"Life Lessons from European Proverbs" - the results of the initial surveys for the eTwinning project participants

This report analyzes the responses gathered from the initial surveys conducted in September 2026 within the eTwinning project "Life Lessons from European Proverbs". 

I. A total of 128 students completed the survey, providing key insights into the demographics, prior project experience, expectations, and desired skill developments of the participants.

• Total Responses: 128 students

• Partner Countries: The project brings together students from six European countries: Romania: 38.3%, Croatia: 21.1%, Poland: 10.9%, Spain: 10.2%, Turkey: 10.2%, Bulgaria: 9.4%.

• Age Distribution:

  • 17 years old: 31.3% (largest age group)

  • 15 years old: 20.3%

  • 16 years old: 20.3%

  • 18 years old: 14.1%

  • 14 years old: 13.3%

• Prior eTwinning Experience:

  • Have participated before : 57.8% 

  • No prior experience: 42.2% (this is their first eTwinning project)

When asked about the project goals they are most looking forward to achieving, the European students selected:

• Reflection on life lessons conveyed by proverbs and positive values: 55.5% (71 students)

• Developing storytelling skills: 49.2% (63 students)

• Promoting European values through creative activities: 42.2% (54 students)

• Identifying and interpreting representative European proverbs: 40.6% (52 students)

• Creating collaborative digital products: 31.3% (40 students)

The students indicated the following key lifelong learning competences and 21st-century skills they hope to improve during the project:

1. Personal, social, and learning to learn competence: 70.3% (90 responses)

2. Multilingual competence (in English): 65.6% (84 responses)

3. Cultural awareness and expression competence: 54.7% (70 responses)

4. Digital competence: 31.3% (40 responses)

5. Citizenship competence: 21.9% (28 responses)

• Learning Skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication): 68% (87 students)

• Life Skills (flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, social skills): 54.7% (70 students)

• Literacy Skills (information, media, technology): 28.1% (36 students)

• As for their awareness of online safety at the beginning of the project implementation, 86.7% of students have stated they are aware of the importance of online safety as digital citizens, 10.2% were unsure ("Maybe, I'm not sure"), and a small minority of 4 students indicated a lack of awareness.

The students expressed interest in contributing to the following collaborative project outputs:

• Promotion of Romanian, Bulgarian, Spanish, Turkish, Polish, and Croatian proverbs: 64.8% (83 students)

• Collaborative Padlet created by all project participants: 53.1% (68 students)

• Learning and teaching activities based on European proverbs: 39.8% (51 students)

• Collaborative digital book of the project ("Life Lessons from European Proverbs"): 35.9% (46 students)

The initial survey reflects a highly motivated group of 128 European students. While some of the project participants are new to eTwinning, they demonstrate strong digital citizenship awareness and clear goals: improving their English and personal skills, exploring cultural heritage through national proverbs, and engaging in collaborative digital outputs.

II. A total of 13 educators completed the questionnaire, outlining their roles, prior project experience, expected learning outcomes, and planned collaborative contributions.

• Total Responses: 13 teachers

• Prior eTwinning Experience:

  • Experienced eTwinners: 92.3% (12 teachers have previously participated in eTwinning projects)

  • First-time participants: 7.7% (1 teacher)

Teachers hold high expectations for the impact of this project on their students. When asked about the goals they expect to achieve:

• 100% (13 teachers) expect:

  • Enhanced linguistic, digital, intercultural, and collaborative competences.

  • Deepened reflection on life lessons conveyed by proverbs and positive values.

• 92.3% (12 teachers) expect:

  • Identifying and interpreting representative European proverbs.

  • Creating collaborative digital products.

  • Developing storytelling skills.

  • Fostering a stronger sense of European identity, shared values, and appreciation.

The teachers identified the core lifelong learning competences they intend to cultivate in their students:

1. Digital competence: 100% (13 teachers)

2. Personal, social, and learning to learn competence: 92.3% (12 teachers)

3. Cultural awareness and expression competence: 92.3% (12 teachers)

4. Multilingual competence (in English): 84.6% (11 teachers)

5. Citizenship competence: 76.9% (10 teachers)

• Learning Skills (critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, communication): 100% (13 teachers)

• Life Skills (flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, social skills): 100% (13 teachers)

• Literacy Skills (information, media, technology): 69.2% (9 teachers)

• 92.3% of teachers plan to raise awareness about GDPR, copyright, eSafety, and eTwinning netiquette rules right at the beginning of the project implementation.

• 7.7% indicated they are not currently planning a specific initial session on these rules.

• 69.2% of participants explicitly plan to apply for a National Quality Label (NQL) upon project completion.

• 30.8% are undecided or listed as "Maybe".

The teachers evaluated which project results will provide the greatest value for their students:

• The Collaborative Padlet created by all participants: 84.6% (11 teachers)

• The Collaborative digital book ("Life Lessons from European Proverbs"): 76.9% (10 teachers)

• The Promotion of national proverbs (Romanian, Bulgarian, Spanish, Turkish, Polish, and Croatian): 69.2% (9 teachers)

• The Learning and teaching activities based on English proverbs: 46.2% (6 teachers)

The initial teachers' survey reveals a highly experienced and dedicated team of educators. With strong alignment around digital integration, online safety, and intercultural learning, the teaching staff is well-prepared to guide students through creative storytelling and collaborative digital publishing, while striving for high-quality project standards such as the National Quality Label.

III. Comparative Analysis & Implementation Strategy: "Life Lessons from European Proverbs"

1. Key Similarities & Shared Vision

2. Key Differences & Alignment Needs

Area	Students' Perspective	Teachers' Perspective	Key Insight & Strategy
Prior Experience	42.2% are first-timers in eTwinning.	92.3% are experienced eTwinners.	Students will need step-by-step onboarding, structured team roles, and clear guidance on international collaboration tools.
eSafety Awareness	13.3% are either unaware or unsure about online safety.	92.3% plan to deliver initial eSafety/GDPR/Netiquette training.	Teachers must prioritize eSafety instruction early on to bridge this gap before public work begins.
Competence Focus	High emphasis on Personal/Social Skills (70.3%) and English Multilingualism (65.6%).	100% focus on Digital Competence alongside Personal/Social skills.	While students focus on communication and making friends, teachers must scaffold the digital tools so tech issues don't hinder student engagement.

Comparing the responses of the 128 student participants and the 13 teacher mentors reveals strong alignment across key goals, while highlighting critical areas where pedagogical guidance will ensure a smooth and successful project implementation.

• Core Purpose & Values: Both students (55.5%) and teachers (100%) place reflecting on life lessons and positive values at the top of their priorities. There is a shared passion for exploring cultural heritage through proverbs.

• Storytelling & Creativity: Developing storytelling skills emerged as a primary focus for both groups (49.2% of students, 92.3% of teachers), emphasizing that learning should be interactive and creative rather than purely academic.

• Preferred Outputs: Both cohorts favor interactive, visual platforms. The collaborative Padlet and the promotion of national proverbs (Romanian, Bulgarian, Spanish, Turkish, Polish, Croatian) are the top-rated deliverables across both surveys.

Since almost half of the student body is brand new to eTwinning, starting with low-stakes icebreaker activities (e.g., self-introductions on the collaborative Padlet) is a good idea. Experienced students or schools will be paired with newcomers to build peer mentorship.

While most teachers plan to cover eSafety, ~13% of students still lack confidence in digital citizenship. The coordinating teachers will conduct an interactive "eSafety & Netiquette" kick-off session covering image copyright, digital footprints, and respectful international communication before creative publishing begins https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UDavCCfZPls .

The collaborative digital book is highly valued by teachers (76.9%), but lower on the immediate wish list for students (35.9%), likely because complex digital publishing can feel intimidating. Break down book creation into smaller, manageable milestones - such as proverb illustration, short storytelling tasks, and peer reviews.

With 6 partner countries represented (Romania, Bulgaria, Poland, Spain, Turkey, Croatia), we should set up mixed international student teams for the upcoming activities. This structure directly serves the students' top goals: practising English in real contexts, developing 21st-century learning and life skills (68% and 54.7%), and building cross-cultural connections.

Given that 69.2% of teachers aim for a National Quality Label (NQL), we will align the project management with official eTwinning evaluation criteria: direct student-to-student collaboration, integration into school curricula, safe tool usage, and clear documentation of shared final outcomes.