Magda Vitsou holds a degree from the Department of Early Childhood Education of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1996). She has a Master’s Degree in Education from the postgraduate program “Educational Play and Educational Material in Early Childhood Education” of the Department of Preschool Education at the University of Thessaly (2007). In 2016, she gained her PhD in Theatre Pedagogy with distinction from the Department of Theatre Studies of the School of Fine Arts at the University of Peloponnese, with the dissertation titled “Puppet Theatre as an Intercultural and Communicative Tool in Teaching Greek as a Second Language: A Case Study of Preschool Students in Greek Language Learning Programs in Stockholm.” In 2022, she completed her postdoctoral research focusing on “The Contribution of Puppetry and Dramatic Art to the Education of Inmates: An Action Research at a prison in Volos,” conducted within the Department of Early Childhood Education at the University of Thessaly. Her expertise has been further enriched by her specialization in Therapeutic Puppetry from “The School of Puppet Therapy-Chile” under UNIMA-CHILE, and Puppetry in Education from the “London School of Puppetry.” Her research interests are concentrated on the application of drama and puppetry in preschool and early primary education, as well as the education of socially vulnerable groups.

Since 2019, she has served as a member of the Laboratory Teaching Staff  at the Department of Early Childhood Education, where she specializes in “Applied Early Childhood Pedagogy in Practical Training.” She is responsible for delivering both undergraduate and postgraduate courses. Her academic contributions include participation in the project team of the “Step Up Program (Student Teachers Practice for Democratic Culture – STEP UP-DC),” sponsored by IKY. She played a pivotal role in developing educational materials for unit 7A, PRE-SCHOOL EDUCATION: Teaching Strategies for Democratic Values, available in both Greek and English. Dr. Vitsou also has facilitated numerous training programs focusing on Democratic Culture Education, the inclusion of refugee and migrant children, and has developed educational materials tailored to these groups. She has presented her research at various scientific conferences and has published extensively in academic journals. Moreover, she is actively engaged in European research initiatives focused on Democracy in Education.

Indicative Publications

• Dania, A., Koukounaras Liagkis, M., Gogoulou, A., Karavas, E., Vlachos, K., Magos, K., & Vitsou, M. (2024). Supporting Preservice Teachers’ Civic Competence as a Strategy for Internationalisation in the Digital Era. Center for Educational Policy Studies Journal. https://doi.org/10.26529/cepsj.1676
• Gkaintartzi, A., Kostoulas, A., Vitsou, M. (2024). Multilingualising’ Language Education: A Teacher Training Programme for English as a ‘Bridge Language’ in Early Childhood Education. Journal of Education and Training 11(1), 59-78. https://doi.org/10.5296/jet.v11i1.21645
• Vitsou M., Papadopoulou, Μ. (2023). At first it was like a bridge closed from both sides: Pre-service teachers participate in a drama-based project with refugee children. Education for Refugees and Forced (Im)Migrants Across Time and Context. Επιμέλεια:Wiseman,W., & Damaschke-Deitrick, L.-. Bingley.
• Vitsou, M. & Magos, K. (2023). Fostering inmates’ self-identity and communication via Drama in Education and puppetry An action research study at the Volos Youth Detention Centre. Education & Theatre 24, 20–31. https://doi.org/10.12681/edth.36298.
• Παπαδοπούλου Μ., Βίτσου Μ., & Γκανά Ε. (2022). Ο χειρισμός της κούκλας για τη δημιουργία νοήματος: ένα πλαίσιο ανάλυσης πολυτροπικών αλληλεπιδράσεων παιδιών με προσφυγική εμπειρία. Διάλογοι! Θεωρία και πράξη στις επιστήμες αγωγής και εκπαίδευσης, 8, 4–19. https://doi.org/10.12681/dial.28249 (Original work published 18 Φεβρουάριος 2022).

Manolis Papaioannou was born in Athens in 1972 and is married. He studied theology at the Department of Social Theology of Athens (1998) and has been working as a Religious Education teacher in Secondary Education since 2005 (Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection). He holds a Master’s Degree in “Educational Sciences and Religious Education” from the Department of Theology, NKUA (2018), researching the teaching effectiveness of interfaith dialogue in a mixed religious classroom. At the same Department, he carried out an empirical doctoral research on the topic: “Mentoring as a relationship and method of educating new teachers” (2024). As a trainer, he has conducted numerous trainings on the application of experiential techniques in the teaching of the subject of Religious Education, in training programs and seminars for teachers and student-teachers. At the same time, he has been a Mentor-Teacher and a trainer of Religious Education Mentor-Teachers in the framework of Teaching Practicum program for students of the Department of Theology, NKUA (2021), where he has been coordinating and supporting work to this day. He has been involved in research on the epistemology and the compulsivity of the subject of Religious Education, as well as on the utilization of narrative research approaches in the evaluation of the effectiveness of educational interventions. He has also collaborated in the creation of teaching materials for the Religious Education course (3rd High School subject folder) (2017) and was a member of the team preparing the new Curricula and related supporting materials (2021-2022) that are currently in force. Since 2018, he has been an assistant editor of the international scientific journal GjRE (Greek Journal of Religious Education).

Indicative Publications

• Koukounaras Liagkis, M., Karavas, E., & Papaioannou, M. (2024). Using the “most significant change” technique to evaluate the teaching competence and psycho-emotional development of prospective teachers during the teaching practicum. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 13(3), pp. 295-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-04-2023-0037
• Koukounaras Liagkis, M., & Papaioannou, M. (2023). The use of narratives in evaluation of prospective teachers’ education outcomes – the ‘Most Significant Change’ technique’ [H χρήση αφηγήσεων στην αξιολόγηση αποτελεσμάτων της εκπαίδευσης των υποψηφίων εκπαιδευτικών – H τεχνική της «πιo σημαντικής αλλαγής»]. Έρευνα στην Εκπαίδευση, 12(1), pp. 98-117. https://doi.org/10.12681/hjre.34064
• Papaioannou, M. (2018). Can the Interfaith Dialogue in the Religious Education be effective? An empirical research [Μπορεί να είναι αποτελεσματικός ο διδακτικός διαθρησκειακός διάλογος στο Μάθημα των Θρησκευτικών; Μία εμπειρική έρευνα]. Greek Journal of Religious Education, 1(1), 41-62. http://doi.org/10.30457/031020184
• Papaioannou, E. (2016). Religious Education in the Greek school of the 21st century: Issues of compulsivity, curriculum and pedagogical approach [Η θέση της Θρησκευτικής Εκπαίδευσης στο ελληνικό σχολείο του 21ου αιώνα: Ζητήματα υποχρεωτικότητας, προγράμματος σπουδών και παιδαγωγικής προσέγγισης]. In S. Grosdos (Ed.) Curricula-School Textbooks. From the Past, to the Present and the Future. Conference Proceedings, vol. 2 (pp. 201-212). School Life and Education Museum of NCRPSM, HES, Pierce-American College of Greece.

Manolis Papaioannou was born in Athens in 1972 and is married. He studied theology at the Department of Social Theology of Athens (1998) and has been working as a Religious Education teacher in Secondary Education since 2005 (Supreme Council for Civil Personnel Selection). He holds a Master’s Degree in “Educational Sciences and Religious Education” from the Department of Theology, NKUA (2018), researching the teaching effectiveness of interfaith dialogue in a mixed religious classroom. At the same Department, he carried out an empirical doctoral research on the topic: “Mentoring as a relationship and method of educating new teachers” (2024). As a trainer, he has conducted numerous trainings on the application of experiential techniques in the teaching of the subject of Religious Education, in training programs and seminars for teachers and student-teachers. At the same time, he has been a Mentor-Teacher and a trainer of Religious Education Mentor-Teachers in the framework of Teaching Practicum program for students of the Department of Theology, NKUA (2021), where he has been coordinating and supporting work to this day. He has been involved in research on the epistemology and the compulsivity of the subject of Religious Education, as well as on the utilization of narrative research approaches in the evaluation of the effectiveness of educational interventions. He has also collaborated in the creation of teaching materials for the Religious Education course (3rd High School subject folder) (2017) and was a member of the team preparing the new Curricula and related supporting materials (2021-2022) that are currently in force. Since 2018, he has been an assistant editor of the international scientific journal GjRE (Greek Journal of Religious Education).

Indicative Publications

• Koukounaras Liagkis, M., Karavas, E., & Papaioannou, M. (2024). Using the “most significant change” technique to evaluate the teaching competence and psycho-emotional development of prospective teachers during the teaching practicum. International Journal of Mentoring and Coaching in Education, 13(3), pp. 295-312. https://doi.org/10.1108/IJMCE-04-2023-0037
• Koukounaras Liagkis, M., & Papaioannou, M. (2023). The use of narratives in evaluation of prospective teachers’ education outcomes – the ‘Most Significant Change’ technique’ [H χρήση αφηγήσεων στην αξιολόγηση αποτελεσμάτων της εκπαίδευσης των υποψηφίων εκπαιδευτικών – H τεχνική της «πιo σημαντικής αλλαγής»]. Έρευνα στην Εκπαίδευση, 12(1), pp. 98-117. https://doi.org/10.12681/hjre.34064
• Papaioannou, M. (2018). Can the Interfaith Dialogue in the Religious Education be effective? An empirical research [Μπορεί να είναι αποτελεσματικός ο διδακτικός διαθρησκειακός διάλογος στο Μάθημα των Θρησκευτικών; Μία εμπειρική έρευνα]. Greek Journal of Religious Education, 1(1), 41-62. http://doi.org/10.30457/031020184
• Papaioannou, E. (2016). Religious Education in the Greek school of the 21st century: Issues of compulsivity, curriculum and pedagogical approach [Η θέση της Θρησκευτικής Εκπαίδευσης στο ελληνικό σχολείο του 21ου αιώνα: Ζητήματα υποχρεωτικότητας, προγράμματος σπουδών και παιδαγωγικής προσέγγισης]. In S. Grosdos (Ed.) Curricula-School Textbooks. From the Past, to the Present and the Future. Conference Proceedings, vol. 2 (pp. 201-212). School Life and Education Museum of NCRPSM, HES, Pierce-American College of Greece.

 

Konstantinos Kornarakis is a Professor in the Department of Theology at the Faculty of Theology of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens. He specializes in “Christian Ethics – Bioethics”. After completing his studies in Theology, he pursued postgraduate studies in patristic theology (MA, 1994-University of Durham) and earned his PhD from the Department of Pastoral Theology, National and Kapodistrian University of Athens (1992). He also studied Psychology at the Department of Philosophy, Education, and Psychology of the University of Athens. His areas of interest span Christian Ethics (moral theology and modern issues such as Bioethics, Ecology, and Technology), Patristic anthropology and psychology, and Orthodox Spirituality.

He is a Member of the Pontifical Academy for Life (the Bioethical Committee of the Vatican), a Member of the Bioethics Committee of the Church of Greece, a Member of the Deontological Committee of the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, a Member of the Bioethical Committee of the Hellenic Pasteur Institute, a Member of the teaching staff of the Foundation of Pastoral Education (Archbishopric of Athens) and Chairman of the Supervising Board of Ecclesiastical Education (Greek Ministry of Education).

Indicative Publications

• Kornarakis , K. I. (2022). Biology and spiritual life: The resonances of Hippocratic considerations on emotional disposition in the work of John of Damascus in relation to modern anthropological applications. Στο V. Antinopoulou, & D. Lamprellis, Society and Politics in the End of two centuries: tribute to Antonios Paparizos (σσ. 455-484). Athens: Papazisi.
• Kornarakis, K. I. (2020). Models of palliative care provision in Saint Lucas’ the Stylitis Hagiology (10th c.) and their post narrative bioethical perspectives . Στο Festschrift. Athens.
• Kornarakis, K. I. (2021). Maternal spindle transfer (MST) and pronuclear transfer (PNT): Theological anthropology on repairing the genetic material. Στο Bioethics. Athens.
• Kornarakis, K. I. (2022). From conception to abortion: The gift of life in a culture of death. Life or death: Te issue of abortion under medical, legal, theological, psychological and experiential consideration, σσ. 971-985.
• Kornarakis, K. I. (2022, March 12-13). Where is your God?: The person caught between vulnerability and hope during the pandemic crisis era. Faith, Hope and Vision: Proceedings of Conference, σσ. 110-134.

Email: konkor@theol.uoa.gr

Maria Nikolopoulou is a member of the Laboratory and Teaching Staff in the Department of Modern Greek Philology of the Department of Philology of the National University of Athens, specializing in Modern Greek Philology. She studied Classical Philology at the University of Athens. She obtained a Master’s and Doctoral Degree in Modern Greek Philology from the University of London (King’s College London), as a scholarship holder of the State Scholarships Foundation. She speaks excellent English and French.

She has taught European and Modern Greek literature at the Hellenic Open University (2003-2013 and 2016-2023) at undergraduate and postgraduate levels and at the Department of Philology of the University of Patras (2008-2009). She has research experience in research programs of the Centre for Advanced Study in Sofia (NEXUS: How to Think about the Balkans: 2002), the School of Fine Arts (The female literary and visual presence in literary and art journals (1900-1940): 2005-2007), the Erasmus+ STEPUP-DC program of the National University of Athens, in collaboration with four European universities (Teacher Students’ Practices for Democratic Culture (STEPUP-DC): 2020-2022) and the program The Stranger, the Other, the Different: Identity and Otherness in Literature of the National University of Athens (ELIDEK, 2021-2023). She was a Research Fellow in Comparative Cultural Studies at the Center for Hellenic Studies of Greece, Harvard University (2020-21).

She served as a philologist in public secondary education (2000-2017), with actual teaching service in high schools and lyceums of the regions of 2nd Heraklion, 1st Piraeus, 1st and 2nd Athens and involvement in innovative actions. She was a member of the writing team of the book History of the 5th Primary School in the Byzantine Era (published by the Pedagogical Institute, 2006).
Her research interests concern 20th-century prose, the attributions of historical experience in literary writing, literature as a means of shaping historical memory, women’s literary creation and avant-garde prose in the 1960s and 1970s, and the representation of otherness in literature.

Indicative Publications

• Δώρα Μέντη – Μαρία Νικολοπούλου, «Ο ξένος, ο άλλος, ο διαφορετικός: Ταυτότητα και ετερότητα στα Ανθολόγια Λογοτεχνικών Κειμένων» στα Πρακτικά συνεδρίου: Αναζητώντας τη γνώση: Τα σχολικά εγχειρίδια στο Ελληνικό Κράτος: 17-19 Δεκεμβρίου 2021, Ινστιτούτο Εκπαιδευτικής Πολιτικής και Εθνική Βιβλιοθήκη Ελλάδος, Αθήνα 2023 σ. 192-206 http://iep.edu.gr/images/synedrio/Praktika_TaSxolikaEgxeiridia_c_o.pdf .
• «Από τον Στρατή Μυριβήλη στον Θανάση Βαλτινό: Μια επισκόπηση της σχέσης ιστορίας-μυθοπλασίας στη νεοελληνική πεζογραφία του 20ου αιώνα», Νέα Εστία, τχ. 1894 (Μάρτιος 2023), σ. 30-49.
• «Subversive Literary Representations of 1821 in the Metapolitefsi (1974-1981)», Journal of Greek Media and Culture, τχ. 7/2 (Autumn 2021), σ. 259–279.
• «Γυναικεία σεξουαλικότητα και γραφή στα περιοδικά λόγου και τέχνης (1900-1920)», στο Κ. Α. Δημάδης (επιμ.), Δ΄ Ευρωπαϊκό Συνέδριο Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών: Γρανάδα 9-12 Σεπτεμβρίου 2010: Πρακτικά: Ταυτότητες στον ελληνικό κόσμο: (από το 1204 έως σήμερα), Ευρωπαϊκή Εταιρεία Νεοελληνικών Σπουδών, Αθήνα 2011, τόμος Δ΄, σ. 59-72. ISBN: 978-960-99699-0-1

Email: mnikolopoulo@phil.uoa.gr 

Evangelia Frydaki is Professor at School of Philosophy, Department of Educational Studies. Her cognitive subject is «Teaching: Theory and Practice» (Government Gazette: 734/27-7-2015 τ. Γ’).

She holds a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Philosophy (Specialization: Philosophy) and she is Doctor of Philosophy of National and Kapodistrian University of Athens, Department of Philosophy, Pedagogy and Psychology.

Her main scientific / research interests are: Educational theory and practice in the postmodern socio-cultural and educational context, Teacher’s professional development – Development of personal theory – Participation in constructed educational experiences (learning communities, mentoring) – Empowerment of professional identity, Foundations of the literary education and educational practices on the subject of literature, Dialogism – Dialogic Education – Interpretive Dialogue.

She has participated in research programs and she has been invited as key-speaker in many academic conferences. Also she has been supervising research projects and phd studies in the areas of democratic education, teaching literature and history, teachers’ professional development, and numerous master’s dissertations.

Indicative Publications

• Frydaki, E. (2023). “Teacher learning communities: under which terms do they emerge as places of professional development and transformation of the educational work?” In Education in the 21st century: Contemporary challenges and concerns (pp. 470-481).  Cambridge Scholars Publishing.
• Φρυδάκη, Ε. (2017). «Η επαγγελματική ανάπτυξη του εκπαιδευτικού. Κυρίαρχοι λόγοι και λύσεις με νόημα» στο 3^ο Επιστημονικό Συνέδριο Συλλόγου ΕΠ της ΑΣΠΑΙΤΕ, Επαγγελματική εξέλιξη και ανάπτυξη του Τεχνολόγου Εκπαιδευτικού (σσ. 29-33).
• Φρυδάκη, Ε. (2015). Η Επαγγελματική Ταυτότητα του Εκπαιδευτικού και το Μέλλον της Διδασκαλίας. Αθήνα: Κριτική.
• Frydaki, E. (2011). “Fostering humanity through interpretive dialogue in teacher communities”. In Wiel Veugelers (Ed.), Education and Humanism. Linking Autonomy and Humanity (163-179), Sense Publishers. (Το βιβλίο βραβεύτηκε με το Βραβείο Maslovaty από την Ομάδα Ειδικού Ενδιαφέροντος Ηθική και Δημοκρατική Εκπαίδευση του EARLI (Ευρωπαϊκή Ένωση Μάθησης και Εκπαίδευσης).
• Frydaki, E. & Mamoura, M. (2014). “Mentoring as a means for transforming mentor-teachers’ practical knowledge: A case study from Greece”. International Education Research 2 (1): 01-16. ISSN:2291-5273 (Print) ISSN:2291-5281 (Online). DOI:10.12735/IER.V2I1P1

Contact details

Tel. 30 210 727 7518

email: efrydaki@eds.uoa.gr