The eTwinning project "Bookfest 2026" - the results of the initial questionnaire for students

Bookfest 2026 – Initial Questionnaire Report

In October 2025, a total of 77 students involved in the eTwinning project Bookfest 2026, 50 from Romania and 27 from the Republic of Moldova, completed the initial questionnaire. The survey aimed at identifying their learning needs, interests, and expectations at the beginning of this transnational partnership, in order to design activities that would foster collaboration, creativity, and the development of key competences while meeting their specific needs and interests.

The participants’ profile

The age distribution of the participants reveals a balanced mix of students at different educational levels. 13% are between 10 and 11 years old, 44.2% are between 12 and 13 years old, and 42.9% are between 14 and 15 years old. 

More than half of the respondents - 55.8% - have previously taken part in an eTwinning project, while 44.2% are participating in such a transnational collaboration for the first time. We believe that this combination of experienced and first-time participants provides an excellent opportunity for peer mentoring and exchange of experience within the project community.

Goals and expectations

When asked about their expectations regarding the outcomes of Bookfest 2026, 51 students (66.2%) stated that they hope to improve their key competences, 48 students (62.3%) expressed the wish to promote the values of eTwinning Schools, such as shared leadership, teamwork, and collaboration, 46 students (59.7%) expect to identify, share, and integrate knowledge, skills, and innovative teaching, learning, and assessment practices that cross disciplinary boundaries, while 32 students (41.6%) aim to be recognized as agents of change, contributing to the development of inclusive and innovative school communities. These results highlight students’ deep interest in both personal development and collective progress within their educational environments.

Awareness of online safety

Awareness of online safety among participants is very high: 65 students (84.4%) reported being aware of the importance of online safety, while 8 students (10.4%) responded “Maybe, I’m not sure.” Only 4 students (5.2%) admitted that they were not aware of such issues. This strong majority indicates a solid foundation for responsible digital behaviour during the project’s collaborative online activities, though all the students will benefit from additional eSafety awareness-raising sessions.

Key competences to develop or improve

The participants identified several competences they were eager to improve during the project. The most frequently chosen was literacy competence in Romanian, selected by 50 students (64.9%). This was followed by personal, social, and learning-to-learn competence, indicated by 44 students (57.1%), and multilingual competence in English, chosen by 38 students (49.4%). Cultural awareness and expression competence attracted 35 students (45.5%), while digital competence was selected by 32 students (41.6%). Finally, 17 students (22.1%) expressed interest in strengthening their citizenship competence. These responses reveal a balanced desire to enhance linguistic ability, social interaction, creativity, and digital engagement, skills that align closely with the goals of the Bookfest 2026 initiative.

21st-century skills to be strengthened 

When asked about which 21st-century skills they would like to strengthen, 59 students (59.7%) prioritized learning skills, including critical thinking, creativity, collaboration, and communication, 17 students (22.1%) focused on life skills, such as flexibility, leadership, initiative, productivity, and social interaction while a smaller group of 14 students (18.2%) emphasized literacy skills, particularly those involving information, media, and technology. These results indicate that most participants are motivated by the opportunity to engage in creative and cooperative learning experiences while also valuing adaptability and digital literacy.

Participation in collaborative activities

Regarding the planned collaborative activities, 55 participants (71.4%) expressed interest in the Bookfest 2026 Padlet for project participants, 36 participants (46.8%) are interested in contributing to the final digital collaborative book, while 34 participants (44.2%) are looking forward to being involved in the Wakelet collection of book reviews. A number of 33 participants (42.9%) are eager to join the transnational competition for multimedia presentations of their favourite authors and books and 31 participants (40.3%) expressed enthusiasm for the bilingual creativity workshop, which will result in a collaborative digital poster. The data reveals high engagement across all activities, confirming that both the Romanian and Moldovan students are eager to take part in creative, digital, and multicultural collaboration.

Conclusions

The analysis of the initial questionnaire demonstrates that the participants in the Bookfest 2026 project are motivated, collaborative, and forward-thinking learners. Their responses indicate a strong desire to enhance key-competences, particularly in literacy, creativity, and digital fluency. The high level of online safety awareness ensures that participants are well-prepared for responsible digital interaction. Moreover, the balanced distribution of interests across competences and project activities confirms that Bookfest 2026 successfully responds to the students’ individual and collective educational needs. The enthusiasm reflected in the 71.4% participation rate for the Padlet and consistent engagement in all collaborative components provide an encouraging foundation for a vibrant and innovative transnational project.

Overall, the findings portray a group of students ready to embrace Bookfest 2026 as a meaningful opportunity for learning, creativity, intercultural dialogue, and collaborative growth.