RAY LTE EXT » Research project on long-term effects of Erasmus+ Youth in Action on participation and citizenship – extension

The RAY research project on Long-term Effects of Erasmus+ Youth in Action on Participation and Citizenship (RAY LTE) started in 2015 (and was finalised in 2019). It was designed as a longitudinal study with a mixed method approach, using quantitative and qualitative social research methods: standardised multilingual online surveys and guideline-based interviews, which were conducted with participants of Erasmus+ Youth in Action projects at various stages before and after the core activity of the project. In these surveys and interviews, a number of questions on indicators for participation and citizenship competence and practice were asked in order to measure how the responses vary. The third LTE interview took place two to three years after the project participation of the interviewees. This can be seen as a first approach to exploring long-term effects. In 2023, seven to eight years after the project participation, a fourth interview with the interview partners could reveal
new insights into the sustainability of the learning effects over a longer period of time and provide answers to the question, which other developments and events might have had an effect on the interviewees’ current perceptions of participation and citizenship as well as on their current practical engagement in civil society and political life.

Aims & Objectives

The aim of this project is to explore long-term effects of learning in projects funded through the Erasmus+ Youth in Action programme (period from 2014-2020) on the development of participation and citizenship competence and practice, and to research possible changes of respective learning effects over time.

In addition, the study aims to explore the meaning the participants now attribute to their participation in an E+/YiA project in general as well as with regard to their personal development as well as educational and professional career and life course.
Participation and active citizenship are understood in a broad sense and covering all domains of life, i.e., political, civil, social, cultural, private and working life. In this sense, participation and active citizenship competences can be understood as competences, which are relevant in order to participate as active citizen and to live together with other citizens in a democratic community.

Research Questions

General research question:

  • Looking back after seven to eight years: How does participation in E+/YiA contribute to participation in civil society and in democratic life as well as to active citizenship? What meaning do participants attribute to their project participation in general as well as with regard to their personal development as well as educational and professional career?

Specific research questions:

  • How does participation in E+/YiA contribute to participation and citizenship competence and practice of participants from the view seven to eight years after their project participation?
  • How sustainable are the learning effects in respect of participation and citizenship competence and practice the participants reported about one year (second interview) and two to three years (third interview) after their project participation?
  • Which other experiences and events had an impact on participation and citizenship competence and practice of the participants from the view seven to eight years after their project participation?
  • What meaning do participants attribute to their project participation in general and with regard to their personal development as well as educational and professional career from the view seven to eight years after their project participation?

Further Information

Research design and instruments

The study will draw on the finished RAY research project ‘Long-term effects of Erasmus+ Youth in Action on participation and citizenship’ (RAY LTE) and is therefore an extension of the former mentioned longitudinal study.

Method of data collection

Semi-structured qualitative interviews are conducted seven to eight years after the first interview and the project participation and analysed according to the interview guidelines.

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