Creating Activities Towards Improving Functional Literacy: Examples from North Macedonia

Abstract

This article discusses the implementation and results of a project focused on improving functional literacy in North Macedonia, which I initiated and coordinated from 2023 to 2025. The motivation behind the project was to initiate changes in the traditional lecturing model predominant in the country, with low-level participation from students in class, and with very little focus on critical or creative thinking. The main research question was how to transform the curriculum and in-class activities in order to improve functional literacy among primary and secondary school students in Macedonia. I describe the stages and outcomes of the project, and report on the benefits of the undertaken activities on the well-being of teachers and students, the implications of which may helpful to practitioners in similar educational contexts.