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Description
The project aims to strengthen primary school teachers'' competencies to support children with challenging behaviour through training of teacher educators in effective and evidence-based methods to support children with serious behavioural problems. The project will be implemented by the Czech Society for Inclusive Education in cooperation with the Ostbytunet Center for Treatment and Professional Development in child psychiatry. The project is based on the current situation in Czech schools, where the number of pupils with behavioural problems in the school environment is increasing dramatically (4 times in the past 10 years). According to the findings of the Czech School Inspectorate, disciplinary punishments are most often used in response to problematic behaviour in schools, teachers do not know how to handle difficult situations with pupils. However, the representative survey has shown that teachers are very interested in teacher training in this area. The output of the project will be a new course for teachers aimed at supporting pupils with behavioral problems and trained teacher educators who will pilot the course within the project and then will continue to teach this course in further education of teachers as well as at faculties of education. There will be 6 participating teacher trainers who will be trained in new methods and will be involved in the creation of a new course and its adaptation for the Czech elementary school teachers. Other supported participants will be teachers and students of faculties of education who will participate in pilot courses (60) and participants of seminars lectured by Norwegian experts from the partner organization (60). In the long term, the project should contribute to the inclusion of pupils with behavioural problems in mainstream schools and the prevention of their placement in special schools or institutional facilities.
Summary of project results
The project sought to enhance educators’ abilities to support children with challenging behaviour in schools. Such behaviour often stems from adverse childhood experiences and complex trauma. However, a diagnosis of a “behaviour disorder” does not necessarily ensure that a child receives appropriate, tailored interventions to meet their specific needs. Vulnerable groups, including children with Autism Spectrum Disorders, ADHD, victims of domestic violence or abuse, and Roma children, have historically been underserved due to a lack of teacher training in addressing their unique requirements.
In response, the project introduced an evidence-based approach to behaviour management in schools, focusing on the needs of these children. It also developed specialized training programmes for education professionals to better support vulnerable students.
At the outset, Norwegian experts shared their knowledge of the Neurosequential Model with Czech colleagues. This model helps educators work more effectively with children exhibiting challenging behaviours. Together, the teams developed comprehensive study materials, including a translation of the Norwegian book Fra uro til ro ("From Turmoil to Calm"), which was adapted to suit the Czech educational context.
Additionally, the project team organized a unique, country-specific training programme for educational professionals. Feedback was gathered and used to tailor the training to meet the specific needs of Czech elementary education. More than 60 educators were trained in Neurosequential methods and trauma-informed approaches to better support children coping with complex trauma.
The project garnered significant attention within the Czech professional community, including recognition from the Czech School Inspection and the Czech Ministry of Education, both of which disseminated its outcomes. The project’s promoter continues to provide training for teachers and other educational professionals, thereby spreading the trauma-informed approach to numerous schools throughout Czechia.
The project’s impact was further acknowledged with the prestigious DZS Award for the Best Inclusion Project in Czechia in 2023.
Summary of bilateral results
Representatives from the Norwegian partner organization, Østbytunet Center, made a crucial contribution to the project’s implementation. Their shared expertise was particularly valuable due to their long-term practical experience in applying methods used in the Neurosequential Model of Education (NME). All experts involved from Østbytunet Center were highly dedicated to the project, exceeding expectations in their support of the trainees and the ČOSIV (now known as SOFA) expert team, providing relevant materials and helping to create the curriculum. They were also extremely flexible and accommodating when adjustments were needed due to the COVID-19 situation, investing more time than planned in delivering transnational teaching activities in an online environment.This partnership has led to long-term collaboration. Experts from Østbytunet Center are now supervising another Czech project, with SOFA as the main partner, focused on Mental Health Support Teams (www.dusevnizdraviprodeti.cz). Currently, the project partners are planning further cooperation to promote the trauma-informed approach to behaviour management, addressing the needs of children with adverse experiences in countries supporting Ukrainian children affected by war and displacement, particularly in the V4 countries.