Department Projects

COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) is a funding organisation for research and innovation networks financed by European Commission. Its Actions help connect research initiatives across Europe and beyond and enable researchers and innovators to grow their ideas in any science and technology field by sharing them with their peers. COST Actions are bottom-up networks with a duration of four years that boost research, innovation and careers.

Action number: CA18115

Name of Action: Transnational Collaboration on Bullying, Migration and Integration at School Level 

MoU - 096/18

CSO Approval date - 13/11/2018

Start of Action - 02/04/2019

End of Action - 01/04/2023 

With immigration a growing, permanent and fractious part of the EU’s reality, integration is of foremost concern for policy-makers in Europe, and schools are recognised as an essential part of social stability and a key aspect of integration policy both at national and EU level.  Schools provide crucial education for integration and citizenship, long term directly affecting social status, professional achievement, economic earning power and students understanding of cultural morality and societal principles, allowing both the individual to prosper, and the state and EU to benefit and build on their potential as a valuable new resource.

Objectives: (1) To ascertain at a national and local level among partner states what rates of immigration exist, and what particular issues exist in that country (2) What practices have been put in place for schools to deal with diversity and integration, including education of indigenous students in regards to other cultures and ethnicities and integration of immigrant pupils into the history and community of their new society with a focus on gender issues across both perspectives. (3) Evaluate what assessment exists for these practices. Tasks: (i) collate evidence of immigration rates across partners countries and salient issues arising (ii) gather and assess evidence of best practice on how schools cope with ethnic and faith diversity among children of immigrant backgrounds taking into account gender and age; (ii) collate action plans/guidelines on integration from national and regional authorities for policy evaluation. Deliverables: Policy recommendations for pupil well-being at a cross-national level; Chapter for handbook of intervention methods relevant to different groupings for use at school level; Contribution to guidelines, links and tools on project website; Seminar for ECI and stakeholders; Cross National peer reviewed publications.

Objectives: (1) To ascertain how e-tech and the internet can be, and is, used as a pro-social tool to prevent and combat, intolerance, racism and xenophobia, and promote inclusion and respect, (2) Examine to what extent the school community as a whole is involved in these actions. Tasks: (i) gather cross-national evidence of use of e-tech by national/regional authorities to a) combat cyberbullying/promote online safety and b) promote integration/tolerance (ii) collate evidence on the positive uses of e-technology in schools; examining participation of whole school community (pupils, teachers, parents, staff) (ii) collate evidence on the effectiveness of interventions specifically tailored to reducing cyberbullying and promoting integration. Deliverables: Seminar for ECI’s and stakeholders; Recommendations towards creation of cross national policy. Chapter contribution on best practice for handbook; Delivery of Workshops; Contribution to guidelines, links and tools on project website; Publications at cross-national level.

Assoc. Prof. Dr. Roman Šperka, PhD – head of the research team (Management Committee Member of the Action).

Assoc. Prof. Jarmila Duháček Šebestová, PhD - team member, deputy head of the research team (Working Group 2, elementary schools research).

Šárka Zapletalová, PhD – team member (Working Group 6, helplines research).

Radka Bauerová, PhD – team member (Working Group 6, high schools research).

Veronika Braciníková, PhD – team member (Working Group 6, high schools research).

Martin Klepek, PhD – team member (dissemination, research methodology).