Pedagogic shift - in international virtual schools

Evidence

Background:
The work presented in this guide comes from a four year research study (2009 – 2013). The research questions that underpinned the study were as follows:

• Are curriculum design, teaching strategies and technology integration changing over time?
• What factors are inhibiting and/or contributing towards any change?

Sample:
Data was collected from EuroLink - virtual international school (ELvis: http://www.elvischool.eu/), which spans 5 difference European Union countries (Belgium, Germany, Italy, Netherlands, United Kingdom). ELvis was funded by an EU Lifelong Learning grant from the Comenius Programme.

Methods:
This research used a Constructivist Grounded Theory Approach Three cycles of research were carried out including Cycle I: Pilot Study, Cycle II: Identification of Key Themes and Cycle III: In Depth Exploration of Key Themes. Data was collected from teachers, seniors co-ordinators and head teachers using a the following tools: Documentary Evidence, Questionniares, Interviews and Focus Groups. Data was analysed using HyperResearch software.