FROM LOCAL TO GLOBAL: PROMOTING SUSTAINABLE VALUES THROUGH COLLABORATIVE LEARNING IN A PRIMARY SCHOOL ERASMUS+ PROJECT
Abstract
This article presents the implementation and impact of a short-term Erasmus+ KA201-SCH-061945 project entitled “Act Local, Think Global”, conducted in a Greek primary school with 4th-grade pupils. The program focused on promoting environmental awareness and sustainable behaviors through collaborative learning, intercultural exchange, and digital tools. Through partnerships with schools from Finland, Spain and Wales, students explored topics related to plastic pollution, circular economy, and everyday ecological actions. Activities included virtual exchange, co-creation of e-books, art-based expression, and participation in an international eTwinning campaign. The methodological approach emphasized project-based learning, constructivist principles, and the use of digital platforms such as Twinspace, Canva, and Padlet. Results showed increased student engagement, development of key competences, enhanced cultural understanding, and long-term impact on the school culture. The article reflects on challenges, findings, and recommendations for other schools aiming to integrate Erasmus+ opportunities into their everyday educational practice.
Article visualizations:
Keywords
Full Text:
PDFReferences
Brundiers, K., Wiek, A., & Redman, C. L. (2010). Real-world learning opportunities in sustainability: From classroom into the real world. International Journal of Sustainability in Higher Education, 11, 308–324. https://doi.org/10.1108/14676371011077540
Burns, T. (2016). Governing education in a complex world. OECD Publishing. Retrieved from https://www.oecd.org/en/publications/governing-education-in-a-complex-world_9789264255364-en.html
Dillenbourg, P. (1999). What do you mean by “collaborative learning”? In P. Dillenbourg (Ed.), “Collaborative-learning: Cognitive and computational approaches” (pp. 1–19). Elsevier. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0360-1315(00)00011-7
European Commission. (2020). “Erasmus+ Programme Guide”. Publications Office of the European Union. https://erasmus-plus.ec.europa.eu/
Hargreaves, A., & Fullan, M. (2012). Professional capital: Transforming teaching in every school. Routledge. Retrieved from https://books.google.ro/books/about/Professional_Capital.html?id=2sRWQxBBsj4C&redir_esc=y
Johnson, D. W., & Johnson, R. T. (2009). An educational psychology success story: Social interdependence theory and cooperative learning. Educational Researcher, 38, 365–379. https://doi.org/10.3102/0013189X09339057
Kirkwood-Tucker, T. F. (2012). Visions in global education: The globalization of curriculum and pedagogy in teacher education and schools. Peter Lang. Retrieved from https://www.peterlang.com/document/1056104
Redecker, C. (2017). European framework for the digital competence of educators: DigCompEdu. Publications Office of the European Union. https://doi.org/10.2760/159770
Robin, B. R. (2008). Digital storytelling: A powerful technology tool for the 21st century classroom. “Theory into Practice, 47”, 220–228. https://doi.org/10.1080/00405840802153916
UNESCO. (2017). “Education for sustainable development goals: Learning objectives”. United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf0000247444
DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.46827/ejes.v12i8.6125
Refbacks
- There are currently no refbacks.
Copyright (c) 2025 Theodoros A. Kartsoukis

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
Copyright © 2015-2026. European Journal of Education Studies (ISSN 2501 - 1111) is a registered trademark of Open Access Publishing Group. All rights reserved.
This journal is a serial publication uniquely identified by an International Standard Serial Number (ISSN) serial number certificate issued by Romanian National Library (Biblioteca Nationala a Romaniei). All the research works are uniquely identified by a CrossRef DOI digital object identifier supplied by indexing and repository platforms. All authors who send their manuscripts to this journal and whose articles are published on this journal retain full copyright of their articles. All the research works published on this journal are meeting the Open Access Publishing requirements and can be freely accessed, shared, modified, distributed and used in educational, commercial and non-commercial purposes under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (CC BY 4.0).