The 4StuDi has 5 main objectives. Each of them will be presented in relevance with the activities and the planned results.
1st objective: To identify the types of social support that SwD need in their school environment (primary and secondary school) from their classmates and teachers.
Activities-Results:
At least 120 SwD will be surveyed, in order to identify what types of social support they need (INT-OUT1-Study 1). The types of social support and their usefulness will be categorised in four categories: practical positive / negative, emotional positive / negative. Τhe needs of SwD will be categorised based on the type of their impairment i.e visual, hearing, mobility, learning. These activities will result in some in depth findings that will form the basis for the next two objectives, ensuring coherence and a smooth continuum, and most importantly creating practical linkages between research and educational praxis.
2nd objective: To examine the existing knowledge of a) students without disabilities attending primary and secondary schools and b) their educators, regarding the social support they should provide to students with disabilities.
Activities-Results:
To achieve the 2nd aim, a second survey (INT-OUT2, trial-1) was designed, in which at least 400 students without disabilities and 100 educators, respectively, will participate. During the survey, the pre-knowledge stage (trial-1), different questionnaires will be designed for a) the students and b) the educators. The content of these questionnaires will be based on the results and their analysis of the Study 1 (INT-OUT1, objective 1). The intended result of these activities, is to have a clear picture of the pre-knowledge of teachers and students without disabilities on ways they support SwD in order to measure later the impact the educational program (objective 4).
3rd objective: To educate/inform teachers and students without disabilities about the types of support they should provide to SwD.
Activities-Results:
In order to achieve the 3rd objective an educational program (including an educational toolkit for classroom implementation and an educational game that can also be used for class activities, 3rd & 4th INT-OUT) will be developed, taking into account the findings of the pre-knowledge survey (INT-OUT2, trial-1) and the findings of Study 1 (objective 1). Moreover two types of educating/training activities will take place in different contexts:
a) face to face multiplier events (M-EV) where participating teachers will learn about the results of the two studies and the educational material per se. After the completion of M-EV, teachers of the participating schools will implement the educational/ informational program on their students without disabilities.
b) e-learning informational sessions where teachers from around the world could participate to learn about the results, the educational material and the overall findings of the 4StuDi project. A supplementary educational/ informational material, will be produced in the form of YouTube videos (INΤ-OUT6), during the final stages of the project.
These videos will be addressed to the worldwide educational community. These activities will result in educating the school community about concrete types of support students with disabilities need during their presence in school.
4th objective: Τo investigate the impact of education/information on the knowledge of primary school teachers and students in social support of SwD.
Activities-Results:
The post-knowledge trial of study 2 (INT-OUT2, trial-2) will measure the impact of the educational program (material and digital game) and M-EV had on educators and students. This activity will result in understanding the effectiveness of the educational/informative program and receiving feedback for possible improvements. Didactical-pedagogical solutions will be emerged to help students and educators realize the ways they can support SwD.
5th objective: To disseminate the type of social support SwD need in order to provide them with meaningful, high-quality educational opportunities.
Activities-Results
To achieve the fifth objective, a detailed Dissemination Plan will be carried out, According to this plan, a website will be created dedicated to the Project, 3 M-EV will take place, 8 e-Learning informational sessions, accounts in social media will be developed, newsletters, press releases, publications in scientific journals and conferences proceedings will be published, the educational material and recordings of the e-learning sessions will be uploaded in the Epale and School Education Gateway platform and many more; all these actions will be made available on all organisations mentioned in the Index (INT-OUT5) In addition, youtube videos (IN-OUT6) will be made available both for dissemination and educational purposes.