The SolutionWin pilot provided well-being and support to WinNova´s teaching and guidance staff

As part of the international IPVET (Inclusive Pedagogy in VET) project, a service primarily aimed at WinNova´s teaching and guidance staff was piloted from September to December 2025; the working title for this service was SolutionWin. The goal of the SolutionWin service was to strengthen pedagogical well-being and offer concrete support for the everyday challenges of teaching and guidance work. The SolutionWin space was designed for relaxation and daily breaks. The space also featured activities and tools designed to support students’ motivation, concentration, and self-esteem.

In addition, the SolutionWin coaches – who are part of the IPVET project team– offered opportunities for confidential peer discussions, support in interacting with students facing mental health challenges, and assistance in resolving pedagogical issues. The SolutionWin service and space were open every Tuesday on WinNova´s Pori campus.

Over the course of three months, 68 people used the SolutionWin service, most of whom were teachers and study counsellors. The space featured light refreshments, a relaxation corner with mood lighting, and other equipment for physical activity and stress management, among other things. The goal of the SolutionWin space was to give teachers the opportunity to be in touch with their own emotions and to facilitate confidential conversations.

The service was tailored to the participants’ needs. At the teachers’ request, the SolutionWin coaches also visited classrooms to offer support to teachers, demonstrate tools for workload management and learning support, and encourage students to take part in physical activities during breaks. The classroom visits were found to be beneficial from the perspectives of both teachers and students.

Feedback was collected on the SolutionWin service, with 28 teachers or counsellors who had used the service responding. The feedback was positive: when respondents were asked to rate the likelihood of recommending the service to a colleague on a scale of 1–10, 23 respondents gave a rating of 10, four respondents gave a rating of 9, and one respondent gave a rating of 8. The following responses were received to the question of what they found most useful about SolutionWin:

• Neurosonic-trial

• Tips for muscle care

• Relaxation

• Many useful solutions for improving teaching in the classroom

• A good place to discuss the challenges of the job

• A wide variety of materials available to help with everyday tasks

In addition, we received the following open feedback regarding the RatkoWin program:

• A pleasant atmosphere and a warm, welcoming approach. They listened to me and were genuinely interested in the issues that mattered most to me. Thank you for a wonderful experience!
• The best part was exchanging ideas.
• Open and cheerful activities alongside work.

The IPVET project also piloted neuropsychiatric coaching for students during fall 2025. Hanna and Katja, two of the project’s staff members, are trained neuropsychiatric coaches. Four students took advantage of the short neuropsychiatric coaching sessions during fall 2025.

Based on all the trials, the following conclusions and recommendations were drawn:

• Teachers should have access to practical support for classroom situations, for example through co-teaching.
• The challenge in providing neuropsychiatric coaching to students lies in balancing supply and demand. Students do not always actively seek help, scheduling appointments can be challenging, and students do not always show up for scheduled appointments. Regarding the trial, neuropsychiatric coaching often began more on the initiative of school staff than at the student’s own request. Students who participated in neuropsychiatric coaching expressed relief that there was “someone who really listened.” The coaching focused on supporting students with the everyday challenges they themselves described.
• Students found the SolutionWin coaches’ classroom visits helpful. They had the opportunity to try out study aids and tools for managing workload, such as weighted blankets, tangles, colouring books, noise-cancelling headphones, and seat cushions: 13 out of 19 students gave excellent feedback on the study aids.
• It would be important for staff to have the opportunity to take a break in a quiet, relaxing space. There is a need for low-threshold service available to teaching and other staff where they could easily seek support for everyday challenges.

Following the SolutionWin pilot conducted during the fall semester 2025, WinNova´s IPVET project team is developing a competency badge titled “Taking the Neurodiversity Spectrum into Account in the Daily Life of an Educational Institution” for WinNova´s teaching and guidance staff. The badge will be integrated into WinNova’s competency badge system within the itslearning e-learning environment. The competency badge provides information on the characteristics that manifest in sensory perception, information processing, and ways of thinking among individuals on the neurodiversity spectrum. The competency badge equips individuals with the skills to engage with students who exhibit neurodiversity traits. It offers ideas and tips for planning and implementing instruction that takes neurodiversity into account. The course introduces tools for managing workload that can be used to support learning.

Writers: Virpi Hopeakangas, Hanna Lehto, Jonna Malmivuori, Katja Saarinen