About ACES
Ambiguity Competence for Education and Society (ACES) is an Erasmus+ project that supports schools in preparing students for a world shaped by uncertainty, complexity, and diverse perspectives.
In today’s rapidly changing social and information landscape, young people are increasingly exposed to conflicting viewpoints and complex global challenges. At the same time, many educators feel unprepared to address sensitive or controversial topics in the classroom. As a result, important discussions are often avoided limiting students’ opportunities to develop critical thinking, empathy, and democratic awareness.
ACES responds to this challenge by introducing and promoting ambiguity competence: the ability to engage constructively with uncertainty, navigate complexity, and understand multiple perspectives.
What we do
We equip educators with the knowledge, tools, and confidence to turn challenging topics into meaningful learning experiences. Through ACES, teachers are supported to foster open dialogue, encourage reflection, and create inclusive classroom environments where diverse views can be explored respectfully.
Our Actions
Creating a Clear Framework for Teaching Ambiguity
A practical framework shows schools how to help students navigate uncertainty, complexity, and diverse viewpoints. It brings together guidance and insights from European classrooms, giving educators a strong foundation for more open and reflective learning.
Training Educators to Start Meaningful Discussions
Hands-on training helps teachers, school leaders, and trainers turn sensitive or complex topics into meaningful discussions. Adaptable resources -such as case studies and simulations- support daily practice, while a certification pathway recognises those who build strong skills in teaching ambiguity.
Testing New Approaches in Classrooms
Schools in several countries try out new teaching approaches that encourage open dialogue, shared problem-solving, and engagement with uncertainty. By using case studies, guided discussions, and decision-making activities, teachers see how students respond when invited to explore complex or sensitive topics.
Connecting Educators Across Europe
A European community brings educators, researchers, and policymakers together to exchange ideas and strengthen democratic learning. A multilingual online hub offers free access to all materials and tools, making long-term use simple and accessible.
Guiding Policy for Lasting Change in Education
Through policy briefs, roundtables, and practical recommendations, decision-makers gain clear direction on how to integrate teaching approaches that build students’ confidence in handling uncertainty, encourage open dialogue, and strengthen critical thinking.
ACES FRAMEWORK
Visual Overview — Pedagogical Architecture & Five Dimensions of Ambiguity Competence
Part 1 — Pedagogical Development Architecture
Conditions enable; Competence moderates state-level processing; repeated processing stabilises into trait-level disposition.
Conditions
Didactic-Institutional
Conditions
- Ambiguity-rich situations
- Open-ended tasks
- Multiperspectivity & contestation
- Psychological safety, error tolerance
- Teacher orientation, school culture
Capability Set
Ambiguity Competence
pedagogically cultivable
- Interpretive competence
- Perspective competence
- Reflexive competence
- Normative competence
- Decision competence
Situational · Here-and-now
State-AT
situative response to ambiguity:
affective · cognitive · epistemic
Dispositional · Long-term
Trait-Level Ambiguity Tolerance
stable disposition; not directly trainable