Evaluation of the students travelled to different destinations

СРЕДНО ОБЩООБРАЗОВАТЕЛНО УЧИЛИЩЕ “ХРИСТО БОТЕВ”

гр. Айтос, общ. Айтос, п.к. 8500                                  тел./факс 0558/22319   

 ул. ”Станционна” № 11                                               тел. 0558/22319

e-mail: sou_botev@abv.bg                                            

EVALUATION OF STUDENTS’ QUESTIONNAIRE ABOUT VISITS UNDER THE PROJECT “MUTUAL CULTURAL INFLUENCES OF COLONIZATION AND MIGRATION”

Indicate the degree to which you agree or disagree with the following statements.

(1 = agree a lot; 2 = agree; 3 = agree a little; 4 = disagree; 5 = disagree a lot)

Interviewed students are: 18 students, traveled to Portugal, Hungary and Spain.

They were 6 in Portugal, 8 in Hungary and 4 in Spain.

Questions:

1. Do you think that the period of visits was enough?

The percentage is: 1 – 14%, 2 – 61%, 3 – 11%, 4 – 9% and 5 – 5%. Most of the students would like to stay more in the partners’ countries because they want to know more about their habits and culture. Only 5% of them were homesick because they were never separated from their families and they have problems in communication in English – it is a good reason to motivate them to learn a foreign language.

2. Do you think the meetings were useful for you?

The results / 1 – 68% and 2 – 32% / have shown that some of the goals of the partnership have been reached. As our project activities and meetings are oriented to the students it is the best assessment that we expect.

3. Did the meeting experience answer to your expectations?

The results are – 1 – 48% and 2 – 58%.

4. Have the meetings helped you to understand other cultures?

The results are: 1 – 48%, 2 – 46% and 3 – 4%.

If we analyze these answers they prove that the meetings have helped our students to understand each other better and to know more about our cultures, habits and a lifestyle. Before the changes in Bulgaria 1989 our students didn’t know anything about our partners’ countries, they were unknown for them. Visiting different countries has given them an idea that we are similar and we have common issues.

5. Do you think that the collaboration between you and your student’s partners during the meeting was good?

The percentage is: 1 – 52%, 2 – 35% and 3 – 13%.

Discussing the results with my students, I understood that not having the possibility to be more time with Spanish students is a reason for 13%. About the students’ collaboration in Portugal and Hungary, they are sure that all was perfect.

6. Before meeting your partners, did you have any negative preconceived ides about their country?

The percentage is:  1 – 4%, 2 – 11%, 3 – 4%, 4 – 11% and 5 – 70%.

70 % of students think that youth’s education and a lifestyle in our partners’ countries are better than in Bulgaria and they are happy to know more about these ones and they didn’t have any prejudices. Just the contrary – they were grateful to have opportunities for extra knowledge about partners’ countries.

7. Do you think the communication with the students of other participating schools has been useful?

The results are: 1 – 47% and 53 %. This is an indisputable prove for a necessity of direct communication between students. The English lessons couldn’t replace the real communication during the meetings.

8. How do you define your participation in colonies and migration presentation?

The percentage is: 1 – 6% and 2 – 94%.

Most of our students have done research about colonies in Bulgaria. / This topic isn’t included in Geography and History curriculum/.  They haven’t realized that Bulgarian culture is influenced by other European countries. The presentations about this topic are a result of students’ extra work in their free time – this deepened their knowledge in English, History and Geography. The students’ presentations on this topic are a real expression of their creativity, knowledge and computer skills.

9. Did the ads you produced express your creativity?

The results are: 1 – 27% and 2 – 73%.

10. Did you feel a good integration in the activities during the meeting?

The results are: 1 – 10% and 2 – 90%.

This percentage of students proves that most of the partners have proposed and implemented a suitable program for their guests. Most of the students felt well integrated in the project activities and haven’t wanted that the meetings were so short.

11. Did you enjoy the cultural program?

The results are: 1 – 68%, 2 – 28% and 3 – 4%. The students’ opinions about the cultural program in Portugal and Hungary are perfect / Portugal - 88% and Hungary – 100%/ but for Spain they are divided in two - 1 – 50%, 2 – 50%. When I discussed with my students this result they told me that most of the time in Spain they were left to manage themselves.

12. Was it a good experience living with a foreign family?

 The result is indisputable – 1 – 100 % / without Spain – because our students were in a hostel/

13.  Did you find interesting the new cultural contact through the hosting family?

The percentage is: 1 – 44% and 2 – 56%.

14. Would you recommend others to take part in a similar activity as this one?

The results are: 1 – 75% and 2 – 25%.  Our students are proud of taking part in this project in spite of problems in communication in English and extra researches during their free time. So they will recommend their friends to take part in this kind of projects.

General Questionnaire’s analysis

1. This kind of activities has helped most of our students to understand better each other and to increase their knowledge about different European countries, culture and lifestyle.
2. The project topic has required extra students’ researches and has deepened their knowledge in History and Geography. Preparation of the PPT on the topic has increased students’ creativity.
3. Visiting different countries is a real challenge and experience for most of them.

Became more tolerant and open-minded

52%

c

Got rid of my own prejudices and stereotypes

6%

d

Learnt about the migration phenomenon and its impact on European/ national and local level

64%

e

Learnt about partner countries and their culture

83%

f

Learnt more about my country

50%

g

Made new friends

75%

h

Visited partner school/foreign country

37%

i

Other (please specify):

About point /c/ the students wondered which prejudices they would have to have. They have a positive attitude to our partners and don’t have any prejudices. The other percents prove in incontestable way that this project is very useful for the students.

Question 4: What subjects were involved in the project?

a)    Applied Information and Communication Technology (ICT) – 89%

b)    Art and Design – 52%

c)    Biology – 12%

d)    Chemistry – 2%

e)    English Language and Literature – 81%

f)     Geography – 87%

g)    History – 93%

h)   Mathematics

i)     Mother tongue – 20%

j)     Music – 31%

k)    Physics

l)     Psychology

m)  Other (please specify) – Folk dances workshop

Question 5: About increasing students’ foreign language skills the percentage is - Yes – 100%.

Question 6: Has the participation in the project helped you increase your ICT or other technological skills?

a)    Yes – 98%

b)    No – 2%

The students expressed their opinion that project activities helped them to improve their computer skills during researching information on the Internet, preparing Power Point Presentations on different topics and designing brochures and leaflets. As all materials are in English these ones have improved their knowledge in English too.

Question 7:

Has the participation in the project helped you to increase your motivation, self-confidence or social skills? Please specify.

a)    Increased motivation and enthusiasm – 62%

b)    Self-confidence – 20%

c)    Self-confidence with use of English language – 75%

d)    Social skills – 35%

e)    Teamwork was helpful – 58%

As we can see, the project activities have deepened not only students’ knowledge in different subjects but they have helped to increase students’ motivation, self – confidence and aptitude for team working. So our project has a positive impact on students. The percentage is higher than 100% because most of the students’ have given more than one answer.

Question 8:  During the project all students have made new friends – Yes – 100%.

Question 9: Has this project enhanced your sense of belonging to the European Community?

a)    Yes – 98%

b)    No – 2%

Question 10: Would you like to be involved in other European projects in the future?

All students have given the answer – Yes – 100%. They asked me if it is possible to apply for another Comenius project before the end of this one – it is a quite significant mark of their willingness for their involvement in this kind of projects.