Wales & Lesotho School Partnerships -- A Study Exploring the Impact on Learning in 4 Schools. Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning Practitioner Research Fund Paper 7

Lesotho and Wales have undergone significant curriculum changes recently, and both advocate the desire for their learners to be 'active citizens' and to acquire core life skills that allow them to be 'creative contributors' to society. The Connecting Classrooms Through Global Learning (CCGL) cluster lead schools in this research have been working in partnership for 13 years. They believe that their collaborative projects are essential elements of their curricula that provide significant global learning for all involved. This study centres upon the experiences and impact of global partnerships on the learners and asks: (1) How have pupils in both countries engaged in the partnership?; (2) What was their experience of it?; and (3) How has the partnership impacted on their learning? By providing opportunities to investigate and analyse a snapshot of the pupil's perceptions and experiences, their knowledge and assumptions, and what types of skills they display as a result, we can begin to document the effectiveness of such projects and partnerships, and the impact on learning in general. This is an important addition to global learning and international partnerships research in Wales and Lesotho, as at the time of writing no other such paper has ever been written. As Welsh schools begin to deliver the new New Curriculum for Wales (2022), the findings from this study will support schools to prioritise and further embed their partnerships in practice. [This paper was published by Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning in collaboration with the Development Education Research Centre (DERC). The Connecting Classrooms through Global Learning (CCGL) programme is funded by the British Council and UK aid.]