WISH project kicks off international collaboration
On February 4–6, the WISH (Work-Life Integration Starts Here) project kick-off meeting will take place, launching international collaboration aimed at supporting primary school teachers in integrating work-life topics and key competencies into everyday teaching through a research-based approach.
During the kick-off meeting, partners will familiarise themselves with each other’s education systems and national curricula and agree on a detailed plan for the work packages and core activities. The meeting will take place both in Estonia and in Helsinki. In Estonia, Sandra Järv, Head of Avatud Kool, will introduce the school’s origins and its project-based learning approach. In Helsinki, discussions will continue and participants will visit the Amos Rex Museum to gather inspiration for developing the learning modules.
As a result of the project, a handbook for teachers and five thematic learning modules will be developed and piloted in schools. In addition, a professional development module will be created to help teachers more consciously integrate work-life topics and transversal competencies into their everyday teaching practice.
The project is led by Tallinn University, with partners including Paderborn University (Germany), Masaryk University (Czech Republic), the University of Helsinki (Finland), and LUMSA University (Italy).
Professor of Primary Education Inge Timoštšuk notes that working across different national contexts enriches perspectives on primary teacher education, while the professional collaboration network strengthens our own research capacity.
The Tallinn University team comprises academics and researchers from the School of Educational Sciences who specialise in primary teacher education and in integrating work‑life topics into the curriculum. Their expertise ensures that the project’s outputs are grounded in both research and classroom practice.
- Inge Timoštšuk (inge.timostsuk@tlu.ee), project leader and lead of WP2
- Kaidi Nurmik (kaidi.nurmik@tlu.ee), project manager and lead of WP1
- Anne-Mai Näkk, team member
- Helene Uppin, team member
- Maile Käsper, team member
- Helen Arov, team member
- Anastassia Skiperskaja, project assistant