The Erasmus+ CoVE ProVEST project (Professionalisation of Teachers and Mentors in Vocational Education to Realise Powerful Transformative Learning Environments for a Sustainable Transition) brings together 23 partners from five countries (Belgium, Estonia, France, Germany and Spain) to develop a professionalisation program for vocational education and training (VET) stakeholders. The project aims to strengthen collaboration between schools and enterprises and prepare teachers and mentors to equip learners with the skills required for Europe’s sustainable transition (The European Green Deal, 2021) and a rapidly changing labour market.

ProVEST promotes the establishment of broad, interdisciplinary and intersectoral teams that design and test powerful and transformative learning environments (Pauwels et al., 2023; Mezirow, 1978), integrating both sustainability (Mulvik et al., 2024) and digital competence. This is supported by a transnational masterclass open to educators and company mentors. A central feature of the ProVEST project is the multilingual online platform Edusynergy, which enables continuous evaluation and stakeholder feedback. It has been designed as a collaborative space for teachers and mentors to engage in peer exchange and to co-construct inclusive and sustainable learning environments. The platform hosts dozens of “germ cells” (Engeström et al., 2022; Isaac et al., 2025) — concrete examples of initiatives that can be adapted and implemented across different institutions and contexts. It seeks to bolster collective professional development and to advance the transition towards more sustainable learning environments through the sharing of educational practices.

Each partner has contributed projects to the online platform that align with the definition of Powerful and Transformative Learning Environments for Sustainability (PTLES), referring to educational settings designed to promote deep, collaborative, and sustainable learning. Such environments draw on principles such as critical reflection, self-regulated learning, interdisciplinary integration, authentic learning contexts and innovative use of technology.

After completing the description of their cases using a template embedded in the online Eduysnergy platform, partners underwent a round of online comments received from peers from the other countries of the consortium, based on an evaluation grid encompassing the principles of the PTLES model. This online collaboration among countries was possible thanks to the multilingual automatic translation. Schools and firms were asked to provide constructive feedback to other teams, by underlining the outstanding elements of the PTLES framework they retrieved, asking more information when needed, highlighting lacking elements that could be further developed, and giving suggestions based on their own experience in vocational education. Based on this feedback, schools and firms wrote on the collaborative platform an improved version (V2) of their cases,  which will be used to design the masterclass. 

This paper addresses the following research question: how do ProVEST partners’ integrations of peer feedback reveal shared priorities and contextual differences in applying the PTLES framework toward more inclusive and sustainable learning environments in VET?

To go in-depth in the analysis by country, this research starts by focusing on the “germ cells” from France. A first investigation has been conducted on the original 19 cases (V1) posted on the Edusynergy online platform by French schools and firms. Criteria for investigation were based on the grid for analysing PTLES completed by French and European peers. As a second phase of the investigation, 6 improved versions of the French cases (V2) have been analysed on the basis of the grid for analysing PTLES, which was filled in during an online collaborative meeting with French schools, firms and researchers. In order to seize what has induced partners to change their case, comments posted by other partners on the online collaborative platform addressing their V1 “germ cells” will be analysed to identify which highlighted elements triggered reflection. A qualitative enquiry will be conducted through thematic analysis (Paillé & Mucchielli, 2016) of the French V2 on Edusynergy. The most relevant themes in V2 descriptions by schools and firms for implementing inclusive and sustainable learning environments in VET will be identified. A cross-European comparison will be conducted on the 8 most inspiring practices from the other 4 countries of the consortium (Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Spain) in order to determine whether the French national context has distinctive features, and/or if common elements are to be found among the countries.

Results from the investigation of the 19 original French cases illustrate how learning environments work as catalysts for deep and lasting transformation, both for learners and for society. For instance, partnership with the local labor market builds bridges with employers and professionals to root learning in real economic and social contexts. Moreover, professional immersion allows learners to experience authentic situations and develop practical expertise. In addition, vocational training oriented toward citizenship prepares not only skilled professionals but also responsible citizens. Furthermore, learning for sustainability ensures that training processes and outcomes align with long-term social and environmental responsibility. Similarly, inclusive pedagogical methodologies ensure participation for all learners. Besides, collaborative learning encourages teamwork and co-construction of knowledge. Finally, interdisciplinarity enables knowledge transfer. Preliminary findings from the investigation of the 6 improved versions of the French cases (V2) show that inspiring practices articulate the principles of the PTLES model in diverse ways. Nevertheless, one principle (Higher-order thinking and complex skills) presents 4 outstanding elements that can be found in all cases: Collaborative learning, Interdisciplinary learning tasks, SDGs, Green and sustainable competences, and Problem-solving learning. The principle Learning tasks in authentic contexts (e.g., by working with real-world problems) is outstanding in 5 cases out of 6. An initial comparison of French V1 and French V2 shows that the teachers of one school merged 8 original projects into 3 improved cases, indicating an enhanced understanding of their teaching practices as embedded in coherent learning environments for sustainability. Building on the cross-European analysis, we expect to identify common strengths and weaknesses across countries, as well as distinctive national patterns. Our first results and preliminary findings suggest that PTLES act as bridges and accelerators between education, society, and sustainable futures. They transform learning into a dynamic process that integrates knowledge, skills, values, and action.

Engeström, Y., Nummijoki, J., & Sannino, A. (2012). Embodied germ cell at work: Building an expansive concept of physical mobility in home care. Mind, Culture, and Activity, 19(3), 287–309. Isaac, G., Kartika Sari, L., Epstein, M., Moscaritolo, A. & Guevara, M. (2025, November 5-7). Transformative Learning Environments (PTLEs) from theory to practice: a pluralist approach to transforming VET through sustainability across Europe [Paper presentation]. ISCAR 2025, Barcelona, Spain. The European Green Deal. (2021). https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/priorities-2019-2024/european-green-deal_en. Paillé, P., Mucchielli, A. (2016): L'analyse qualitative en sciences humaines et sociales. Paris: Armand Colin. Pauwels, L., Devos, G., Vaesen, J., Timbermont, E., Jansen, D., Placklé, I., & Tuytens, M. (2023). Bouwstenen voor opleiding en professionalisering van (duale) leraren technische en praktijkvakken in arbeidsmarktgerichte opleidingen: Voorbereidende onderzoeksfase: Systematische Reviewstudie. Vlaams departement onderwijs en vorming. Brussel, Vlaamse Overheid. Mezirow, J. (1978). Education for perspective transformation: Women re-entry programs in community college. Center for adult education. Columbia University. Mulvik, I., Torres, R., Chachava, M., Lekavičiūtė, E., Blasko, Z., McGrath, C., Garcia, I. E., Steponavičius, M., Berndt, J. (2024). Monitoring Learning for Sustainability: Developing a Cross-EU Approach, Final Report. European Union