The document summarizes research conducted on using non-traditional learning spaces for education in Romania and Lithuania. Surveys of teachers and students in both countries found that: 1) While most lessons currently take place in classrooms, teachers and students believe that non-traditional spaces like parks, museums and nature can increase student motivation and engagement. 2) Teachers are open to holding lessons in these types of spaces but need guidance on effective methodologies and curriculum integration. 3) Students reported enjoying lessons outside of school that incorporated hands-on learning, group work and local history/nature topics. They were especially interested in activities in nature. The research concluded that non-traditional learning spaces have potential

1. Comenius Regio
"City as a Learning Place -
Where Learning is An
Adventure"
Project meeting
ROMANIA
Bucharest
8-13 October 2012

2. Theoretical premises
• Centuries ago, visionar psychologists
and experts in education like Rousseau
and, later Piaget have emphasis that
real life experiences form the basis of
learning and bring precious inputs to
education
• Over 200 years ago, in his manual of
pedagogy, Rousseau settled the
importance of learning from different
places and settings, recommending for
Emile a whole year of learning by
traveling.
• Gaining experiences that would have
the major role for personal development
and growing mature.

3. Up to present
• In our present Knowledge society, The European
Union stress upon the important role of involving
student in different and intercultral learning
experiences through placements in enterprises
and companies.
• The major role of working altogether end
experiencing new environments.
• Experiences may be planned to take place within
lessons in school class, school laboratory, as
well as in museums, parks or field trips.

4. Conceptual basis
• In present research we started from studying
concepts like:
• Outdoor education
• Non-formal education
• Formal education

5. Outdoor education
• Starting from immemorial times, people was "trained"
to live in the world.
• For at least several million years, learning and
training was conducted in the outdoors and in
different unstructured places and ways.
• Through the last millennium the science of education
got a structure and methodology, education became
more structured.
• Outdoor education was the trend to return to
• Promoters of outdoor education, in theory were in
UK, and USA, and later Australia during the Second
World War (1943)
nature and experience

6. Studies upon the effectiveness of
outdoor education
• In 1983, Minda Borun published a research
related to: Planets and Pulleys: Studies of
Class Visits to Science Museums
• The University of Chicago published in 1998 In
The Elementary School Journal , a Quantitative
and qualitative study that assessed the effects
of an extracurricular science program on
students' interest and learning about biology.
• Emmett L. Wright realized an Analysis of the
effect of a museum experience on the
biology achievement of sixth-graders
published In Journal of Research in Science
Teaching, 2006

7. Outdoor education is by itself a powerful
teaching tool:
through “doing”, facing challenges, and
stepping outside students’ comfort zone,
assuming ownership, working as or with
leaders, learning process certainly takes on
a new dimension.
Outdoor education is an ideal catalyst for
learning about these notions.
(Anna Schmidt- USA 2006)

8. Conclusions of international studies
• After researching this domain, we could
conclude that there is a lack of research and a
relatively new trend that concernsit’s
effectiveness
• There might be a general conclusion of all
international research:
learning experiences that take place in a
different place that school class is more
susceptible to generate skills linked to the
neurological development and personal
development.

9. Formal activities in non-formal settings
• Through this Regio project we proposed to create a
natural link between the structured types of
education related with different learning
environment end and experiences:
• Formal education
• Non-formal education
• The innovation that our project brings in, is :
to join strengths of formal education and
non-formal education, in order to overcome
their weaknesses

12. Non-formal education
• More experience and research is gained in the
field of non-formal education methodology at
international level.
• In Romania, this type of education was one of a
great interest and grew in the last period
UNESCO and European bodies contributed
through their politics and programs to it’s
flourishing.

13. • Most countries have Educational Management Information
Systems to monitor formal education, but only in rare cases
such systems exist for the non-formal sector.
• As a response to this challenge, UNESCO has developed an
easy-to-use methodology and database for creating a
Non-Formal Education Management Information System
(NFE-MIS).
The system:
• provides a practical and internationally applicable approach to NFE monitoring and evaluation,
adaptable to local contexts and information needs;
• enables countries to generate meaningful and reliable information and statistics on NFE which
can be used by policy-makers and planners for informed decision making, better planning and
delivery, monitoring and evaluation of NFE;
• aims at improving the co-ordination of programmes among NFE providers; and
• raises interest and encourages participation in NFE programmes.
Non-formal education

14. Methodology of Study
The research was European.
Commonly developed by Romanian-Bucharest
and Lithuanian- Prienai project teams:
• Discussing and common analyzing aspects of research
• Commonly conceiving the mythology of research
• Designing in Common of instruments of research-
questionnaire
• Selecting the similar scale of target group in both regions.
Participants in the questionnaire survey were teachers
involved in the Comenius Regio project "City as a place
of learning - where learning is an adventure”.

15. • The research was coordinated by the Teacher
Training Center of Bucharest Romania in
cooperation with The Municipality of Prienai-
educational department, Lithuania,
the international coordinators of Comenius Regio
project “City as a learning place - where learning
is an adventure” COM-11-PR-28-B-RO
• The research was realized between
December 2011- February 2012
in 5 schools from the two countries regions:
Bucharest- Romania and Prienai-Lithuania
Methodology of Study

16. Research target group
• A total number of 205 persons were
interviewed on a questionnaire base.
• 80 teaches of different subjects
• 125 students of 10-15 years old
1.School nr. 87 "M. Botez“
2.School nr. 112 “Titan”
3.“Eugen Lovinescu” High School
4.Silavotas basic school
5.Veiveriai Tomas Zilinskas gymnasium

17. Aim of research
• The is to set a scientific (even at small pilot
scale) background to our project and to identify
best ways, methods, strategies and places to
implement the proposed educational innovation:
 Teaching school lessons in non-formal
educational settings offered by the city
facilities
Bridging formal and non-formal
education by joining their strengths and
overcoming their weaknesses.

18. General hypothesis
• Education in state
schools in Romania and
Lithuania is still traditional
and old in our schools,
based on classes and
lessons pedagogical
theory, designed by John
Amos Comenius (1592-
1670), and the curriculum
is conceived in the
classical division of
school disciplines based
on different sciences.

19. • Needs and expectations of beneficiaries of education are high, in
trends with modern times. Teenagers are multitasking thinking,
permanently on the move, are under influence of mass-media, of IT
resources, are full of information and unstructured skills form
society. In this context students appreciate challenges and
“adventure” learning instead of classical settings of school classes.
They often feel bored by school and school classes can’t raise their
need for learning and raise their curiosity.
General hypothesis

20. Survey idea
• Teachers perceived students needs and tend to
understand that some changes are needed in
their teaching in order to connect with students.
• Educators need to explore, research a system,
a methodology to raise curiosity and regain the
natural spirit of curiosity and adventure of
learning.
• The survey idea was to screen the current
situation regarding routine teaching settings
and possible innovative interventions.

21. Teacher survey
RESULTS

22. Romanian Lithuanian
Teacher survey
Lessons are mainly given
46%
31%
11%
5% 7%
In the classroom
in other school
area
in nature
at the museums
other places

23. City setting will impact students’
motivation.
45%
40%
10% 5%
very much
much
little
al all
Most teachers believe that non-
traditional places positively increase
students` learning motivation.

24. Best place for organizing an effective lesson
for the subject that they teach
52
24
21
18
15
12
8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
80
90
100
classroom
school area
nature
park
museum
church
library
trip
other

25. • In both countries, classroom is considered
the perfect place for an ideal lesson.
• Still, teachers are open to conceive good
lessons in nature and other places in the
city.
• Institutions in the city are also considered
as places suitable for organizing lessons in.
• The most popular non traditional places for
learning according to the hierarchy are
parks, museums and nature.
Best place for organizing an effective
lesson for the subject that they teach

26. SUBJECTS & PLACES
• The most subjects identified is English language,
biology, physics, primary school lessons, the
mother tongue language, art, history, religion,
music and biology
• Museum
• Church
• Park
• Factory
• Film/Theatre
• Opera
• Memorial houses
• Streets
• Library

27. Teachers methodological needs
In order to give lessons
methodologically teachers need
25%
21%21%
14%
6%
13%
good practice
information
team work
procedures
clarifying concepts
training course

28. The part of curriculum implemented in
non traditional places
47%
37%
16%
formal curriculum
non-formal
curriculum
informal curriculum
• In both countries, teachers highly relate
unconventional places like city places with
non-formal and informal curriculum
• By the project teachers started to see
unconventional places like suitable for formal
curriculum also

29. Teachers` intention to develop
competencies
10%
9%
29%
10%
16%
26%
Communication
Evaluation
Curriculum
Professional development
Training students
Training parents in the paradigm of the relation between
school

30. STUDENTS` RESPONSES TO COMENIUS
REGIO PROJECT "CITY AS A PLACE OF
LEARNING - WHERE LEARNING IS AN
ADVENTURE” SURVEY
Target group of the students’ survey- 125 students
65 Romanian students
65 Lithuanian students
•Şcoala cu clasele I-VIII nr. 87 "M. Botez“-(10-12 years old)
•Şcoala cu clasele I-VIII nr. 112 “Titan” 12-14 years old
•Liceul teoretic “Eugen Lovinescu” (13-15 years old)
•Silavotas basic school-(10-12 years old)
•Veiveriai Tomas Zilinskas gymnasium (13-15 years old)

31. Do students like learning?
37%
60%
3%
love learning
sometimes like
sometimes not
don`t like
Students’ opinion regarding
emotional and motivation involved
in their usual learning

32. Students’ opinion regarding
preferences of
educational settings
Students like school when they
26%
22%13%
11%
14%
3% 11%
learn new interesting things
meet their classmates
learn in a cozy, beautiful classrooms
have lessons outside the school
work in the classroom with a computer
work in the classroom with interactive whiteboard
participate in project activities

33. Students` opinion about teachers`
practices in lessons
Teachers in the lessons
30%
51%
8%
11%
encourage learning in groups
teach to search for the answers
use non-traditional methods
have lessons outside the school

34. Educational practices regarding
outdoor lessons
Have the students ever had a lesson
outside the school
68%
16%
16%
yes no I don`t know

35. Places where students like having
lessons in
20%
19%
12%18%
31%
in class at school in town
at the musem in nature

36. The assessement outside the school
25%
21%
24%
30%
yes no sometimes I don`t know

37. CONCLUSIONS
• Despite of significant differences between
Romania and Lithuania (national, geographical,
cultural, linguistically, social, historical),
educational practices and
opinions regarding them are
surprisingly much similar in the
two countries at present,
both on teachers group and
students group

38. • Both teachers and students in the two countries
agreed that it would be a plus under multiple
aspects to conceive and apply a methodology of
using unconventional places to teach normal
lessons for classes.
• Almost all subjects and lessons can be taught in
unconventional places if a rigorous methodology
and a good interdisciplinary planning is done
• Almost all subject teachers have such drafts of
lessons plans which they can give in
unconventional places
CONCLUSIONS

39. • The lessons, teachers give to their students, mainly take
place in the classrooms and in other school area. Only
some lessons are given in non traditional spaces.
• Most teachers believe that non traditional places
positively increase students` learning motivation.
• The most popular non traditional places for learning
according to the hierarchy are parks, museums and
nature.
• Most school subjects in non traditional places were
identified like: mother tongue language, communication,
(Lithuanian, Romanian) English language teachers,
primary class teachers and physics teachers.
• If teachers wish to organize such lessons,
methodologically, they would need good practice
examples, more information how to organize such
lessons and team work practice. Mostly non-formal
education plan is carried out in non traditional
educational places (at the museums, on the excursions).
• Learning in non conventional areas increases, enhance
quality and efficiency of students’ learning.

40. • In most cases teachers in order to be able to proceed professionally in
organizing lessons in the city, intends to improve curriculum, training
parents in the paradigm of the relation between school, and training
students` competencies.
• The majority students sometimes enjoy learning.
• Most students like school, where they discover new and interesting
things when they meet with classmates and learn in cozy, beautiful
classrooms.
• Some of the surveyed students like learning in non-traditional learning
spaces.
• The students state that teachers in the lessons mostly teach them to
search for the answers. They are encouraged to learn in groups too.
Some teachers give lessons outside the school.
• Students like lessons given in nature most of all.
• In lessons, which took place in non-traditional spaces, the students
remembered best local and national history facts, learned to know
nature, did some sport.
• Some of students state that teachers assess their activities in marks or
otherwise in lessons which are given outside the school. Part of
students do not know whether their activities are assessed.
• Most of the students would like to have lessons in nature, have trips, sports.

41. Simona Luca
Renata Pavlavičienė