EFUOLC project

EFUOLC project

The EFUOLC project is based on the design, implementation, and evaluation of the TuCAT Programme, a professional development programme designed to promote the oral use of Catalan in early childhood, primary, and secondary schools across Catalonia.

Objectives

The project has three main objectives:

Strengthen teachers’ linguistic confidence in the oral use of Catalan in the classroom.

  • Update teachers’ knowledge of sociolinguistics.
  • Increase teachers’ linguistic assertiveness in managing language use in the classroom.

Increase students’ use of Catalan in the classroom.

  • Train teachers in interactive approaches that foster dialogue in Catalan in the classroom.
  • Support teachers in implementing teaching strategies that foster dialogue in Catalan.

Promote students’ use of Catalan outside the classroom, including in playgrounds and school dining areas.

  • Enable teachers to design and implement group activities that promote the use of Catalan in the playground.
  • Enable school lunch supervisors to design and implement group activities that promote the use of Catalan in school dining areas.

Methodology

  • The EFUOLC project begins with the selection of a sample of schools in Barcelona and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (BMA) with similar characteristics. Using a random assignment procedure, half of the schools are allocated to the control group, while the other half are assigned to the experimental group, where the TuCAT Programme is implemented.
  • The project follows a longitudinal research design involving the final year of early childhood education (I5), Years 1, 5, and 6 of primary education, and Years 1 and 2 of compulsory secondary education. It is based on the analysis of teachers’ and students’ language use before (pre-test), immediately after (post-test), and some time after (delayed post-test) the implementation of the TuCAT Programme. During the first year, the programme is implemented in I5, Year 5 of primary education, and Year 1 of compulsory secondary education. During the second year, it is implemented in Year 1 and Year 6 of primary education and Year 2 of compulsory secondary education.
  • In the experimental group schools, the training is offered to all members of staff. However, data collection and analysis during the implementation phase are carried out only in the year groups included in the study.
  • The impact of the TuCAT Programme is evaluated by comparing the experimental and control schools.

Participating Schools

The project sample consists of schools in Barcelona and the Barcelona Metropolitan Area (BMA). This selection is based on three main considerations. First, the BMA is the largest educational area in Catalonia and is home to the majority of the country’s student population. Second, although linguistic diversity is present throughout Catalonia, the BMA is the area where students make the least use of Catalan. Third, focusing on a single geographical area makes it possible to target the training more effectively by tailoring it to the specific context.

Phases of the project

Phase 1

January 2024-December 2024

  • Sample Selection and School Recruitment
  • Design and Development of the TuCAT Programme Training Materials for Teachers

Phase 2

January 2025-August 2025

  • Pilot Implementation of the TuCAT Programme
  • Training of the team responsible for delivering the programme to teachers and school lunch supervisors in the experimental schools.
  • Training of Teachers and School Lunch Supervisors in the Experimental Schools
  • Pre-test Data Collection from Teachers in the Experimental and Control Groups

Phase 3

September 2025-December 2026

  • Implementation of the TuCAT Programme in the Experimental Schools (Teachers and School Lunch Supervisors)
  • Implementation of the TuCAT intervention programme by teachers and school lunch supervisors in the experimental groups.
  • Support for and observation of teachers’ implementation in the experimental groups, both inside and outside the classroom, through focus groups and teacher interviews.
  • Collection of Post-test Data from Teachers and Students in the Experimental and Control Groups
  • Data Analysis

Phase 4

2027

  • Presentation of results
  • Data Dissemination
  • Preparation of the Final Project Reports
  • Project Completion and Closure
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