In continuity with the three‑year project “Constructing Education: building for impact” promoted by the Council of Europe Development Bank (CEB) and the European Investment Bank (EIB), the INDIRE research group on Learning Environments has decided to further develop some of the themes addressed within a partnership more strongly oriented toward international, research‑based collaboration.

The outcomes of the project highlighted the need to support the design and redesign processes of school spaces through appropriate measures aimed at assisting school communities during the transition and appropriation phases of innovative environments.

This need also emerges from various national and international studies. The OECD and PISA stress the urgency of rethinking school spaces to foster meaningful learning and active participation in the knowledge society (OECD, 2017, 2023). Recent CEB reports highlight the importance of improving teachers’ spatial competencies to maximize the impact of investments in educational infrastructure (French et al., 2019). Research funded by Erasmus+ Teacher Academies—which shows that the learning environment is a crucial yet often underestimated factor in educational effectiveness—represents an important opportunity for the INDIRE working group dedicated to studying innovative learning environments to deepen and advance their work.

Collaborative Learning Communities for Redesigning Primary Education Towards Innovative & Sustainable Learning Environments (ISLE)

In this context, the INDIRE research group on Learning Environments has joined as a Partner in the project “Collaborative Learning Communities for Redesigning Primary Education Towards Innovative & Sustainable Learning Environments (ISLE)”, funded under the Erasmus+ Teacher Academies programme.

The project was officially launched with an inaugural meeting held at the University of Cyprus in Nicosia on 15–16 May 2025. European partners participated in the event to establish the foundations for common objectives and for future work aimed at improving primary education systems.

The project stands out for its holistic and multidimensional approach aimed at modelling innovative and sustainable learning environments (ISLE), integrating educational policies, professional development, and inclusion. Its originality lies in building an international network connecting research, practice, and policy, and in recognizing the value of the physical environment as a strategic lever for systemic change.

The initiative promotes actions and guidelines aimed at enhancing the role of innovative learning environments and appropriate support measures to foster change and innovation within the school system. The project’s overall goal is to create learning environments in which quality, equity, well‑being, inclusion, innovation, and sustainability are not only encouraged but firmly embedded.

The project aims to involve various stakeholders in the school system (school communities, policymakers, researchers, and experts) in promoting innovative learning environments and developing adequate spatial competencies as an integral part of teachers’ professional profiles within the context of changing school spaces.

The objective is to develop protocols and support tools capable of promoting and enhancing teachers’ spatial competencies during transitions toward innovative schools or in the rethinking of existing environments, including through light construction interventions or re‑equipping spaces with new‑generation furniture.

Research Partners

The partnership includes universities, research institutions, and various organizations with extensive experience both in the field of educational spaces and innovative learning environments, and in the management and participation in international projects.

ITE – Initial Teacher Education Providers

  • University of Cyprus (UCY) – Coordinator
  • University of Gävle (HiG), Sweden
  • Universitat Ramon Llull Fundació (URL), Barcelona
  • University of Jyväskylä (JYU), Finland
  • University of Latvia (UL), Latvia
  • University of Ioannina (UoI), Greece

CDP – Continuing Professional Development Providers

  • INDIRE
  • Cyprus Pedagogical Institute

NGOs – Non‑profit organizations engaged and specialized in international development cooperation

  • PARAGON‑eduTech (Rafina, Greece)

FVCE – Practice Training School

  • Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació (FVCE – Network of social initiatives)

By Laura Coscia 

(Indire Photo Archive)