The Express Yourself! project identified: Self-expression improves the wellbeing of students
How can learning be more fun and productive? How can all students be included and feel like they are part of a group? The Express Yourself! project identified, in four European countries, that self-expression activities carried out at schools had a significant impact on the wellbeing and study motivation of students.
Self-expression activities carried out in Spain, Ireland, Lithuania and Germany reached 500 students in total. Through exercises developed originally in Finland, elements of self-expression and social inclusion were added to classroom teaching in a relaxed and respectful atmosphere.
As part of the project, students assessed their wellbeing before and after the self-expression activities using the 3X10D® self-assessment tool developed for young people at Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak). The results show that up to 80% of the 500 participants felt that they now know their classmates better as a result of the self-expression activities. Some 75% stated that the activities increased their study motivation. The percentage of students very satisfied with their life increased from 54% to 69%.
“We were able to support students’ social inclusion, study motivation and experiences of wellbeing surprisingly well using the educational package during five sessions only”, says project manager Niko Nummela from Diak.
The method and the measured results are presented in a video (link here), which shows that compact sessions of self-expression improve students’ experiences of wellbeing and inclusive grouping.
The educational package (link here) developed in the project is freely available in English, Spanish, Lithuanian and German to support activities at schools and in other groups. Many of the exercises can be carried out while maintaining social distancing and some can be carried out completely online.
Information about the project:
The Express Yourself! Inclusive Grouping in Schools project is managed by Diaconia University of Applied Sciences (Diak) from Finland. Project partners are I&F from Ireland, Fachhochschule der Diakonie from Germany, KAI from Lithuania, Defoin from Spain and Loisto Setlementti from Finland. The project is partly funded by the EU’s Erasmus+ programme.
Link to video
Further information:
Mr Joe Cabello, Educational Researcher, Project Coordinator, I & F Education and Development Ltd. ,joe@instructionandformation.ie, +353 86 3221403
Niko Nummela, project manager, niko.nummela@diak.fi, tel. +358 40 509 3574