Individualized and personalized support system for students' reading, mathematical and scientific literacy development

Project number: VPP-IZM-Education-2023/1-0001

Project manager/coordinator: Sanita Martena, Laine Blūma, Dace Namsone

Project goal: To create and test an individualized support system for the development of students' fundamental skills (literacy, numeracy, science) and cross-curricular skills (problem-solving and critical thinking; self-regulated learning) in ethnically and linguistically diverse classrooms.

Project annotation and main tasks: To provide individualized and personalized support to students in ethnically and linguistically diverse learning environments (according to various ability and language proficiency levels). The implementation task is to develop didactics, methodologies, and support systems (including the creation of specific interventions) for the development of core skills (literacy, numeracy, science) and cross-curricular skills (critical thinking, problem-solving, self-regulated learning) in preschool (ages 5-6) and primary school (grades 1-9), as well as to strengthen inclusive education approaches.

Project results: In order to mitigate the growing risks of inequality and stratification in the Latvian education system, highlighted by international comparative educational studies and uneven implementation of educational reforms in Latvian schools, and to improve student performance, this project will develop and test a support system for the development of fundamental (literacy, numeracy, and science) skills and cross-curricular skills (critical thinking, problem-solving, self-regulated learning). The developed system will include assessment tools and an automated feedback system for personalized learning. To create the support system, new knowledge will be developed:

1. A conceptual framework for skill development;

2. A description of the support system for developing fundamental skills and cross-curricular skills, and strengthening inclusive education in ethnically and linguistically diverse classrooms;

3. Systematic, gradual, and interdisciplinary descriptions of learning trajectories for skills and cross-curricular competencies. The support system will provide: assistance to teachers in selecting differentiated teaching solutions, including didactics, methodologies, and interventions; professional development solutions based on teachers' needs.

The project's impact will be achieved at all educational levels: students will receive individualized feedback; teachers will receive feedback on student performance, as well as guidance on didactics and methodologies for lesson planning; school leadership teams and education policymakers will receive support and recommendations for implementing and operating the system.

Project partners: University of Latvia (leading), Rezekne Academy of Technologies

Project total budget: 950,000 EUR (RTA 172,305 EUR)

Project funding source: State Research Program "Education" 2023–2026