Academy for Creative, Innovative and Inclusive Schools (ACIIS)

ACIIS – Academy for Creative, Innovative and Inclusive Schools is a 36-month Erasmus+ Teacher Academies project that brings together higher education institutions, teacher education organisations, schools, NGOs, and other professional organisations from Slovenia, Croatia, Austria, Italy, and Poland. The project is coordinated by Društvo ustvarjalcev Taka Tuka, while the Slovenian partners also include the University of Primorska, the University of Ljubljana, St. Stanislav’s Institution, and the Public Fund of the Republic of Slovenia for Cultural Activities (JSKD). The aim of the project is to develop an international network of teacher educators and to foster cooperation with schools in designing innovative and inclusive approaches to teaching. The project’s central thematic focus is drama-based pedagogy; however, its use is not limited to arts subjects and theatre activities, as the project also explores its potential for teaching languages as well as subjects in the social and natural sciences. Drama-based approaches are also combined with the use of digital tools to support active and inclusive learning. The project encompasses initial teacher education, continuing professional development for practising teachers, and training for teacher educators. An important component of the project is the development and testing of approaches directly in classroom settings, with teachers actively participating in the design, testing, and refinement of teaching strategies and tools. The project has resulted in the development of teaching materials, training models, and digital tools.

The ACIIS project contributes to the development of drama-based pedagogy as a field of research at the intersection of pedagogy, didactics, the arts, and inclusive education. By investigating drama-based approaches as teaching methods across different school subjects, the project extends their consideration beyond arts education and raises questions about their transferability across subject areas and different learning environments. A particular contribution lies in linking drama-based pedagogy with inclusive education, especially by exploring how different forms of participation, expression, and learning can reduce barriers to students’ involvement in the learning process. An important research contribution of the project is the development and application of a methodology for monitoring the effects of training and the introduction of drama-based approaches into pedagogical practice. The research and evaluation component encompassed the development of research and evaluation instruments, the planning and implementation of data collection, and the analysis and interpretation of the data. The project also examines teachers’ professional development, particularly the transfer of knowledge and methods acquired through training into actual pedagogical practice. The evaluation of training activities enables the study of teachers’ responses, the use of the approaches introduced during training in practice, and the factors that facilitate or hinder their implementation. The scientific value of the project also lies in connecting research-based and practice-based knowledge: teachers participate in the development and testing of the approaches, while their classroom experiences serve as a source of empirical data. The international composition of the partnership enables these issues to be examined across different cultural, national, and educational contexts. The project has resulted in scientific publications and has established a methodological basis for further, more focused research into the effects of drama-based approaches on learning. ACIIS has also facilitated collaboration among researchers and professionals from Slovenia and other countries.

The ACIIS project establishes and contributes to strengthening a network of researchers and professionals in the fields of drama-based pedagogy, didactics, inclusive education, and teachers’ professional development. By bringing together Slovenian universities, schools, NGOs, and cultural organisations, it connects research, pedagogical, and practice-based knowledge and contributes to a more systematic development of drama-based pedagogy in Slovenia. It enables Slovenian researchers and professionals to exchange knowledge and experience with partners from other countries, participate in international research and professional networks, and create opportunities for further research and projects. At the same time, it enhances the international visibility of researchers and professionals working in this field. The approaches developed and tested within the project offer Slovenian teachers additional possibilities for active and inclusive teaching across different subject areas. They have particular potential in heterogeneous classrooms, as they provide diverse ways for students to participate, express themselves, and engage in the learning process. The project strengthens the professional competences of teachers and teacher educators, while linking initial teacher education with the continuing professional development of practising teachers creates conditions for a broader and more sustainable transfer of knowledge within the Slovenian education system. Another important contribution of the project is the development of a methodology for monitoring the effects of introducing drama-based approaches into teaching and for encouraging reflection on one’s own pedagogical practice. Data obtained through the evaluation of training activities and the monitoring of the implementation of these approaches can provide a basis for the further planning of teachers’ professional development in Slovenia. The teaching materials and training models developed within the project can support the development of teacher education programmes. The research data also provide a basis for formulating professional recommendations in the field of inclusive education.