Within the NEXT-VET Erasmus+ project, Work Package 2 (WP2) plays a crucial role in establishing the scientific and methodological foundation for future interventions aimed at improving student well-being in vocational education and training (VET). WP2 focuses on researching the current state of student well-being, motivation, physical activity, and learning-related challenges across five participating countries: the Netherlands, Finland, Germany, Spain, and Portugal.

A particularly significant outcome of WP2 has been the collaborative planning of the project’s exergaming interventions, which will be developed and implemented during the subsequent work packages. Through extensive international cooperation, researchers, educators, health professionals, and vocational institutions have worked together to design an intervention model that is both scientifically robust and practically feasible across diverse educational contexts.

A Shared European Approach to Student Well-Being

One of the core objectives of NEXT-VET is to create data-driven solutions that support the mental and physical well-being of vocational students. The initial research conducted in WP2 includes literature reviews, focus groups, and comparative analyses across partner countries. These activities help identify common challenges faced by VET students, including stress, reduced motivation, limited physical activity, and barriers to learning.

The findings are directly informing the design of the exergaming interventions. Rather than creating a one-size-fits-all solution, the consortium aims to develop interventions that are flexible enough to accommodate national differences while maintaining a shared framework that enables meaningful comparison of outcomes across countries.

From Research to Intervention Design

A major milestone in WP2 has been the collaborative development of the intervention study design. During consortium workshops and expert meetings, partners examined scientific evidence on exergaming and discussed the most suitable implementation model for vocational education settings. The project team agreed that interventions must be realistic, easy to integrate into educational environments, and supported by reliable measurement methods available in all project languages.

The proposed research design follows the principles of a randomized controlled trial (RCT), widely regarded as the gold standard in intervention research. The model compares an exergaming intervention group with a control group, enabling researchers to examine both immediate and long-term effects on student well-being.

Current plans include a six-week intervention period during which vocational students participate in structured exergaming sessions. The intervention framework has been designed collaboratively to ensure consistency while allowing national partners to adapt practical implementation details to their local educational settings.

Measuring Acute and Long-Term Effects

A unique feature of NEXT-VET is its ambition to investigate both the immediate and sustained impact of exergaming.

The consortium has identified a set of acute outcome measures that can be collected during or immediately after individual gaming sessions. These include perceived mental and physical fatigue, affective responses, enjoyment of physical activity, remembered exertion, and potentially heart rate monitoring. Particular attention has been paid to selecting tools that can be administered quickly and efficiently in vocational education environments.

In addition to immediate responses, the project aims to evaluate longer-term effects on well-being, quality of life, and physical activity behaviour. To support cross-country implementation, the consortium selected validated questionnaires that are already available in Dutch, Finnish, German, Spanish, and Portuguese.

The careful selection of these instruments ensures methodological consistency while minimizing the burden placed on students and educational institutions.

International Collaboration as a Key Success Factor

The design of the exergaming intervention demonstrates the strength of European collaboration. Academic experts, vocational institutions and healthcare professionals have contributed their perspectives throughout WP2. Within the consortium, Savonia University of Applied Sciences has provided expertise related to health sciences, mental well-being, and questionnaire development, helping ensure that the interventions are grounded in current evidence on student health and well-being.

At the same time, project partners from each country contribute valuable local knowledge about vocational education systems and student needs. This collaborative process helps ensure that future interventions are both scientifically credible and practically relevant across diverse cultural and educational environments.

Looking Towards

The work completed during WP2 provides much more than a research report. It establishes the evidence base, methodological framework, and practical design requirements needed for the implementation and evaluation phases of the project. According to the project timeline, the intervention development and testing activities will continue in subsequent work packages, building directly on the findings generated during WP2.

As NEXT-VET progresses, the exergaming interventions developed through this collaborative process have the potential to offer innovative and engaging ways to support vocational students’ physical activity, motivation, and overall well-being. By combining research, technology, and educational practice, the project aims to contribute valuable new knowledge on how digital and gamified approaches can strengthen student well-being across Europe.

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Authors

Salla Lommi, NEXT-VET Neurofeedback and Exergaming Vocational Education, project manager in Savonia, Wellness Center service coordinator

This article was prepared with the help of AI.