ISLE Project - Erasmus+ Teacher Academies

Exciting progress within the ISLE Project!

We are currently in the final round of reviews of the ISLE eHandbook, which will soon be made openly available to educators, researchers, school leaders, and policy stakeholders across Europe.

The ISLE eHandbook is an important resource designed to support the redesign of primary education learning environments towards more innovative, sustainable, inclusive, and future-oriented educational practices. Developed through extensive international collaboration and research, the handbook aims to provide practical guidance, evidence-informed approaches, and valuable insights for schools and educational communities.

Stay tuned for its official release!

Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus Högskolan i Gävle University of Ioannina - Fine Art and Art Sciences Department ΠΤΕΤ, Indire, Latvijas Universitāte, Pedagogical Institute,-eduTech, Vedruna Catalunya Educació Ramon Llull, of Jyväskylä

🔹 Final Round Table | ISLE Annual Meeting 2026

The concluding session of the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026 brought together researchers and educational experts from across Europe for a collaborative discussion on critical school-level needs, systemic educational challenges, and pathways toward innovative and sustainable learning environments.

The round table highlighted diverse national perspectives while reinforcing shared priorities across European educational systems, including teacher support, equity, wellbeing, collaboration, policy coherence, and sustainable educational transformation.

🎤 Moderated by Leonardo Tosi (INDIRE, Italy)

Panel Participants:
🇸🇪 Jan Grannäs
🇮🇹 Silvia Panzavolta
🇬🇷 Panagiota Strati
🇱🇻 Anna Ansone & Zinta Zālīte-Supe
🇨🇾 Nicoletta Pantela
🇫🇮 Markku Hilpinen
🇪🇸 Judit Amill

The discussion marked a meaningful conclusion to two days of dialogue, research exchange, and collaborative reflection on the future of innovative learning environments in Europe.



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus, Högskolan i Gävle University of Jyväskylä, Universitat Ramon Llull, University of Ioannina, Indire, Latvijas Universitāte, Cyprus Pedagogical Institute, PARAGON-eduTech, Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació

☕ Following a lively coffee break filled with engaging discussions, exchange of ideas, and networking among participants, Day 2 of the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026 continued with the presentation:

🎓 Exploring Primary Education Learning Environments: A Cross-National Study of Teachers’ Perspectives
presented by Victoria Michaelidou, Special Researcher and Teaching Scientist at the University of Cyprus.

The session explored teachers’ perspectives on primary education learning environments across different European contexts, highlighting common opportunities, challenges, and needs related to innovative and sustainable educational practices.

Drawing on cross-national research findings, the presentation emphasised the importance of teacher voice in shaping inclusive, collaborative, and future-oriented learning environments capable of supporting student wellbeing, participation, and meaningful learning experiences.



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus Högskolan i Gävle University of Jyväskylä Universitat Ramon Llull University of Ioannina Indire Latvijas Universitāte Cyprus Pedagogical Institute PARAGON-eduTech Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació

🌍 Continuing Day 2 of the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026, Leonardo Tosi and Silvia Panzavolta, Senior Researchers at INDIRE, presented the session:

🎓 School-Level Needs and Structural Challenges in Educational Systems: Insights and Evidence from Seven European Countries
The presentation explored key findings emerging from the ISLE project’s cross-country analysis, highlighting the realities faced by schools across diverse European educational systems. The session addressed common structural challenges related to innovative learning environments, teacher support, school leadership, infrastructure, collaboration, inclusion, and policy implementation.
Drawing on evidence from seven European countries, the presenters reflected on the importance of context-sensitive educational policies and collaborative approaches capable of supporting sustainable school transformation and meaningful innovation at the local level.


Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus Högskolan i Gävle University of Jyväskylä Universitat Ramon Llull University of Ioannina Indire Latvijas Universitāte Cyprus Pedagogical Institute PARAGON-eduTech Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació

🌍 Continuing Day 2 of the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026, Olivia Levrini, Full Professor at the University of Bologna, presented the session:

🎓 Navigating Tensions, Enabling Change: Redesigning Science Teacher Education for Futures-Oriented Learning Environments

Drawing on the experience of the FEDORAS Academy project, the presentation explored how science teacher education can respond to rapidly changing societal, technological, and environmental challenges through futures-oriented and transformative educational approaches.

The session highlighted the importance of preparing teachers to navigate uncertainty, support interdisciplinary learning, foster sustainability awareness, and create innovative learning environments that empower students to actively engage with the future.



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus Högskolan i Gävle University of Jyväskylä Universitat Ramon Llull University of Ioannina Indire Latvijas Universitāte Cyprus Pedagogical Institute PARAGON-eduTech Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació

🌍 Day 2 of the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026 officially opened with welcoming remarks by Raffaella Carro from INDIRE, setting the stage for another day of dialogue, collaboration, and innovation in education.

The first keynote presentation of the day featured Marian Mahat, Associate Professor at the University of Melbourne (online), with the thought-provoking session:
🎓 Who is Brave Enough? Reimagining Learning Environments as Coherent Systems for Children Development
The presentation explored the need to rethink learning environments as interconnected and coherent systems that place children’s development, wellbeing, participation, and learning experiences at the centre of educational transformation. The session encouraged participants to critically reflect on how educational spaces, pedagogical approaches, leadership, and policy can work together to support meaningful and sustainable change.



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus Högskolan i Gävle University of Jyväskylä Universitat Ramon Llull University of Ioannina Indire Latvijas Universitāte Cyprus Pedagogical Institute PARAGON-eduTech Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació

🔹 Concluding Day 1 of the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026, the final round table focused on The ISLE Collaborative Learning Community Framework: Roadmap for Implementation.
The session brought together experts from research, school leadership, teacher education, and European educational networks to discuss practical pathways for implementing collaborative learning communities that support innovative and sustainable learning environments across Europe.
Participants included:
🇮🇹 Elisabetta Mughini – Director of Research, INDIRE; Vice-Chair of European Schoolnet and Member of the Board of Directors
🇮🇹 Francesca Panzica – Retired Teacher, eTwinning Ambassador
🇮🇹 Massimo Belardinelli – Retired School Principal, FCL – Future Classroom Lab Ambassador
🇬🇷 Panagiota Strati – Assistant Professor, University of Ioannina
🇱🇻 Zinta Zālīte-Supe – Scientific Assistant, University of Latvia
The discussion highlighted the importance of teacher collaboration, professional learning communities, digital innovation, and cross-sector cooperation in supporting long-term educational transformation.



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus Högskolan i Gävle University of Jyväskylä Universitat Ramon Llull University of Ioannina Indire Latvijas Universitāte Cyprus Pedagogical Institute -eduTech Vedruna Catalunya Educació

🇪🇺 Continuing the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026 in Florence, the next presentation focused on the development of strong and sustainable professional learning ecosystems across Europe.

🎓 Building Collaborative Learning Communities in Europe: The ISLE Framework
presented by
Anna Ansone and Zinta Zālīte-Supe (University of Latvia – LU)

The session introduced the ISLE Collaborative Learning Community Framework, a structured European model designed to strengthen collaboration among educators, researchers, policymakers, and stakeholders across Initial Teacher Education (ITE) and Continuing Professional Development (CPD). The presentation highlighted the importance of co-learning, inclusivity, research-informed practice, sustainability, and digital connectivity in redesigning innovative and sustainable learning environments.

The framework emphasises collaborative inquiry, peer learning, knowledge exchange, and transnational cooperation as key drivers for meaningful educational transformation across Europe. 🌍



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus | Högskolan i Gävle | University of Jyväskylä | Universitat Ramon Llull | University of Ioannina | Indire | Latvijas Universitāte | Cyprus Pedagogical Institute | PARAGON-eduTech | Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació

🔹 Continuing the discussions at the ISLE Annual Meeting 2026, Alexandra Tosi, Expert at eTwinning Italy and Erasmus+ INDIRE, presented the role of eTwinning as a driver of teacher professional growth and innovative learning environments for student competence development.

The presentation highlighted how collaborative digital communities, international cooperation, and project-based learning through eTwinning can support teachers in developing innovative pedagogical practices while fostering student engagement, creativity, digital competences, and active participation.



Πανεπιστήμιο Κύπρου | University Of Cyprus | Högskolan i Gävle | University of Jyväskylä | Universitat Ramon Llull | University of Ioannina | Indire | Latvijas Universitāte | Cyprus Pedagogical Institute | PARAGON-eduTech | Fundació Vedruna Catalunya Educació