Urban Education

This Community gives an insight into the debates, assets, and challenges of education in a metropolitan city. In addition, students are introduced to the philosophy of education in relation to daily class practice and reflect on their own professional identity and cooperation skills. Interdisciplinary student teams collaborate with urban schools (and possibly other stakeholders, in function of the self-chosen research topic) to analyse and/or develop solutions for urban educational challenges related to topics such as educational organization (Who organizes education?), school-community partnerships (The school as an island or as a network?), school infrastructure (Schools of/for the 21st century.), inclusive education (Pupils in boxes? A mosaic of diversity). By means of collaborative inquiry all steps of the research cycle are followed to analyse a specific situation (and in some cases suggest solutions for specific challenges). The Community provides for an exchange of information, expertise, and experiences and focuses on pathways to structure and jointly shape knowledge production and sharing regarding the selected topic.

Pathway #1: Glossary of Key Concepts in Urban [Inclusive] Education Research

• Goal?

Developing a common frame of reference, as a condition for international exchange between students and staff.

• Format?

Annotated online glossary of key concepts, which includes an accessible abstract and key publications.

Pathway #2: Tools & skills for collaborative extended (transdisciplinary) teacher teams

Pathway #3: Using the city/space outside of the school as a learning environment (as well)  

• Goal?

Connecting schools and urban societal actors / embedding the school in its broader urban living environment.

• Format(s)?

interactive city walks / (hybrid) spaces for interaction, connecting university, school and other societal actors. 

Pathway #4: Cross campus case study reports & discussions 

• Goal?

Case study research and cross-campus exchange.

Pathway #5: a virtual educational tour (interactive, integrating frameworks & debates) in different European cities.

• Goal?

Having students follow in the virtual footsteps of pupils attending school in the selected cities through a virtual tour, tapping into assets and challenges regarding education in a “super-diverse” context.

For more information, please see HERELink opens in a new window.