Project ‚Breakthrough in Educational Research‘ (No. 10-044-P-0001) (EDU project) „Inclusive Education in All-Day Schools“ (No. P-EDU-23-3)

Project No. 10-044-P-0001

Project title: „Breakthrough in Educational Research“

Project duration: from 2025-04-01 to 2028-04-03

Project value: 15 231 660,52 Eur

Project coordinator: Research Council of Lithuania

Project partners: Vilnius University, Vytautas Magnus University, Kaunas University of Technology, Vilnius Gediminas Technical University, Mykolas Romeris University, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Klaipėda University.

Project aim – to strengthen educational research and enhance its quality and international cooperation by participating in international education and training initiatives.

Project partner – Mykolas Romeris University – will conduct this educational research as part of the project, which will contribute to the improvement of education and teacher training:

Research title: „Inclusive Education in All-Day Schools“

Number: P-EDU-23-3

Duration: from 2025-04-01 to 2028-04-03

Budget: 422 278,34 Eur

Project manager in Mykolas Romeris University: Prof. Dr. Odeta Merfeldaitė

Project team:

1. Odeta Merfeldaitė, professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Science and Social Work;
2. Violeta Jegelevičienė, professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Science and Social Work;
3. Ieva Kuginytė – Arlauskienė, associate Professor at the Institute of Education, Religion, and Social Sciences, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences;
4. Daiva Penkauskienė, associate Professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Sciences and Social Work;
5. Jolanta Pivorienė, professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Science and Social Work;
6. Asta Railienė, professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Science and Social Work;
7. Gintautas Šilinskas, associate Professor in the Department of Psychology at the University of Jyväskylä, Research Fellow at the Finnish Academy;
8. Šarūnas Gerulaitis, PhD student in Education Science at MRU;
9. Raimonda Jarienė, teacher at Vilnius Vileišis Progymnasium;
10. Valdonė Indrašienė (secondary researcher), professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Science and Social Work;
11. Romas Prakapas (secondary researcher), professor at the MRU Institute of Educational Science and Social Work.

 

Research Aim and Objectives:

The main aim is to develop and test an evidence-based whole-day school (WDS) model that would create the conditions to implement inclusive education in Lithuanian general education schools (grades 1–8).

Research Objectives:

1. To theoretically justify the suitability of WDS for the development of inclusive education and to create a prototype (scoping review and situational analysis).
2. To test the prototype and validate the inclusive WDS model (action research).
3. To propose innovations to improve the quality of inclusive education and ensure sustainable progress by providing evidence-based solutions for the implementation and monitoring of the inclusive WDS model (recommendations, policy briefs, roundtable discussions).

Implementation of the Research

During the project, the suitability of the whole-day school (WDS) for the development of inclusive education will be theoretically justified; a WDS prototype based on the principles of inclusive education will be created and tested; and an inclusive WDS model will be validated. Based on the results of the conducted studies, recommendations will be prepared to improve the quality of inclusive education, integrating evidence-based solutions for the implementation and monitoring of the inclusive WDS model.

The project is comprehensive and contributes to the diversity of educational research in several aspects. First, at the theoretical level, it is based on a holistic model of inclusive education. Second, at the model prototyping stage, inclusive education is analyzed systematically at the school, classroom, and individual levels; the proposed inclusive education organization model for the WDS consists of sequential stages: preparation, implementation, activity analysis, and improvement.

The project involves collaboration among researchers from various scientific fields—educational sciences, sociology, and psychology—and employs diverse research methods to achieve its goals.

Planned Results and Impact:

The scientific and practical value of the project is expressed through the developed and prototyped innovative whole-day school (WDS) model, ensuring the systematic implementation of inclusive education in general education. This will contribute to:

– the scientifically grounded and well-argued dissemination of inclusive education,

– expanding the field of educational sciences with new insights and recommendations,

– highlighting directions for further research and helping to formulate valuable recommendations for educational practice,

– providing real, data-based evidence on the systematic implementation of inclusive education in WDS, aiming to realize the philosophy of inclusive education, ensuring equal opportunities in education for all, creating conditions for change in school culture, and fostering a collaboration-based school culture.

Based on the project data:

– The developed recommendations and policy briefs will be presented to the project’s target groups (education policymakers, owners of educational institutions [municipalities], school principals, teachers, parents, etc.) during public consultations (at least 2 consultations),

– A qualification development program for school communities will be prepared and accredited,

– Podcasts presenting the project results will be produced.

Alongside the practical and applied value of the project results, the creation and testing of the WDS model and its prototype will be important for science. The main scientific results will be presented to the academic community through scientific publications, conference presentations, and seminars. Following the MRU regulations on personal and research data protection, open scientific research data will be made available to other researchers for future studies, etc.

Research presentation 2025-06-19 at EDU FORUM
Research “Inclusive Education in the All-Day School” (P-EDU-23-3)

The project “Breakthrough in Educational Research” is being implemented under the progress measure No. 12-003-03-06-01 “Teachers First” of the Educational Development Programme administered by the Ministry of Education, Science and Sport of the Republic of Lithuania, as part of the 2021–2030 development programme. The project is financed by the European Union Funds for 2021–2027 and the state budget of the Republic of Lithuania.