#FREI DAY FOR FUTURE - Evaluation of the impact of the FREI DAY (Whole School Approach) learning format on healthy and ecologically sustainable lifestyles and living conditions in schools and communities

1. conditions of participation

 

Until when can we register our school for the study?

The earlier the better, as soon as it is possible for you as a school; ideally before the summer vacation. In exceptional cases, it is possible to start the survey after the summer vacation. If in doubt, please contact us.

Can vocational schools also take part in the study?

Yes, we would like to include a broad spectrum of school types in the survey. In addition to primary and secondary schools, vocational schools are also expressly invited to take part.

Our children take part in FREI DAY from year 1 to 4, so they can't say what it's like without FREI DAY. Are we still eligible for the study?

The pupils are not asked what it is like without FREI DAY. The majority of the questions are FREI DAY-unspecific. The assumption is that the results will differ if FREI DAY is not carried out.

Can we also participate in the study if we implement FREI DAY in a modified form or with less than four hours per week?

We are working with the actual implementation of FREI DAY, as we know that this will vary in practice. These differences in implementation are recorded and reported.

 

2. surveys

 

When will we receive the questionnaires?

The surveys will start in May 2025 and the relevant information will be sent to all registered schools by post and email.

By when should the questionnaires be completed?

Ideally, the questionnaires should be completed before the summer vacation. By arrangement, we offer a follow-up survey period after the summer vacation.

Is there a letter for parents, colleagues, etc. that we could adapt in advance (e.g. date of the survey) before we send it to the participants?

There is an information letter for parents and staff. The survey dates are roughly defined periods in which the survey is to take place. The school chooses the exact time itself and can communicate this to the parents in addition to the general information sheet.

Can the questionnaires be completed digitally from home or will the project team come to the schools?

• The pupils (SuS) best fill out the questionnaires during a lesson at school. The information material sent to them includes, among other things, how the process can be integrated into the classroom.
• The FREIDAY team (SBI) answers the questions via online questionnaires; it is possible to complete them at home.
• The key persons (SKI) are preferably interviewed by telephone if questions arise.

How is this handled if FREIDAY is only implemented from the 3rd grade onwards and the participating students leave school within the survey period?

Then the focus is placed on the key persons. In this case, the student survey is not exclusively longitudinal, but a cross-sectional survey is also helpful.

Is there a linguistically adapted questionnaire for elementary school?

We use an adapted, tried-and-tested questionnaire that is more suitable for this age group.

Is the representativeness of the data limited for very small schools (< 90 pupils)?

• We want to use data to evaluate effects. To do this, it is important that we survey the same pupils several times. This does not have to be representative in the overarching sense, but refers to the respective school.
• We want to reflect school-specific data back to you. The more representative the sample selected within the school, the better. In student surveys, individual characteristics are collected - if the participants were selected representatively, you will receive representative results for your school. If you selectively choose who takes part, the results will be less representative.
• The key informant interviews (CIP) need to be less representative.

Who chooses which pupils or classes take part?

• The schools themselves choose which and how many students should be interviewed at their school. If you want to have a comprehensive overall picture of your school, as many students as possible should take part in the survey (e.g. all grades). The more students participate, the more representative the data will be.
• For our evaluation, at least 20 students should participate. Either students who have participated in FREI DAY at least once in the 3-year period or who have already participated. A before-and-after measurement would be ideal: i.e. before the students took part in FREI DAY, one year while they are in FREI DAY and one year after FREI DAY.

Do all departments/branches of a school have to be involved or can only certain ones be selected?

No, you do not have to involve all departments/branches of your school. It is only important that at least 20 students participate in order to ensure that the data is representative.

Should the same students always be surveyed for three years?

It can also be others. Ideally, as many students as possible should take part in the surveys. New ones can be added and not every person necessarily has to participate every year. The students themselves generate a pseudonym that they use each time in order to be able to assign the data anonymously over the years.

Who is included in the survey of cooperation partners?

Not all cooperation partners have to take part. The aim is not to create a representative picture, but to ask questions that relate to the characteristics of the specific school. If at least 10 people share their views on the school, it is possible to average the actual value of the school in this area.

Does the parent body necessarily have to be part of the survey of key persons or are individual parents or other key persons also sufficient?

No, parents do not necessarily have to be part of the survey of key persons. Only a very small number of people are generally interviewed in this survey. Individual parents and other important key persons are therefore also sufficient.

What would be a question about environmental outcomes?

You are welcome to take a look at the slide appendix on the contents of the student survey. Here you will find, among other things, a scale on environmental awareness, awareness of environmental consequences, attribution of responsibility for environmental problems and a scale on fear of the future.

Which health aspects are surveyed in the study?

The health aspects are based on the very broad and holistic understanding of WHO health promotion research. Among other things, the focus is on subjective well-being and key factors that contribute to maintaining health, such as the personal development of students.

For FREI DAY, the students choose one of the 17 Sustainable Development Goals of the United Nations, such as Planetary Health. The way we shape our globe - or in the case of the students' projects, our neighborhood and community - not only has an impact on the environment, but also directly on our personal health.

 

3. exchange

 

Is there an opportunity to find out how FREI DAY is implemented at other schools and how challenges are dealt with?

The webinars could create space for schools to exchange ideas and share their practical knowledge. We will take this on board as a good suggestion!

If you are looking for more cross-school exchange, we can otherwise recommend the School on the Move network meetings. We will also be present there in the near future and may also prepare our findings for their training courses. However, it may take some time before we are able to enrich the current state of knowledge with the help of our survey.

The qualitative survey with the students can also provide insight into which hurdles are currently still present.

In addition to the fact sheets, will we receive further support and guidance on the question of whether we can improve anything?

If necessary, we could create and publish additional fact sheets on specific aspects of FREI DAY. The basis of the data could be used to make it easier to apply for school funding or to make recommendations.

Is there a possibility for advice on the further development of FREI DAY?

Yes, if you have any questions or would like advice, you are welcome to contact Schule in Aufbruch or attend one of the network meetings mentioned on the previous slide.

This study helps to gain insights to further develop and implement FREI DAY in the long term. In addition, a transfer strategy will be developed together with our advisory board in order to make effective use of the results of the surveys.

 

4 Qualitative surveys

 

Will the qualitative survey be omitted if no FREI DAY is held at our school and will we still receive a fact sheet?

The qualitative surveys are not carried out at schools without a FREI DAY. However, these schools also receive fact sheets. These are based on the key person survey and the student survey, which are conducted at all schools.

Is participation in the qualitative survey automatic?

No. Participation in the qualitative survey is voluntary, but is recommended if you would like to learn more about the estimated changes brought about by FREI DAY and are interested in an exchange at your school.

How can I take part in the qualitative survey?

Please contact the colleagues at LUH by email: strauss@idn.uni-hannover.de

What can be found out through the qualitative surveys as part of the FREI DAY evaluation?

The qualitative surveys help to identify the conditions that promote the success of FREI DAY and to understand possible obstacles.