The Plan d’Etudes Romand (PER) (1) defines 5 cross-curricular skills, which clearly show that the aim is to promote living together in diversity. Below you’ll find a complete list of the pedagogical aims of these 5 capabilities.
Almost all of them contribute to peace education for living well together.
Description of cross-disciplinary skills
Cross-disciplinary skills selected for the project
The PER takes into account five major fields of cross-curricular abilities that cut across all areas of learning. This choice defines the contours of various fundamental skills, which cut across both learning areas and the whole of schooling. As often as possible, teachers should encourage situational situations that enable each student to exercise and broaden these five cross-disciplinary skills, the first two of which are more social in nature and the last three more individual:
- Collaboration
- Communication
- Learning strategies
- Creative thinking
- The reflective approach
Collaboration
General aims of the Capability
The ability to collaborate focuses on developing the cooperative spirit and building the skills needed to carry out teamwork and collective projects.
Some descriptors
In a variety of situations, students must :
Taking others into account
- demonstrate openness to cultural and ethnic diversity ;
- recognize that you belong to a community ;
- welcoming others with their characteristics ;
- recognize the interests and needs of others ;
- exchange views ;
- hear and take into account differences ;
Self-knowledge
- recognize your values and goals ;
- trust each other ;
- identify perceptions, feelings and intentions ;
- exploit your strengths and overcome your limitations ;
- judge the quality and relevance of its actions;
- perceive the influence of others’ gaze ;
- increasingly independent;
Group action
- develop opinions and choices ;
- react to facts, situations or events ;
- articulate and communicate your point of view ;
- recognize the importance of combining the strengths of each individual ;
- compare points of view and ways of doing things ;
- adapt your behavior ;
- participate in the elaboration and choice of a common decision.
Communication
General aims of the Capability
The ability to communicate focuses on mobilizing information and resources to express oneself using various types of language, taking into account the context.
Some descriptors
In a variety of situations, students must :
Language coding
- choose and adapt one or more relevant languages, taking into account the intention, context and target audience;
- identify different forms of oral, written, visual, musical, media, gestural and symbolic expression;
- respect the rules and conventions specific to the languages used ;
Resource analysis
- explore a variety of sources and understand the contribution of each ;
- select relevant resources ;
- cross-check information from various sources ;
- make connections between what they have learned and what they have discovered;
- imagine possible uses;
Exploiting resources
- formulating questions ;
- answer questions based on information gathered ;
- anticipate new uses;
- reinvest in new contexts ;
Information flow
- adopt a receptive attitude ;
- analyze the factors of successful communication ;
- adjust communication according to the reaction of recipients.
Learning strategies
General aims of the Capability
The ability to develop strategies refers to the capacity to analyze, manage and improve one’s learning processes and projects by adopting effective working methods.
Some descriptors
In a variety of situations, students must :
Task management
- analyze the situation ;
- set a goal and the means to achieve it;
- make choices and opt for one solution from a range of possibilities ;
- anticipate what to do next;
- review the steps taken ;
- perceive and analyze the difficulties encountered ;
- learn from your mistakes;
- persevere and develop a taste for effort ;
Acquisition of work methods
- perceive the determining elements of the context and the links between them ;
- recognize similarities with similar situations ;
- distinguish between what is known and what remains to be discovered;
- develop, use and operate appropriate procedures ;
- identify the elements of success ;
- manage materials, time and organize work;
- develop autonomy ;
Choice and relevance of method
- choose the right method from the range of possibilities;
- justify your position by giving your reasons and arguments ;
- analyze the work accomplished by reformulating the steps and strategies implemented ;
- self-assessment ;
- reconsider his point of view;
- transfer models, methods and concepts to similar situations ;
Development of a heuristic method
- make hypotheses ;
- generate, inventory and select possible solutions ;
- examine the relevance of choices.
Creative thinking
General aims of the Capability
The ability to develop creative thinking focuses on the development of inventiveness and fantasy, as well as imagination and flexibility in approaching any situation.
Some descriptors
In a variety of situations, students must :
Development of divergent thinking
- varied sources of inspiration;
- taking advantage of change ;
- express ideas in new ways ;
- experiment with unusual combinations ;
- accepting risk and the unknown ;
- free yourself from prejudice and stereotypes ;
Acknowledging your sensitive side
- make room for dreams and the imaginary ;
- identify and appreciate the original elements of a creation ;
- identify and express emotions ;
- harmonize intuition, logic and the management of sometimes contradictory emotions;
Making inventiveness a reality
- take advantage of its inspirations and ideas;
- engage with new ideas, new paths and exploit them ;
- choose inventive strategies and techniques ;
- visualize and project various realization methods.
A reflective approach
General aims of the Capability
The ability to develop a reflective approach enables us to take a step back from facts and information, as well as from our own actions; it contributes to the development of a critical sense.
Some descriptors
In a variety of situations, students must :
Developing a personal opinion
- define the question, the object of reflection ;
- identify the issues at stake;
- identify facts and verify their accuracy ;
- put facts into perspective by using benchmarks ;
- explore different options and points of view ;
- adopt a position ;
Self-questioning and self-decentration
- distance oneself from facts, information and one’s own actions ;
- give up preconceived ideas ;
- compare your opinion with that of others ;
- leave room for doubt and ambiguity;
- recognize your prejudices and compare your judgment with that of others ;
- compare the paths, procedures and strategies used by others ;
- explore different opinions and possible or existing points of view.
(1) Plan d’Etudes Romand (PER): Plan d’Etudes developed by the CIIP (Conférence Intercantonale de l’Instruction Publique) between 2003 and 2012 to reinforce education in cross-curricular skills through instruction in the usual disciplines and general training, for example in Citizenship and Democracy.