Speakers
Description
Schools in Stavanger have reported increased unrest and disruptive behavior among students. National reports show a rise in bullying and a decline in students’ motivation (Udir, 2024). School health services aim to explore the interconnection of these challenges and identify possible preventive strategies. The "Brain-friendly school" project is an interdisciplinary initiative where school health services and schools collaborate to create environments that improve mental health and learning. Inspired by the neurosequential model (www.neurosequential.com), which recognizes regulation and relationships as prerequisites for learning, the project ensures children’s biological needs are met through sensorimotor activities, positive relational experiences, and a supportive school structure. “Brain-friendly school" emphasizes bottom-up regulation, where you learn through sensorimotor and relational experiences, rather than being told what to do or not to do. These interventions aim to create a more inclusive environment, fostering a better understanding of challenging behaviors and helping more students thrive, and further reducing unrest, disruptive behavior and bullying.
In 2024, the project was introduced in three schools in Stavanger. The implementation included staff lessons, monthly meetings with school leadership, the appointment of school mentors and age-appropriate teaching for every grade level. Additional counselling was provided for select classes. In 2025, a research collaboration between Stavanger municipality and the University of Stavanger will investigate the impact of the project. The study will focus on students' perceptions of adult-child interactions and examine whether regular sensorimotor activities influence student engagement and level of stress. It will also explore the experiences of both students and teachers.
Keywords
inclusion, interdisciplinary, disruptive behavior, bullying, prevention
| Please indicate what type of scientific contribution it is | Not applicable |
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| Please also indicate what kind of contribution it is: | Practitioner experiences |
