Meet the Speakers

Andreia Monteiro

Andreia Monteiro is a senior project manager and consultant at the Capacity Building Unit at INOVA+ Science, Education and Technology department.  

Andreia has more than 10 years of experience in European projects related with innovation and capacity building of organisations and professionals of the fields of education and training including, school education, vocational education and training (initial and continuous), adult education and learning in the workplace. Through her experience as project manager, Andreia acquire experience and competences in the different phases of the cycle of projects, as such, development of technical and financial proposal, management of the project, implementation of activities at the regional/national levels and mobilization and engagement of stakeholders. In these last years, Andreia had also the opportunity of acting as a National expert and researcher in different projects and initiatives related to the analysis/characterisation and improvement of the quality of education and training schemes, in general, and in work-based learning schemes, in particularly. 

Andreia holds a University Degree in Psychology, specializations in adult education and training and business management.  

Andreja Schmuck

Organization: Ministry of Education/Education Development and Quality Office/Quality and Analysis Unit

Position: Secretary

Andreja Schmuck works at the Ministry of Education, in the Education Development and Quality Office, where she mainly focuses on developmental and advisory work in the field of education staff from pre-school education to basic and secondary education in Slovenia. She holds a master’s degree in analytical sociology.

She joined the Ministry in 1994, namely the Development of Human Resources in Education Unit, where she dealt with the development of the career path of education staff at all stages: initial teacher education, entry into the profession, induction period, support for taking the state professional examination, for continuous professional development, promotion to the titles, as well as mutual recognition of professional qualifications in accordance with the European directive. In recent years, she has been working in the Quality and Analysis Unit primarily focusing on data and analysis on the topic of teachers. Her main area is analytical work on teachers to provide evidence-based support for policy decisions. From this perspective, she is actively involved in the current preparation of the National Education Program at the non-university level for the period 2023-2033.

She also has experience in the field of international cooperation: she is a national coordinator for OECD Teaching and Learning International Survey and is a member of the TALIS Governing Board. She monitors other international large-scale surveys in the field of education, in which Slovenia is participating. She works as an expert in European Commission’s thematic working groups and projects.

Maria João Ferreira

Maria João Martins Ferreira Graduated in Modern Languages and Literature – Portuguese and French Studies,  Educational Branch, from the Faculdade de Letras da Universidade Clássica de Lisboa.

Postgraduate in Portuguese Regional Cultures from the Faculty of Social and Human Sciences of Universidade Nova de Lisboa.

Forgep Course, Public Management Training Program and Senior Management Seminar,  both given by the National Institute of Administration.

• Portuguese teacher since 1988/89.
• 2003/2004 – Deputy Coordinator of the Setúbal Peninsula Educational Area Center.
• 2003-2004 – Representative of DRELVT on the Municipal Education Councils of
  Alcochete and Sesimbra.
• 2004/2005 – Educational Coordinator of the Setúbal Peninsula.
• 2005 – 2008 – Technical-pedagogical functions at the Regional Directorate of Education of Lisbon and Vale of Tagus River (DRELVT), in the Management and Autonomy Office.
• From 2008 to 2016 – Coordination within the Lisbon and Tagus Valley Regional area: 1.
  TEIP2 Program (Priority Intervention Educational Territories); 2. Autonomy Contracts; 3. RBE – School Libraries Network.
• 2010 – Representative of DRELVT on the Local Monitoring Committee of the Autonomy Contracts of the Alfornelos School Group and the Carlos Gargaté School Group.
• From 2013 to 2015 – Representative of DGESTE – DSRLVT on the Monitoring Committees for the Autonomy Contracts of the Carlos Gargaté School Group, AE Matilde Rosa  Araújo, AE Alfornelos, AE Navegador Rodrigues Soromenho and Secondary School, Quinta do Marquês.
• Since 2016– Director of Human Resources Management and Training Services at the
  General Directorate of School Administration.
• Since 2017 – President of the Analysis and Recognition Committee (cf. Ordinance nº 344/2008, of April 30) for the recognition of study cycles leading to master’s and doctor’s degrees for the purposes set out in paragraphs 1 and 2 of the Article 54 of the Career Statute for Early Childhood Educators and Basic and Secondary Education Teachers.
• In 2012, she was appointed expert in the government area of education at the Recruitment and Selection Committee for Public Administration.
• Currently, appointed by the Ministry of Education, she is the coordinator of LOOP.

Pedro Costa

Pedro Costa is the Head of Unit for the business area Capacity Building at INOVA+ (since 2016) and a senior consultant (since 2012), focusing on the education and training sector with an accumulated experience of more than 20 years. Pedro coordinates a team of 10 consultants and over 40 ongoing projects, including the provision of services to clients. His experience as a senior consultant covers a range of areas and activities, including proposal writing (from idealization to submission, over 80 proposals), international project management and implementation, evaluation. Pedro’s experience on education and training includes needs analysis, design of training programmes and curricula, development of innovative educational resources, and impact evaluation. Main areas of expertise include STEAM, digital skills, sustainability, financial literacy, social sciences and humanities, I4.0, teachers training, social inclusion, citizenship, among others. Pedro holds a degree in Law from Universidade Católica Portuguesa and a specialization course in Management also from Universidade Católica Portuguesa. Pedro is a certified trainer. He is also a regular evaluator for the European Commission.

Nadia Ferreira

Nadia Ferreira is assistant professor at ISPA, where she taught courses related to Mathematics Education. Since 2000, she has been an elementary school teacher, teacher trainer and researcher, with her focus on teacher practice and knowledge to teach. In her PhD thesis in Didactics of Mathematics, at the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon, her focused on the knowledge and practices of teachers to teach Mathematics.
She has collaborated with different higher education institutions and several teacher-training centres, since 2012. Throughout her professional life has pedagogically and scientifically supported teachers and schools in different programs of the Ministry of Education. From 2016 at 2021, at the Directorate General for Education (DGE) she has been actively involved in the curriculum reorganization process that is taking place in Portugal. She was also involved in the production of pedagogical resources, guiding documents on reference practices, and also conceived and implemented training for teacher trainers and directors across the country.

Marko Weilguny

With a background from sociology and philosophy, Marko Weilguny has been working in the sphere of education for the past 10 years. Firstly, at a large school center with everything from kindergarten, and primary school through a general secondary school all the way to a university students’ dormitory and a music school. Last 4 years he has been working also at the University of Ljubljana as a researcher and project office manager. He has experience with project management and implemented several educational projects including national projects for continuous teacher training as well as international teacher courses. 

Antoni Tort Bardolet

Antoni Tort Bardolet is Professor at the University of Vic-UCC. He is a member of GREUV (Research Group Education of UVic) and carried out research on teacher professionalism, schooling, community, and intercultural education, history of the school, etc. In previous years he has combined teaching and research with the assumption of different positions such as Dean of the Faculty or Director of the Doctoral School at the University of Vic-UCC. He has published many books and articles in the most prestigious publishing houses and journals in Europe. 

Keynote speaker – Eran Tamir

Eran Tamir (Ph.D., Michigan State University, 2006) is Senior Lecturer at the Department of Educational Policy and Administration (School of Education), Tel Aviv University, Israel. He is anaffiliated scholar at the Mandel Center (Brandeis University) in Massachusetts – USA.He is a sociologist and an educational policy scholar whose research focuses on educational policy and schooling as well as on teacher education, teacher careers and the professionalization of teaching. Eran’s scholarly work has focused on policy debates regarding the future of teaching and teacher education including in-depth analysis of the education policy debates in New Jersey during the 1980s which led to the creation of the first alternate route to teacher certification in the U.S. Additional works on the politics of teacher education include works with Suzanne Wilson on accreditation of teacher education and analysis of the current debates over teacher education policy in the U.S.
Eran has directed the Choosing to Teach Study, a collaborative research project comparing new teachers’ decisions to teach in urban public, Catholic, and Jewish schools, and the DeLeT Longitudinal Project which tracks Jewish teachers focusing on the personal, social, and organizational factors that shape their career commitments and choices. He has published multiple works on teacher commitments, careers, and support of beginning teachers, and studies the impact of mission driven teacher education on teachers’ commitments, careers, leadership and effectiveness. His recent line of research includes a focus on principals support for beginning teachers, teacher leadership, and evaluation of teacher preparation.
Eran’s recent research appeared in journals such as European Journal of Teacher Education and in Teaching and Teacher Education.

Dr Kostas Dimopoulos

Dr Kostas Dimopoulos is Professor of School Policy in the Dept. of Social and Educational Policy (University of Peloponnese). He also teaches Education Research Methods in the Hellenic Open University while in the period 2011-2012 he has served as vice president of the Institute of Education Policy (national agency supervised by the Ministry of Education responsible for education planning in primary and secondary education). His current research interests concern the analysis of School Policies. He has written over one hundred articles and conference papers, as well as two books on these issues. His published worked has been cited by hundreds of peers from fifty two different countries around the world. Finally Prof. Dimopopulos has participated (as member of the working group or as coordinator) in sixteen national and nineteen European R&D projects while he is also member of international panels of experts for evaluating research proposals in the field of Education Sciences (Poland, Portugal, E.U).

Marta Peixoto

Marta Peixoto is a teacher of Mathematics, Biology, and Geology, and a co-founder of the Pedagogical Innovation Center at Casa do Professor. She holds a degree in Biology and Geology Education and Mathematics, and a master’s degree in Education from the University of Minho. She is a project manager in various institutions and leads the work of Casa do Professor in the context of LOOP, regarding the Development of Policy Recommendations. 

Marta Peixoto also has experience in drafting and coordinating more than 30 projects on teacher training and development, teacher identity and professionalism, pedagogical innovation, curriculum, and evaluation. Among the most recent projects she has coordinated are “IN-school – Developing Skills For Life,” “NESTT – New European Settings for Teachers and Teaching,” and “ENROLE – FostEring cooperatioN between school and family for combatting eaRly schOol Leaving of migrant children”. 

Margarida Amador

• Arts teacher since 1991;  
• Headmistress of private schools for 20 years; 
• Internationally certified professional coach and mentor (ICF and EMCC);
• Certified manager of coaching and mentoring programmes (IPMA – EMCC); 
• Certified in behavioural analysis (DISC, TTI Success Insights) 
• Author of opinion articles on education in the online press; 
• Author of the book “Parental Leadership Challenges”; 
• Master’s student at the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon in Educational Administration. 

Bruno Ćurko, PhD., assistant professor on Department for teacher on Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split.

• Founder and secretary of the Association for supporting of informal education, critical thinking and philosophy in practice “PETIT PHILOSOPHY”
• Lead about 1200 workshops with children from 2009. – today
• Author of three scientific books (on Croatian): Critical thinking in teaching philosophy,
logic and ethic (2017), The Art of Drywalls (2018), Education for animals –
Development of critical thinking and bioethical sensibility in children (2022).
• Leader of the Croatian delegation to the International Philosophical Olympiad (2007- today).
• Head of the Curriculum Working Group for school subject “The World and I” (critical opinion)
• Co-author of seven educational guides for teacher and multitude of educational
materials and tools in European educational projects (ErasmusPlus, Commenius…)
• Participated in more the 15 EU educational projects (ErasmusPlus, Commenius…).
• Secretary of SOPHIA —The European Foundation for the Advancement of Doing Philosophy with Children from 2014 to 2017.
• President of Croatian Philosophical Society (2019-2021)
• Co-author of two textbooks on ethics (2010, 2014), and the textbook “Philosophy” (2021)
• Co-author of philosophical picture book for children “Philosophy – now what would that be?”
• More than 30 scientific articles about Philosophy with children, philosophy of education, critical thinking, didactic of Philosophy.
• Creator of the syllabus of the course “Philosophy with Children” and “Critical thinking” at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Split.
• He had lectures on more than fifty international scientific conferences in Croatia, Europe and Asia, including The XXIV World Congress in Beijing, China (August 13 to August 20, 2018), The 15th ICPIC Conference, Jinju, South Korea (2011), The 14th ICPIC Conference, Padua, Italy

Panagiotis Piliouras

Panagiotis Piliouras is a Teacher in Primary Education, he got a degree in Mathematics and a Master’s Degree in “Science Education”. He holds a PhD degree in Science Education. He has been working as a teacher for  seventeen year, as a teacher advisor for twelve years in primary  education and also he has been teaching for many years in higher education. Currently is been working in the position of the Scientific Counselor in the Institute of Educational Policy. His research interests focus on teachers professional development and in particular the teaching of science and mathematics in a collaborative inquiry model, the analysis of social interaction in learning and instruction, the sociocultural perspectives in learning and development, the teacher in-service training, and the applications of educational technologies. He has participated in several national and international conferences on Science and Mathematics Education and has published several papers in Greek and international scientific journals and in the proceedings of national and international conferences. 

Domenico De Fano

Domenico De Fano is a first-year PhD Student in Economics and Management of Sustainability and Innovation (XXXV Cycle) at LUM “Jean Monnet” University, Casamassima (BA). In 2019, he was admitted to the Master’s Degree in Information Management with specialization in Marketing Intelligence at NOVA Information Management School (Lisbon, Portugal). He submitted a dissertation with the title “Green energy for sale: willingness to pay in a collaborative energy context”. In 2017, he was admitted to the Bachelor’s Degree in Marketing and Communication (L-18 Class). His research activity focuses on green energy, consumer behaviour, peer-to-peer forms of exchange, and sustainability management.

Estela Costa

Estela Costa is an assistant professor and deputy director at the Institute of Education, University of Lisbon (IE-ULisboa). She coordinates the master’s degree in school management and administration and teaches in graduate and postgraduate courses in the Educational Administration and Policy area of expertise. She has been involved in EU projects named KNOWandPOL, ONTP*, and is now coordinating the Portuguese team of New Approaches in Inspection: A Polycentric Model.
At a national level, she has been involved in the training of teachers (Ministry of Education and Teacher Training Centres), school principals (Microsoft Project ‘Innovative Leaders’; Ministry of Education) and of inspectors of Education (ME).
She coordinates the IE-ULisboa external consulting team of ‘Educational Territories of Priority Intervention schools’ (TEIP), in partnership with the Ministry of Education (ME). She coordinates ‘Redescola’ (School-network), an initiative of IE-ULisboa. She provided training to all Portuguese school principals (including from the Azores island) within the scope of PAFC (Autonomy and Curricular Flexibility Project) a ME pilot project that gave rise to the new national curriculum (2018-2019).
She trained all Portuguese coordinators and teachers on a new political measure – The Alternative Curricular Paths (PCA) – to promote educational success (2016).
She has participated and conducting evaluation studies on ME political programs, such as, the ‘Early Bilingual Teaching Project’ (2014), the ‘Pilot Project for Pedagogical Innovation (2019) (coord.), Evaluation study of the reorganization of the school calendar (2020 (coord.). Also, she is involved in the project: Guinea-Bissau educational system capacity building program (PRECASE) (2019-2023) based on training processes for professionals in the education sector. A project coordinated by the NGO Fundação Fé e Cooperação (FEC), integrating IE-Ulisboa and the Escola Superior de Educação de Setúbal (ESES). Funded by Camões – Institute of Cooperation and Language, I.P.
She conducts consultancy activities in Portugal (e.g. Teacher Training Centres) and abroad (e.g. as external evaluator for the B.Sc. in Education Studies programme at the Marino Institute of Education/Trinity College, Dublin – Ireland, in 2019).

Luís Miguel Carvalho

Professor at the Institute of Education, University of Lisbon. He works in the area of education policy, and his main scholarly interests include: educational governance, PISA as a policy instrument, and the and worldwide circulation of education models and reforms. Currently, he is the Diretor of the Institute of Education and coordinator of the IE’ R&D Centre on Education and Training (UIDEF).