Translating an intervention to practice is often challenging, as theoretically formulated best practices encounter the realities of everyday practice and circumstances. The magazine Early Intervention of ITLA Children’s Foundation reviewed the ProKoulu model giving it a strong 5/5 overall rating and 7/9 points for its implementation plan. We always strive to strengthen our cooperation with municipalities, schools and ECEC units, as we aim to bring best practices in behavioral support to the everyday lives of staff and children. In a series of short descriptive articles, we provide some insight into the implementation of Pro activities from the perspective of trainers and coaches. This series includes descriptions of coach training, staff training for the whole school/ECEC unit, and Pro-team networking seminars.
Proteam networking seminars
Pro-networking seminars are events where staff from all Pro-teams in all schools and ECEC units within a city, or municipality come together to discuss and explore ideas and experiences of implementing the Pro-model. As we have been involved in organising these events, it has become clear to us that we have very creative and hard-working staff in our schools and ECEC centers, and that the best ideas for implementing research-based behavioural support often come from them.
The networking seminars often comprise short lectures delivered by our trainers, in which theoretical principles and research results are presented and reviewed in reference to the goals of the Pro-model. The bulk of the seminars, which usually last around three-hours are devoted to group discussions and group work. This provides a solid foundation for bringing new knowledge and enthusiasm to the everyday work within one’s own place of work.
One perspective on implementation research for bringing about change is the so-called COM-B model (the implementation of IBIS in Sweden, which is similar to the Pro-model, has been examined through the lens of this model). According to COM-B, three things are required for behaviour change to occur. These are: Capacity, Opportunity and Motivation. These aspects converge in the networking seminars, as we set out to build our knowledge and understanding of effective behavioural support, inspire and motivate each other and create and refine the structures that enable our work.
November is usually the season for the networking seminars. This year, we organised networking seminars in Vantaa, Riihimäki, Nurmijärvi, Paimio, Mäntsälä, Kirkkonummi, and Tammela, in Swedish and Finnish, for team-members working in schools and ECEC settings. Hundreds of people participated in the seminars this autumn. We are taking a short break over the festive period, will return to Pro activities with new coach training courses and other events in the new year.
Thank you to everyone who participated in the networking seminars!
