It is clear from social developments in recent years that boys are increasingly a focus of critical attention and of concern to educationalists. Through the project "Small heroes in trouble * boys searching for their identities", the partner institutions will address what is currently a theme of growing importance, namely the gender-specific dimension in children's education and upbringing. The project is concerned with boys in the 6 -11 age group. In all the European countries involved in the project, boys of this age attend primary school. The project therefore targets students training to become primary school teachers as well as practising teachers in the primary school.

The partner institutions aim to develop a research based body of study material, as well as a series of modules on both the practice and the educational methodology of  teachers' work, that will add a gender-specific dimension to co-educational schooling in Europe. The intended outcomes are course texts and a comparative study in both web-based and published form. Didactic material will cover both theory and practical approaches and will be available in web-based form for direct and long-term use.

It is also intended that the material developed will be tested, evaluated, disseminated and utilised in a Comenius 2.2.c course, which will run in the project's final year and will provide a platform for long-term use and continuous updating of the material.