Ellinogermaniki Agogi (EA) is an educational organization of private law, officially recognized by the Greek state. It has 2500 students (ages 5 to 18 years old) and 250 teachers in different disciplines. Established in 1995, the Research and Development Department of EA provides the test bed for research applications for the design, development and implementation of the research activities in education. It currently employs 18 full time researchers (10 PhD level, 8 MSc). The R&D Department acts therefore as an interface between the pedagogical research, the technological innovation and the school community. It focuses on the design, implementation and support of pedagogical and technological innovation in educational practice, both through internal research as well as through collaborations with numerous educational, research and commercial institutions in Europe and the world. Its work in EU projects over the last 15 years has established EA as a leading pioneer in innovative approaches to science education. Since its establishment, the R&D Department has coordinated and supported the participation of EA, either as coordinator or as partner, in more than 150 national and international collaborative research projects and networks the majority of which have been concerned with the fields of science and new technologies in education.
EA has a very strong vision-generated interest and rich research and development activity in the fields of inquiry-based science education, project-based learning and STEM education in combination with digital, virtual and online learning environments and tools. EA is continuously modernizing STEM education by promoting and creating user-driven learning environments for students and offering numerous opportunities for teachers’ professional development to be prepared and thrive in the landscape of unprecedented challenges and opportunities in the 21st century.
