Intervention studies have found that motor skill training is an effective way to support cognitive and academic learning in typically developing children and children with special educational needs, especially when these domains are combined. A research-based program, Movement with Early Numeracy (MovEN) was developed in 2020-2024 demonstrating that the combined practices of motor skills and early numeracy are effective in supporting preschool-aged children’s learning in the Finnish context. Preschools provide a valuable environment for implementing effective interventions, but research-based interventions are rarely used successfully in educational settings. Systematic training for using educational interventions has been found to produce positive outcomes.
This intervention project aims to enhance the knowledge and self-efficacy of early childhood (special education) teacher education (ECTE) students regarding motor skills, early numeracy, educational interventions, and the identification of learning difficulties, providing tools to support the development of early numeracy and motor skills through a holistic approach. We are especially interested in how the use of evidence-based interventions with children during ECTE students' courses will change their understanding of motor and early numeracy development. learning difficulties and educational support. The project follows the guidelines of implementation research which supports the uptake of evidence-based educational practices and thereby increases their impact. This study makes it possible to study a) the intervention implementation (on-the-ground enactment and/or participation by the end user), b) the conditions and context that affect implementation (influential factors), and c) the aligned outcomes in ECTE students.
The project is funded by the Finnish Teacher Education Forum. It is conducted together with researchers Anssi Vanhala, Kati Sormunen (University of Helsinki), Heidi Hellstrand (Åbo Akademi), Donna Niemistö (Univeristy of Jyväskylä) and Pinja Tähti (University of Oulu).