Upskilling school staff responsible for psychological and social support to identify, report and prevent “Gaming Disorders”
▶Summary
The project aimed to equip teachers, school leaders and educational staff with the knowledge and tools needed to recognise, prevent and address Gaming Disorder (GD) within school communities. The ...
▶Objectives
The project aimed to equip teachers, school leaders and educational staff with the knowledge and tools needed to recognise, prevent and address Gaming Disorder (GD) within school communities. The project was focused on strengthen their capacity to identify early signs of problematic gaming behaviour, support at-risk students, and promote healthier digital habits. Another objective was to raise awareness among students, families and educators about the risks associated with excessive gaming and the importance of building a balanced digital identity. Through evidence-based research and pedagogical materials, the project aimed to foster safer and more responsible internet use. Finally, the project intended to contribute to schools’ overall digital readiness and resilience by developing practical resources that help educational professionals respond to new behavioural challenges emerging from digital transformation.
▶Activities
The project was implemented through four work packages. As planned, partners developed an evidence-based pedagogical programme to equip school staff with the skills to prevent, identify and report Gaming Disorders. WP1 ensured effective coordination through a Project Management Plan, 17 monthly meetings, five transnational meetings and continuous quality monitoring. WP2 implemented the intended research activities by conducting desk research, 475 questionnaires, 91 interviews and national roundtables, resulting in the publication Epidemiology of Gaming Disorders in the Schools. WP3 delivered the pedagogical component foreseen in the application, producing a psycho-pedagogical guide with 16 activities, collecting 91 existing tools, creating 85 new materials in four languages and pilot-testing them in six countries with 23 schools, 86 educators, 441 students and 38 parents. WP4 carried out the planned awareness-raising and sensitisation campaign through the project website, social media, newsletters, brochures, press releases and eight multiplier events reaching 203 participants.
▶Impact
The project delivered all expected results, meeting or largely surpassing the numbers proposed in the application. The main research output, “Epidemiology of Gaming Disorders in the Schools: its impact and socio-pedagogical suggestions on how to address it”, was based on extensive evidence: partners completed the planned desk research, exceeded the target for student questionnaires (286 vs. 180), met and went beyond the teacher questionnaire target (101 vs. 80) and surpassed the number of interviews with game designers (11 vs. 10) and with teachers/psychologists (80 achieved as planned). Roundtables were organised in every partner country as foreseen. Additionally, the consortium implemented an extra activity by collecting 98 parent questionnaires to further strengthen the study. The pedagogical results fully aligned with the application and were expanded. A psycho-pedagogical guide was produced, 91 open-access materials were mapped (vs. 80 expected) and 85 new pedagogical materials were created (vs. 80 planned), all translated into four languages. These were pilot-tested in 23 schools (exceeding the initial target), followed by an impact study and a nine-video sensitisation documentary.