The objective of the project was to increase the motivation of students towards academic subjects. Specifically, the project aimed to provide incentives for students to gain co-operative skills, to make studying more meaningful and to find their own career in the future labour market. On a more practical level, our aim was to decrease students’ absences, stress and dropping out of school. Moreover, we wished to increase students’ well-being and experiences of inclusion. After the courses and the job shadowing experiences, the aim was to share experiences with the participating teachers. In addition, we wanted to share gained knowledge with our colleagues. One of the objectives of this project was to share information as widely as possible so that the diverse methods learnt would become fixed school routine in the long term. Thus, our plan included organising different events where information could be spread further. This would ensure the implementation of the tried and tested methods as essential parts of the new curriculum. Towards the end of the project, we hoped to see students’ learning outcomes as well as their wellbeing improve. In addition, we wanted to achieve a vibrant school culture in which both students and teachers feel motivated and can relieve their stress in more efficient ways.
This project in Martinlaakson lukio was inspired by the results of the national inquiry into students’ well-being. The results of the inquiry suggested lack of motivation, insufficient academic skills, and increased stress levels among upper secondary school students at a national level. The teachers of our school also reported that these issues had become more common in our school in recent years. Additionally, it seemed to us that the digitalisation of the school system posed a serious challenge to students’ interaction and mental focus. We wanted to tackle these challenges through different hands-on methods and professional skills gained both in Erasmus+ courses and in job shadowing experiences. Many upper secondary schools in Vantaa are quite experienced when it comes to managing international projects. From the teachers in these schools, we had heard good things about Erasmus+ projects. This is why we decided, for the first time, to apply for our own project.