Vassilis Barkoukis | Human Behavior Modeling | Best Researcher Award

Prof. Vassilis Barkoukis | Human Behavior Modeling | Best Researcher Award

Aristotle University Of Thessaloniki | Greece

A distinguished scholar in Sport and Exercise Psychology, this academic serves as an Associate Professor at the Department of Physical Education and Sport Science, Aristotle University of Thessaloniki. Holding dual PhDs—one in Human Performance and Health from Aristotle University (2001) and another in Social and Sport Psychology from the University of Sheffield (2018)—their work bridges psychology, education, and athletic performance. With extensive teaching experience across undergraduate, postgraduate, and doctoral levels in Greece and Romania, they have contributed courses in sport psychology, pedagogy, research methods, and curriculum development. Their research focuses on motivation, teaching climates, physical activity pedagogy, health promotion, and psychological aspects of sport performance and behavior. The scholar has participated in 37 funded national and international research projects, published over 150 peer-reviewed papers and proceedings, and contributed to 18 book chapters and 4 edited volumes. Recognized with multiple awards, including the “Researcher of the Year” (2022) and National Scholarship Foundation Postdoctoral Fellowship, their work has achieved significant global impact with over 4,111 citations, an Documents 144, and an i10-index of 34. Their career reflects a deep commitment to advancing sport science, education, and health promotion through innovative, evidence-based research and teaching excellence.

Profile : Scopus

Featured Publications

Barkoukis, V., et al. (2025). Transforming anti-doping education with web-based interactive programs and applications: A scoping review. Emerging Trends in Drugs, Addictions and Health. (Open access).

Barkoukis, V., et al. (2025). Enhancing preschoolers’ motor creativity through playfulness and social engagement. Children. (Open access).

Barkoukis, V., et al. (2025). The role of school environment on the sustainable development of pre-schoolers’ motor creativity. Sports. (Open access).

Barkoukis, V., et al. (2025). Athletes from Great Britain report greater doping likelihood than Greek and Italian athletes: A cross-sectional survey of over 4,000 athletes. Performance Enhancement and Health. (Open access, 1 citation).

Barkoukis, V., et al. (2025). Evaluation of a sports integrity course for university students. Performance Enhancement and Health. (Open access).

Barkoukis, V., et al. (2025). A whole-school approach for the promotion of physical activity: An evaluation of stakeholders’ and educators’ perceptions about education in six European countries. Education Sciences. (Open access, 1 citation).

Ignacio Aguaded | Educational Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

Dr. Ignacio Aguaded | Educational Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

University of Huelva | Spain

Dr. Ignacio Aguaded is a Full Professor at the University of Huelva (Spain) and a leading scholar in Educommunication, Media Literacy, and Educational Technology. He holds a PhD in Psychopedagogy (University of Huelva), a degree in Pedagogy (UNED), a degree in Hispanic Philology (University of Seville), and a Diploma in Teaching (University of Seville). With more than four decades of academic experience, he began as a primary school teacher and progressed through positions in the University of Seville, the Ministry of Education of Andalusia, and the University of Huelva, where he has served since 1993. He is the founding president of Grupo Comunicar and Chief Editor of the high-impact journal Comunicar (indexed JCR-Q1, Scopus Q1), recognized among the top worldwide in cultural studies. His research productivity is remarkable, with over 178 scientific papers, 47 books, and 139 book chapters, accumulating more than 1807 citations and an h-index 23. He has coordinated numerous national, European, and Latin American research projects, supervised 48 PhD theses, and led the Euro-American Alfamed Research Network. Recipient of prestigious awards, including the UNESCO World Prize (2022), Ibero-American Communication Award (2022), and Best Researcher Award (2015), Dr. Aguaded continues to shape global research and practice in media education and literacy.

Profiles : Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

“Decoding the Enigma of a Digital Platform Transfer: Research-Based Design and Complex Thinking”

“DIG-HE Digital Transformation Model in Higher Education: An Implementation Model”

“Spanish universities in the Shanghai ranking in education (2022–2024)”

“Explorando la intersección entre tecnologías IA y alfabetización mediática en personas de edad avanzada”

“Media competence in the early, primary and secondary education curriculum: presence and progression in Latin America”