supports the students in their learning, different way for organizing the learning activity (round table, pairs, groups, individual etc.)

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2007 NA 2008 In the classroom I have noticed better group cohesion, and more efficient

communication among the students 2009 NA

d) Examination. How? 2001 At the school level we don’t have any school examination. At the

evaluation level, yes- it is more planned, uses a variety of instruments, process is evaluated also, students have less written tests

2007 NA 2008 Yes, in some subjects – through the use of methods that rely on higher

order thinking, and the logical analysis of the problem (assignment) I have tried not to assess the product only, but the process of learning as well.

2009 NA

e) Other: 2001 Many teachers in our school have done the course and often apply the

methods learnt 2007 NA 2008 NA 2009 The teachers who have covered this training raise the prestige of the

school because they are involved in several other activities

15. Has there been a decrease or increase in the RWCT methodology use amongst your colleagues in your country during the past years?

2001 2007 2008 2009

Don’t know

16. What were the main causes for these changes? (please provide a short

description on this) 2001 2007 2008 2009

Don’t know

17. What are your recommendations vis-à-vis making RWCT methodology

sustainable and further developing it at the level of: a) Country education policies: b) School and teachers: c) University: d) Other recommendations:

2001 RWCT methodology should be part of all university students initial training 2007 It should be continued in all counties through Teacher Training Houses,

because teachers don’t have money to pay for it.

2008 Very good program, but it should be more visible at the national level, so that teachers from disadvantaged areas should have access to it. Working groups should be set up including teachers for the pre-primary

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level, to develop a set of strategies that are specific for pre-primary education;

2009 The program should be continued – follow-ups; they don’t want the meetings to stop after the final evaluation;

RWCT University teachers – centralized answers

1. Do you apply the ERR framework? Why Yes or Why No?

Yes, because the E helps me clarify where we start off from The processing of information, and the decoding of information are supported by the ERR framework Yes, I use it during my courses and seminar, as I find the methods very useful for building knowledge based on previous information that students have; the interactive nature of the methods facilitates discussions which open up possibilities for questioning different approaches in psychology and for reflection on different alternatives for intervention in special needs education; Yes, I use it in planning, teaching and assessment, and to illustrate the active teaching learning methods; in teaching the methodology of teaching mother tongue and literature, but also in preparation of student teachers; Yes, because it ensures an efficient learning framework involving the fundamental cognitive processes; I do not use the ERR framework in teaching pedagogy, but I prefer to use the specific methods of RWCT. The reasons for this are: lack of time, the large number of students

2. Please name the strategies you most frequently use (at least once a week). Why? Concept maps Graphic organizers – because I can reveal my thinking for the students; they help me structure the information, and I help the students structure their learning Cubing – I use it in teaching concepts, because it providers a variety of approaches Dual entry diary – the students’ ideas are valued 5-minute essay Cinquain – they provide feedback – the students enjoy this approach I often use clustering, TPS, INSERT, Value line, KWL, Venn diagram, 10-min essay – they are suitable for the content I teach – they require active learning, and my students can develop the skills of problem solving, decision-making In order to share a wide array of strategies with my students, I demonstrate to them: KWL, clustering, INSERT, Jigsaw, study guide, academic debate, enhanced lecture, paired reading-paired summarizing, dual entry diary; save the last word for me; reciprocal teaching; cubing; cinquain, free-write, writing workshop; shared inquiry and discussion web, predictions; key terms, quadrants; three-step interview; gallery tour; value line; one stay-three stray; STAD, tournaments; - I only use cooperative learning on a regular basis; Methods: cubing, INSERT, cinquain – because I have found them the most productive from the perspective of active engagement of the students, results of learning, etc. The most often used: predictions; gallery tour; clustering; one stay-three stray; Venn diagram; - I believe they are the most appropriate for the seminars, and they

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are the easiest to use for the students;

3. What are the successes you have noted in students’ performance as a result of RWCT methodology application?

The students have better attendance records The courses are different – the students enjoy the courses The students are much more actively engaged in the tasks they are assigned; The students who constantly attend these activities demonstrate better development of pedagogical language; Some of my students ask more reflective questions; they have developed oral and written communication skills; The students show more enthusiasm for learning when these methods are used as compared to the traditional lecturing style; The results are; active engagement, interest for the topics approached; enthusiasm, efficient learning; Since I have been using these methods, the students have developed better cooperation skills; they are better involved in the seminars; their communication skills have improved; as well as they pedagogical knowledge;

4. How has RWCT contributed to your career development? It has opened up new levels of interaction with the students It has allowed entering a domain of pedagogical research – the impact of RWCT methods on children aged 9-13; I see RWCT as a milestone in my career development as a university professor, and as a trainer; I have known both people ready to share with me their experiences, as well as ways of making teaching more attractive; Very much contribution; the strategies I learnt and have used allowed the understanding of the learning processes, as well as helped me in my professional development: activated attention, memory; thinking processes; metacognition; It has changed my perspective on what active involvement in lessons means I have learnt some efficient methods

5. Have you had any difficulties in the application of RWCT methodology? Provide examples;

The first impression was that we were playing school, but my perseverance bore fruit – the students understood it was not all about playing; I have had difficulties choosing appropriate tools for evaluation; Not really – possibly the preparation of teaching materials – time consuming sometimes There have been few difficulties; the initial resistance of the students to the new, interactive methods; The major difficulties are time-related and the number of students in the room – too big; the inadequacy of the furniture, and the fact that there are few chances to see the same students in two consecutive courses;

6. How did you overcome these difficulties or why couldn't you overcome them?

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The fact that I teach pedagogy made my job easier – each time when I use these methods I specify that they have a double impact: they help me introduce new content to the students (methods, strategies), and I provide them the chance to experience new approaches – talk the talk and walk the walk I have discussed about evaluation with colleagues who use RWCT in their work and have a more substantial experience; I have involved the students in the preparation of the teaching materials; I explained their efficiency – and defeated resistant students; I tried to identify rooms where the furniture was movable;

7. Has RWCT made any difference or has it increased the students’ capacity to think critically:

a. Do they engage in critical reflection? How? Some of my students engage more in critical reflection by asking questions, debating with their colleagues, writing argumentative essays – The students make judgment values about the discussion topics and in literary analyses Yes, through a thorough approach of the topic proposed; They express their own opinion

b. Do they take responsibility for their own learning? How? Some of my students take responsibility for their own learning by consulting different sources and organizing their learning in a more efficient manner They can assess themselves better; they prove more responsibility in planning their teaching Yes, the students leave the room with as many things clarified as possible; They lead the seminar activities following the model and the instructions of the professor;

c. Do they form independent opinions? How do you handle diversity of opinions?

Some of my students form independent opinions; especially those in their senior years; they express their opinions with logic, in an organized, structured manner – I facilitate discussions by listening to them actively myself; Each of them has the right to express themselves and support their arguments; they are encouraged to participate in student conferences; They always form independent opinions – they are asked to; We have a set of rules concerning communication and mutual respect of each others’ opinions;

d. Do they show respect for opinion of others? How? In general, my students show respect for opinions of their peers by listening, waiting for their turn; asking relevant questions; The students respect the rules of group work, and show respect for their colleagues’ opinion; Yes, the students pay attention to each other, and engage in constructive debates; We have a set of rules concerning communication and mutual respect of each others’ opinions;

e. Do students have a more increased motivation for learning? How do you observe it?

I have noticed an increased motivation for learning; many students shared with me

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their opinions and stated that these methods help them understand the content better, they need to spend less time studying, because they have organized the content and remembered most of it in class; They certainly perform better; they are more engaged in seminars; Definitely yes; the good results, regular attendance; frequent use of the methods in the students’ teaching; They participate in the courses and seminars more ready to get engaged;

f. Have they improved their communication skills? How? Some of my students have improved their oral and written communication skills by debating, taking sides, and producing arguments, including in writing; They are not shy any more; they take the floor, and argue for their stand; The students are actively engaged and produce a variety of ideas; The sharing of opinions, and the openness to discuss a variety of topics

g. Has their school performance improved (grades, attitudes, opinions…)?

I cannot objectively support a statement about the improvement of my students’ performance expressed in grades; however, the students showed interest during my courses and seminars; they wanted to continue using this approach – this results from exit cards; The students generally get very good grades; pedagogical optimism is transmitted to them, not only in theory;

h. Describe any other impact of RWCT methodology on your teaching experience.

The teaching process is more meaningful fun and creative; The increased motivation; avoidance of routine; self-improvement;

8. How has your relationships with fellow educators been affected by your engagement in the program?

a. at the university level: I am recognized as a person who masters these teaching strategies and I have become a resource person for my fellow professors; I have discussed with my colleagues about the methods I use and some of them expressed their interest for being trained in RWCT; I sometimes am asked by colleagues from other faculty about RWCT methods; Collaboration with others from my faculty

b. at the national level: I have published a book at the EDP publishing house; “Strategii de formare a gandirii critice”, 2007; it includes the description of an experiment for 9-13 year old students; I also co-authored two pedagogy books for pre-service and in-service teacher training – in the chapter on the theory and methodology of instruction they include methods for promoting critical thinking skills; I have disseminated the results in a variety of publications in Romania, As RWCT trainer, I am involved in training courses; i have become acquainted with fellow professors from other centers;

c. at the international level: I have published an article: Reflective writing – a knowledge-building tool, vol 8, no.4, 2007;

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I submitted a summary in German of the book “Strategies for developing critical thinking” – to be inserted in a database of German language pedagogical publications; FIS Bildung Literaturdatembank In international conferences, especially on special education needs students, I have made presentations related to RWCT;

9. How has your participation in the RWCT Program contributed to your accessing professional information?

Very good – I was subscribed to the Reading Teachers; I switched to Reading Research Quarterly last year; I grew professionally by using RWCT methods in my work; My access to professional information has definitely improved Quite good – the Scoala Reflexiva journal is useful Through the RWCT program I met very interesting people I have access to a variety of materials (books, journals),

10. Did you make presentations during conferences/meetings about your RWCT related practices, experiences? What was the reaction of the participants?

I discovered these methods in 1997; since then, I have been sharing them constantly with my colleagues; I managed to convince my interlocutors of their importance in developing children’s cognitive skills; I have made presentations in conferences (European, national) and the overall response of my colleagues was positive, by asking questions about the specific approach, as well as references; The participants have asked information about the teaching strategies used; The audience was interested, and often we engaged in constructive debate; Yes, those who attended seemed interested in the topic;

11. Did you refine RWCT framework and strategies? Have you developed any new strategies/techniques?

a. List any other developments you did to original RWCT methodology; I am a messenger of these strategies; I support their use – even if adjusted I have always militated for their thorough knowledge and correct application; In the inspections that I do in schools and kindergartens in Sibiu county I meet teachers who use these strategies; I sometimes find that the methods are trimmed, and obviously they are not a good means of reaching the set objectives of the lesson; I give them feedback and suggest that they read more about specific strategies; also, I coordinate master’s degree papers and graduation papers – the course I teach within a master’s degree program is on educational policies for European integration; the contents of the course incorporates RWCT elements; I have made some suggestions concerning the RWCT methodology in the volume “Repere in organizarea procesului didactic la disciplina limba si literature romana in invatamantul primar”, published in nautical 2008, pages 69-72. I have often adjusted the strategies to the context without changing the essence of the strategy;

b. Have you undertaken any initiatives at the educational policy level,

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textbooks and curriculum development, assessment, etc? Please describe.

I have provided some illustrations of the RWCT methodology within in-service training programs for teachers; Together with my colleagues from the Teacher Education College, we developed materials for the course, textbooks, which included the presentation of the RWCT strategies;

12. Has your involvement in the RWCT program changed your self confidence as a teacher? How?

All say “yes” I discovered myself in this program. It has shaped my teaching style; I have become a person of reference for my colleagues on this issue; The RWCT program offered me methods to enjoy teaching as an interactive process for all the participants more so than when using the traditional methods; The program presents a variety of ways to make learning accessible; also, my using the approach resulted in more attractive seminars; I felt involved in the RWCT program, and since then I started involving others as well;

13. Has the RWCT program influenced Education Reform in your country, especially:

A matter of attribution – we cannot know for sure, but we do know some textbook authors, curriculum developers, assessment task developers (persons who participated in the RWCT project),

a. College curriculum. How? To some extent

b. Textbooks. How? Course materials

c. Teacher Standards, How Only at the individual level – only for the direct participants in the training; not in an institutionalized manner;

d. Examinations. How?

e. Other: As a trainer of trainers in the Teacher Education College of Sibiu, I find that in the activities with the students and student teachers in various programs I have left my mark on all the elements listed above; the reflection phases of these programs gave me the confidence that they are mastered and used by the teachers;

14. Has the RWCT Program exerted any influence on your college in terms of:

a. School curriculum. How? In the various programs of the Sibiu College, I have initiated optional courses specifically for RWCT methods. The applications in the seminars, regardless of the type of participants, are structured on the ERR framework; Not in my department In planning the content of the subject matters; Yes, through applying the RWCT strategies;

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b. School management. How? I have introduced exercises in the syllabi that require the use of RWCT methods; I doubt it, but I do not exclude the possibility that something may have happened to this end;

c. Classroom management. How? I use different types of questions for assessing the students Through using complementary assessment strategies borrowed from RWCT

d. Examination. How?

e. Other:

15. Has there been a decrease or increase in the RWCT methodology use amongst your colleagues in your country during the past years?

I have no statistical data to support my response; however, I presume that there are more university professors using the RWCT methodology nowadays than 10 years ago; lately, they have had more access to conferences and specific training in using these methods;

16. What were the main causes for these changes? (please provide a short description on this)

17. What are your recommendations vis-à-vis making RWCT methodology

sustainable and further developing it at the level of: a. Country education policies:

To produce more coherent policies in support of critical thinking and active learning as a lifelong process that starts with kindergarten;

b. School and teachers: Exchange programs for professors and students; To develop the follow-up component of the program so that teachers that have benefited from training can further develop professionally

c. University: To include RWCT methods in the initial and continuous teacher training curriculum

d. Other recommendations: I find it necessary to further develop the evaluation part of the RWCT program; There is a need to develop an evaluation framework with tools / instruments that can be used efficiently in the evaluation process; Involvement in studies and research that lead to the development of new training programs RWCT trainers – centralized answers

1. Do you apply ERR framework? Why yes or no?

Yes, I use it in 90% of the cases; I find it suits modern education very well; Yes, because it follows a clear logic; Yes, because it facilitates the understanding of concepts and active learning; Yes, because they allow: better motivation of students, intensified processes of thinking; establishing logical connections between various concepts; metacognition which will influence the students’ future career; cooperation skills; (self) assessment skills;

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The ERR framework helps students become more aware of their learning; it develops learning skills; it helps the students develop reading comprehension strategies; Training sessions and training modules are also built around the ERR framework; The teachers who participate in the training are asked to identify the ERR framework in order to become aware that all learning can be built on this framework; because it helps deep, sound learning;

2. Please name the strategies you most frequently use (at least once a week). Why?

Clustering, KWL, TPS, cinquain, cooperative learning strategies – these are very useful for the subject matter I teach – geography; the students enjoy using them; INSERT, TPS, Jigsaw, brainstorming; study guides; key terms; dual entry diary; save the last word for me; 5-min essay TPS, Jigsaw; KWL, cubing; one stay-three stray; 5-min essay, corners; graphic organizers; gallery tour; - they are very useful in teaching sciences; they stimulate students’ divergent thinking and responsibility for their own learning; they engage students in active learning Jigsaw – it makes learning more intensive; INSERT – it facilitates monitoring of learning; Concept matrix – it helps learning concepts; Gallery tour – it emphasizes cooperative learning and peer assessment; KWL – the students establish their own goals for learning; Graphic organizers – the students clarify their understanding of a text; Value line – they clarify their own ideas and opinions by sharing them with others; The writing workshop – support learning strategies that help develop writing skills – writing for an authentic purpose Shared inquiry – helps deepen learning; Demonstration lessons, debriefing / unpacking and guided practice are the omnipresent training strategies – teachers need to become aware of what has been modeled to them, why the choice of strategies, and how they can use the newly acquired approaches in their teaching;

3. What are the successes in students’ performance as a result of RWCT methodology application?

The students see the big picture; they have good comments; they get a complex view of phenomena, they understand the essence; The students become more self-confident, they learn to listen and to share ideas; they accept responsibility; they communicate better; they reflect on their own learning; “finally, I have understood.” The students have started to study on their own, without waiting for the teacher to explain everything; They reflect on their own results, both during and after learning They are more orderly, more logical in expressing their ideas; the correct their own mistakes; they are better time managers; Training participants always point out the improved teacher-student relationship as the first outcome of employing RWCT type teaching; During training, participants do not report improved student performance – but then it may be too early to tell; from participants’ reports, students’ active

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engagement in the learning process gains a lot from the employment of RWCT strategies;

4. How has RWCT contributed to your career? I have structured my teaching much better; I don’t grope around; everything is clearer and more exciting to teach; I was encouraged by the colleagues in the Romanian RWCT association to get involved as a trainer – to collaborate with the Teacher Training Houses; so I had a lot to gain professionally, I saw how much there is to learn. Diversification of the techniques used in building, and improving learning activities; a diversity of perspectives on the same topic; better relations with the students; I have changed my way of thinking both in the personal, and in the professional realm; I am more motivated to know more and better; my professional horizon is much enlarged; I am more involved socially and professionally (and some even object to it – out of jealousy). Generally, RWCT training beneficiaries develop professionally in a number of ways: they become presenters in teachers’ conferences, they author articles, and they join professional organizations. They are proud to share what they have learnt in the training and what they have experienced in the classroom; in general, they gain their peers’ appreciation as active members of the professional world.

5. Have you had any difficulties in the application of RWCT methodology? Please provide examples;

I didn’t have difficulties – I tried out / experienced all the methods myself o their use in the classroom was easy; Not really – some more work translating some texts and mastering the specific vocabulary (I taught in German); The school management didn’t have anything to object; however, the primary school teachers in the county there were some voices against RWCT, because the old way of teaching was much more comfortable; The pressure exerted by external evaluation (in physics), school competitions, which are still an important criterion in assessing teacher success; in the examinations I mentioned there is mostly a traditional approach to teaching; teaching centered on information recall, and less on thinking skills; Time is enemy no. 1 when you set out to use these strategies. Application of the RWCT methodology met with difficulties in the program’s early years, when educational policies were unfavorable. By now, educational policies are extremely favorable toward active learning and critical thinking; if there are still issues that pose a challenge, they are infrequent, and usually teachers who consistently apply RWCT strategies are not contested in public. National level educational reform programs, such as the Access to education for disadvantaged groups, as well as the Project for Rural Education (and other smaller scale ones) have done a lot to promote RWCT style teaching. At the policy talk level, the Ministry of Education totally favors such approaches.

6. How did you overcome these difficulties or why you couldn't overcome them?

I managed to overcome them by reading and discussing with colleagues, and by practicing the strategies. I reduced the content of learning in favor of developing thinking skills, team spirit, and learning to learn so that the students are able to learn on their own;

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By repeated demonstration that the RWCT approach is efficient in helping a diversity of students learn. At the anecdotal level, the contesters of the program generally have contradictory arguments; some say they can only use RWCT with very good students because it’s only them who can actually think and have valid opinions; on the other hand, teachers say that parent pressure and the pressure of all sorts of examinations limits the potential use of RWCT to groups of poor students, who are not expected to excel.

7. Did RWCT make any difference or increased students’ capacity to think critically:

a. Do they engage in critical reflection? How? They observe better all sorts of phenomena, and correlations between them, they understand concepts better; Yes, they evaluate their own products and their peers’ products by criteria agreed on mutually, They plan their school activities by carefully managing their individual and group tasks; There is mostly anecdotal evidence of this.

b. Do they take responsibility for their own learning? How? Yes, the ERR framework teaches them to analyze their approach to learning, and allows them to compare their performance to their peers’. To some extent; in a different way, depending on each student’s maturity; There is only anecdotal evidence of this.

c. Do they form independent opinions? How do you handle diversity of opinions?

With difficulty, because asking for personal opinions only happens infrequently – in few lessons; generally students are asked to memorize (in most disciplines); it is confusing for them to be in a learning situation where a teacher asks them to voice their opinions, and the rest of the teachers do not – they may even get a bad grade for doing so; Possibly also with the contribution of other disciplines; they write clearly and argue convincingly; They have their own opinions – which they form starting from a list of criteria, which can be extended by additions by students; diversity of views is always encouraged in the classroom; whenever is the case, individual opinions are emphasized;

d. Do they show respect for opinion of others? How? They wait for each other to finish their contribution; they do not contradict each other rudely; they try to be as convincing as possible; text refer to text and a variety of reading; Yes, they have learnt to listen to each other and to try and argue for their ideas, and abstain from attacking the person who voices a different opinion; To some extent – this is also attributable to other training programs I attended;

e. Have students increased their motivation for learning? How do you observe it?

Yes, they are not bored in the lesson; they look forward to the geography lessons;

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and often the 50-minute periods are too short for their discussions; Many concepts are understood and they have become functional in a variety of contexts; the students are more self-confident. They are actively engaged in the lessons, and in preparing following lessons; In some situations, the students prefer cooperative learning, and they are aware of their individual accountability for learning; they write diary entries after or during group outings, trips.

f. Have they improved their communication skills? How? They help each other more readily, they are better friends; Yes, they do not express half-ideas, but they take the pains to round their ideas; Having to share their own work in front of their peers makes them more articulate; they make eye contact with their audience; They speak freely about topics they prepare for beforehand; they respond to the questions their peers pose; when their task is for the group, the first thing they do is share the tasks; they share information, explain to each other issues that some need to clarify.

g. Has students’ performance increased (grades, attitudes, opinions…)? Yes, grades, attitudes, opinions; Because the evaluation of a lesson built on the ERR framework is authentic, through the use of monitoring and evaluation instruments (in groups, for instance), the students improve their own behavior. The school results have improved to some extent; for those who come from disadvantaged environments, independence in learning is still limited; we might state that they have the initial impetus, but need a lot of consolidation; Attitude toward learning is positive in the school, but the home environment is challenging – hence too little progress; The more spectacular results are visible in the stronger students.

h. Describe any other impact of RWCT methodology on your teaching experience.

I liked the team-teaching model most; when trainers work in teams, this becomes a model of cooperation for the trainees; More self-confidence Better awareness of their value as individuals; Now my students spend about 80% of their school time learning in cooperation.

8. How has your relationships with fellow educators been affected by your engagement in the program?

a. at the school level: As I trained my colleagues from the school, they often ask for my professional opinion; Difficulties in relations with fellow teachers, who consider that interactive teaching/learning leads to misconduct in the lessons; It has become more productive with a couple of colleagues; Some trainers organized training in their schools, which contributed to their improved professional standing among their colleagues. Most trainers have also made presentations in their professional community.

b. at the national level: I have become a member of the Romanian RWCT Association; as a trainer, I have

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met many fellow teachers from all over the country; Through periodical meetings with fellow trainers and RWCT association members; I have engaged often in professional exchanges; I have found a larger community with which I identify myself better, and in which my motivation for professional development increases; Active trainers have definitely increased the circle of their professional acquaintances, some keep in touch with their former trainees; mentoring was institutionalized in some projects where on-going support for the trainees was deemed necessary.

c. at the international level: participation in RWCT IC events (occasioned by various projects) the ERR framework was much appreciated in all the occasions when I presented papers in diverse professional contexts; I used the framework in presentations and explained the process; The Romanian RWCT Association has become affiliated to a number of international networks: RWCT IC, IRA / IDEC, and FELA. This affiliation if nothing else increases the potential for international collegial connections. The Association’s international projects also facilitated meeting international colleagues.

9. How has your participation in the RWCT Program contributed to your

accessing professional information? Yes, I have subscribed to professional journals (IRA publications), as well as have received books published by the Romanian RWCT Association I had access to books and journals through the RWCT program; colleagues from RWCT Romania have referred us to readings; It has granted me access to a multitude of professional information; As a result of the affiliation to international for a, the members of the association and implicitly most trainers have had access to professional information (book donations from IRA, subscription to IRA and RWCT IC journals). The guidebooks include references, which by themselves provide orientation in professional readings.

10. Did you make presentations during conferences/meetings on your RWCT related practices vs. experiences? What was the reaction of the participants?

Yes, it was always very well received; Yes, I made a presentation in Sibiu in the pedagogical circle for teachers who teach in German – it was well received; Yes, I have always asked for references, I had good discussions with the participants, especially about the RWCT methodology; it is considered very useful Yes, the response was good, I received positive feedback and my ideas were welcome; An important number of RWCT teachers and trainers have become regular presenters in international conferences- e.g.: Training programs within the Phare 2004 Access to Education for Disadvantaged Groups, Madrid, AELE, Cathedra Telemaco, Complutense University, Madrid, in the conference “Skills development for teacher training in inclusive schools”, 2009 Yes, whenever she had the opportunity:

- within the conferences of ANPRO and ALSDGC, - in national trainings for Romanian language and literature teachers

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from across the country, - in Cluj County, within professional development events for Romanian

teachers (demonstration workshops) supported by the County School Inspectorate every year

- in demonstration workshops in Cluj county and other Transylvanian counties

- in international summer schools (training courses organized by the Romanian Cultural Institute) for teachers from abroad who teach (in) Romanian

- She always starts with demonstration activities and was aware of the fact that the RWCT program contributes to the improvement of teaching skills in the manner the education reform envisages it – hence, the remarkable impact on teachers and students, and the establishment of groups of RWCT trainees (eg Salaj and Alba counties); in Cluj, the number of Romanian teachers and primary school teachers who covered the program is around 300.

11. Did you refine RWCT framework and strategies? Have you developed

any new strategies? a. List any other developments that you made to the original RWCT

methodology; No, but she has adjusted the methods she uses to the context and the group of students; No changes made to the methodology itself. To begin with, we believe that there is no finite number of so-called RWCT strategies; our trainers and teachers have adopted new strategies which they learnt thanks to their self-geared professional development (by reading articles, books, participating in conferences, etc.) She applied the program keeping its spirit, and making necessary adjustments; she introduced assessment as a regular part of the framework, because she feels that the RWCT program has some deficiencies in this respect. She always related the RWCT program to some of the concepts which are fundamental to the reform of education: evaluation of the process and the outcome of learning; inter-and cross-curricular approach; learning-teaching-assessment as part of a continuum. She kept the framework and the more common strategies, but She adjusted the RWCT program to the needs of the group she was training. E.g. mixed group of teachers of Romanian, primary school teachers, librarians; e.g. for teachers of mother tongue, she related the framework to: - the communicative model and the integrated teaching of Romanian language and literature - she overlapped the framework to the stages of reading (before reading, comprehension, interpretation) - she introduced case studies within the ERR framework - she used the framework in lesson, learning units, and the curriculum of a whole academic year, relating it to the national curriculum - she introduced new texts, and texts from the regular textbooks used in Romania

b. Did you have any involvement at the level of educational policy, textbooks, curriculum, assessment, etc? Please describe.

She provided consultancy to authors of a primary school geography textbook (Second chance education); She intend to develop a curriculum for training people who work in the tourism industry

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the Students guide and the teachers’ guide in Second Chance; Guidebook for education for sustainable development in the Carpathian Basin – UNEP project Yes, she developed a curriculum to enhance independent learning and critical thinking skills; she produced two guidebooks (for students and for teachers) which were built on the RWCT methodology; RWCT teachers and trainers have been active members of nation-wide project teams in at least the following national projects:

- Access to education for disadvantaged groups (equal access to quality education)

- Second Chance education (for young drop-outs) - Project on Rural Education (teacher training and mentoring) - Reform of the National In-service Training Center (new set of training

program monitoring and evaluation system) - Civic Education project; - Development of new history curriculum; - Reform of the Romanian language and literature curriculum and

assessment; - Mentor training program;

Yes, she supported the program within ANPRO, and she promoted it in the annual conferences on teaching (didactics). The most dynamic teachers of Romanian are the ones who understood the ideas of the program. To some extent, we promote the ideas of the program in our journal and within the Reading Circles program.

12. Has your involvement in the RWCT program changed your self confidence as a teacher? How?

Enormously – she has become a much better professional, to have initiative; the results are enjoyable lessons, in which the students are happy to learn; her participation in the RWCT program has contributed a lot to building her self-confidence; she have been encouraged to express her opinion in a safe environment; Through the confirmation of some strategies that she used empirically, and for which the RWCT program provided a sound theoretical fundament;

13. Has the RWCT program influenced Education Reform in your country, concerning:

Strategic directions in Romanian education reform Education for social equity and diversity

• Development of teacher training programs • Capacity building for Teacher Training institution • Academic Success for Roma children (assessment of reading skills +

development of reading skills) • School community partnership – parents for children’ learning success

(MorePal) • Empowering Roma Teachers (Roma teachers capacity building – coaching/

mentoring + teacher training) • Second Chance program – curriculum + text books + teacher training

Education for active citizenship

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• Teenagers’ Parliament • What does it take to be an active citizen? • Anticorruption education

Quality assurance in education • Curriculum – CT in different content areas/ CT in textbooks • Teacher training – pre-service (CTAC, CTFUS); in-service (RWCT + Active

learning)

a. School curriculum. How? Methods from the RWCT program are recommended in the national curriculum; The cooperative learning activities have been accepted as something natural, which contributes to the development of students’ skills and attitudes; Yes, in the official documents there are ideas that are taken from the program in a very close formulation to those in the RWCT program.

b. Textbooks. How? Some textbooks include strategies that are promoted by the RWCT program; often, they are just treated as another method – no focus on developing critical thinking skills; To some extent; unfortunately, in the discipline I teach (physics), the factual approach continues to prevail; The textbooks propose a model of learning and student involvement; the units are structured on the ERR framework; In Romanian language and literature I could exemplify at least three textbooks from the most popular ones:

- Humanitas Publishing House (10-12 grades) - Corint Publishing House (11-12 grades) – by Sofia Dobra et al - Art Publishing House, F Ionita, A Costache and others

In general, strategies have been adopted, and less so the framework (except for Evocation)

c. Teacher Standards, How The criteria for assessing teacher performance also include the use of active-cooperative learning strategies; Critical thinking skills are included in teacher standards however this does not mean necessarily that the teacher standards promoted by the RWCT program have been incorporated. The National Center for teachers In-Service Training is currently revising teacher standards in Romania.

d. Examination. How? To a very small extent – the evaluation tasks still ask for recalling information, definitions, formulae etc Some tasks in some subject matters are inviting of original interpretations and opinions. No, only formally in fact;

e. Other: Some of the Teacher Training Houses in Romania have include din their training provision the RWCT program;

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The Babes-Bolyai University Cluj is currently planning a post-graduate course on critical thinking. Didactics – the best didactics was written by Alina Pamfil, who was part of the program.

14. Has the RWCT Program exerted any influence on your school in terms of:

a. School curriculum. How? It was introduced in the list of electives (a course on how to learn efficiently)

b. School management. How? School managers and inspectors were part of the training program provided by RWCT trainers in the Access to education for Disadvantaged Groups project;

c. Classroom management. How?

Organization of permanent working groups; the development of team spirit and collaboration within these teams;

d. Examination. How? Preparation of authentic portfolios; Inclusion of evaluation strategies used from the RWCT program

e. Other:

15. Has there been a decrease of increase in the RWCT methodology use amongst your colleagues in your country during the past years?

Definitely so. Implementation of the program started in 1997, when a group of 30 teachers were selected and trained by the IRA volunteers. This cohort was encouraged to start dissemination after the second workshop at the school level. In 1999, this initial groups’ training was over, and in the summer of 1999 a new group of 40 trainees started to be trained by IRA volunteers. 67 trainers were accredited by IRA volunteers between September 2000 andMarch 2001. Training was subsidized by Center Education 2000+ in 2001. There were special OSI NY budget allocations for the Romanian RWCT program for Step by Step schools and the higher education component of the program. The number of teachers who inquired about the RWCT course (especially after it was accredited), and the number of institutions (Teacher Training Houses, universities, County School Inspectorates) indicate the increasing prestige of the promoter of the RWCT program – the Romanian RWCT Association. Parts of the RWCT (active and cooperative learning strategies, and the ERR – three-phase lesson planning approach, as well as authentic evaluation) have been widely disseminated to all counties at least to a group of 10 trainers, County School Inspectorate representatives, Teacher Training House representatives, and Resource Centers for Inclusive Education.

16. What were the main causes for these changes? (please provide short description on this)

Harmonization with the education reform Use of the existing human resources

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The Romanian RWCT Association was set up in April 2002. Mediation of IRA volunteers in connection with a national program. Recognition of the trainers’ demonstrated expertise Pre-accession funds Roma Inclusion policies

17. What are your recommendations vis-à-vis making RWCT methodology sustainable and further developing it at the level of:

a) Country education policies: Better promotion of the program – better knowledge of the program by those who are policy-makers Methods for teacher training and adult education; Based on their first hand experience with groups of trainees, the trainers often make suggestions and recommendations for the improvement of the accredited RWCT training program.

b) School and teachers:

c) University: It’s needed a coherent strategy for a better promotion of the program to Universities.

d) Other recommendations: She thinks that lately maybe also because she or we understood better the philosophy of the program, it has proved to be flexible enough, and possible to apply in a variety of manners. She finds it a good thing to apply it to a variety of disciplines, but we should not give up the connection among disciplines, which was not made explicit during the early stages of the program Cross-curricular approach should be considered in the structure of the training program The didactic dimension of the program should be preserved: development of thinking through reading and writing.

RWCT coordinators – answers 1. Number of active RWCT Teacher Trainers?

18 2. List RWCT Teacher Trainers institutional affiliation?

School teachers, university professors, freelancers

3. List all RWCT institutional partners and beneficiaries (other than schools and universities)

NGOs: a. Ethnocultural Diversity Resource Center b. Resource Center for Roma Communities c. The British Council d. AltArt e. APIS f. Imaginetact g. Cardiff Council

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4. Describe Teacher Trainers RWCT related initiatives?

a. initiatives at the policy vs. curriculum vs. examination levels, others; policy – within the equal access to education initiative, we introduced RWCT as a model of quality teaching Curriculum: attitudes and values embedded in the curriculum that are similar to the attitudes and values promoted by the RWCT program. Radical curricular reform in

- Romanian language and literature curricular reform - History curricular reform, - Second Chance curriculum for drop-outs, - The ERR framework promoted for lesson planning purposes;

b. initiatives at the level of school culture, management or curriculum;

School-based curricula promoting the development of critical thinking - the least visible, though progress made in Romanian language and literature and history

c. any other RWCT related initiatives; - RWCT teacher trainers were major actors in all the major

reform projects of the MoE; - In the evaluation of teacher trainers in other domains than

RWCT, trained within national projects (e.g. Access to Education for Disadvantaged Groups) RWCT teacher trainers who conducted the ToTs embedded elements of the RWCT teacher evaluation procedure (demonstration mini-training, portfolios)

- Lesson observation has been conducted using the RWCT teacher observation form for teachers trained in programs other than RWCT

5. How did the changes/modifications in the financial support from OSI affect program delivery?

- it has had a mixed effect on the program. On the one hand, the termination of funding by OSI coincided with the arrival of the pre-accession funds, and Romania’s eligibility for various international educational (e.g. adult education) programs; on the other hand, when the National Center for In-Service Teacher Training was set up, an element of unfair competition was evident by that NGOs (such as RWCT Romania) could not compete from an equal position with traditional training providers (universities, teacher training houses) due to the imposed structure of the mandatory curriculum (subsidized by the government).

- Overall, there was a mixture of funding from donors and by the trainees themselves.

- RWCT trainers were also active in programs other than those initiated by the traditional promoters of the RWCT program (Center Education 2000+ and RWCT Romania)

- Partnerships were sought with a variety of public institutions 6. Describe the RWCT sustainability model chosen in your country? RWCT Association was set up – institutionalization 7. Describe the RWCT Program in-country sustainability strategies

- accreditation of the RWCT program by the MoE - development and accreditation of other training programs

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RWCT related 8. What was the role of RWCT Project for the Educational Reforms in your

country? It had a significant role through the RWCT trainers especially, who are recognized as valuable trainers and educational experts; 9. Describe any changes produced at the level of textbooks, curriculum

development, teachers’ standards, examination, regulations that came as a result of RWCT initiatives?

Textbooks authored by teachers who completed the RWCT training For curriculum – see above (trainers’ statements) Teacher standards – no major contribution – critical thinking is mentioned as a much needed skill – standards unclear, confusing Examinations - (trainers’ statements) RWCT Institutional Partners – centralized answers 1. What type of partnership did you have with the RWCT Program (name the

institution that represents RWCT in the country)? a. Project based partnership for training/ consultancy; Romanian RWCT

Association represents RWCT in Romania – as far as they know.

b. Other trainings/consultancy (please list the content areas covered); - training for community leaders - training for art center managers - training for parents to set up a parents association, and to support their

children’s learning

c. Educational policy cooperation; - scholarship for Roma high-school students - support for training of Roma ethnics as teachers

d. Any other (please list); - partnership in a Grundtvig project - 2. What are your general impressions about the RWCT methodology? Has it

contributed to the success of your program? How? It is similar to other ways of working that may not have this title; it was useful for the Grundtvig program in that tutors adapted parts of it to use as a way of introducing topics to learners. It is a very logical approach – and efficient for learning I appreciate reflection and structured debates The process approach to writing I find very useful, and reassuring It has contributed greatly to the progress of our trainees – in the classroom and in the community; the effect on them was obvious from one session to the next; many of them were promoted (became school inspectors) 3. Did RWCT methodology satisfy your training/consultancy needs? How? Yes, by relying on the framework; by carefully engaging participants The learning that took place in the room was amazing; debates led to everyone’s engagement; The participants’ reading and writing skills improved.

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4. What were participants’ reactions? - we enjoyed it and understood it; - the participants appreciated a lot the opportunity to learn together in such

an interactive manner, in such a secure environment. - The participants appreciated it as the best training course they ever had; 5. How can you compare RWCT methodology with other learning

methodologies/approaches for training delivery? What are the strengths of the RWCT methodology?

Not able to say; The strength of the methodology is that it is logical and it can be adapted It is an important progress on lecturing The demonstration lessons were extremely useful The practical approach is remarkable – it makes it so different from the training sessions which still keep the theoretical approach The manner of questioning is very efficient – asking questions, and organizing the response sessions (TPS and others) is very efficient The follow-ups on implementation, sharing experiences are very good ways of making even the reticent ones ‘do their homework’. The trainers’ very professional approach was much appreciated; 6. Has RWCT made any differences or has it increased the capacity of

participants to think critically: [X] engage in critical reflection; YES [X] take responsibility for their own learning; YES [X] form independent opinions and show respect for the others opinions; YES [X] participants have increased their motivation for learning; YES [X] improved communication skills; YES, VERY MUCH [X] improved training outcomes (grades, attitudes, opinions…); YES - list any other impact of RWCT methodology. PRESENTATION SKILLS IMPROVED COOPERATION GAINED A NEW DIMENSION THE HIGH EXPECTATIONS OF THE TRAINING AND THE CAREFUL FOLLOW-UP GAVE A SIGNIFICANT IMPETUS TO LEARNING