Gheorghe Balint | Educational Data Analysis | Research Excellence Award

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Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Balint | Educational Data Analysis | Research Excellence Award

Vasile Alecsandri University | Romania

Prof. Dr. Gheorghe Balint is a distinguished academic and researcher in physical education, sports sciences, and winter sports, with over three decades of experience in higher education and international sports organizations. He holds a Doctorate in Pedagogy, recognized as a Doctor in Physical Education and Sports, and a habilitation in optimizing training in faculties of physical education and sports. Currently a Ph.D. supervisor at “Dunărea de Jos” University of Galați, he has served as Professor and Director of the Department of Physical Education and Sport Performance at “Vasile Alecsandri” University of Bacău, as well as Vice-Dean and Head of Chair for Sportive Games. His teaching expertise spans winter sports, association football, coaching, and professional sports pedagogy, while his research interests focus on training optimization, programmed teaching, assessment of theoretical knowledge, and sports performance evaluation. Prof. Balint has coordinated national and international projects, authored multiple books and book chapters, and published numerous ISI-indexed and peer-reviewed articles. He has been recognized with prestigious international honors, including the FIEP Gold and Silver Crosses of Honor and ambassadorial appointments in physical education. Through his leadership, research, and mentorship, Prof. Balint has significantly contributed to the development of physical education, sports science, and international collaboration in training and coaching excellence.

Profile : Scopus

Featured Publications

Grosu, V. T., Vari, H. I., Ordean, M.-N., & Grosu, E. F. (2022). Increasing self-confidence in students from different universities through exercises in body technique and dance therapy. Conference Paper.

Luptáková, G., Argajová, J., Balga, T., & Antala, B. (2025). Team teaching models in primary physical education: Effects on basic motor competencies and self-reported physical literacy. Article.

Šiška, Ľ., Balint, G., Zentko, J., & Voinea, N. L. (2025). Use of a mobile phone for assessing the intensity of strength exercises – Pilot study. Preprint.

Luptáková, G., Argajová, J., Balga, T., & Antala, B. (2025). Team teaching models in primary physical education: Effects on basic motor competencies and self-reported physical literacy. Preprint.

(2024). Changes in selected movement abilities through the use of movement games in physical education lessons at the gymnasium level. Journal of Physical Education and Sport.

Skye Playsted | Educational Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

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Ms. Skye Playsted | Educational Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

The University of Queensland | Australia

Skye Playsted is an academic educator and researcher in TESOL and literacy education whose work integrates classroom experience, practitioner research, and reflective pedagogy. She holds qualifications including a PhD candidature, MEd, PGDipEd, BA, and Cert IV TAE, and has taught extensively across Australian universities such as the University of Queensland, University of New England, University of Wollongong, and the University of Southern Queensland. Her academic experience includes coordinating and teaching a wide range of undergraduate and postgraduate courses in English, TESOL, literacy, and curriculum studies, as well as contributing to preservice teacher development. As a research assistant, she has collaborated on projects examining education privatisation, co-teaching, and university student engagement. Her research focuses on pronunciation teaching, practitioner inquiry, LESLLA contexts, teacher professional learning, and translanguaging-informed pedagogies, with publications in leading journals and edited collections. She has served in numerous professional, volunteer, and peer-review roles and has delivered many national and international conference presentations. Recognised with multiple awards—including a Higher Education Academy Fellowship and several prestigious scholarships—she is committed to inclusive, evidence-based education. With 5 documents, 13 citations by 13 documents, and an h-index of 2, she continues to expand her scholarly contributions while supporting future educators.

Profiles : Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Playsted, S., & Thomas, D. P. (2026). “Language teachers regaining a sense of praxis in pronunciation teaching and learning through Exploratory Practice as professional learning in Australia” in System.

Playsted, S., Fortier, V., & Beaulieu, S. (2025). “Classroom-based Research in LESLLA Contexts: Methodological Challenges and Affordances” in Proceedings of the 20th Anniversary LESLLA Symposium.

Playsted, S. (2025). “Planning with a model text to integrate speaking and listening into English language lessons” in English Australia Journal.

Playsted, S., Thomas, D. P., & Wilkinson, J. (2024). “Exploratory practice puzzling as praxis-oriented pronunciation teacher learning in Australian adult migrant EAL education” in Language Teaching Research.

Playsted, S. (2024). “Book review of Guskaroska, A., Zawadzki, Z., Levis, J., Challis, K., & Prikazchikov, M. (2024). Teaching pronunciation with confidence. Iowa State University.” in TESOL in Context.

Raquel Gaspar | Financial Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

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Prof. Raquel Gaspar | Financial Data Analysis | Best Researcher Award

ISEG, Universidade de Lisboa | Portugal

Prof. Raquel M. Gaspar is an Associate Professor of Finance with Habilitation at ISEG – Universidade de Lisboa, where she coordinates the Scientific Area of Finance and the Master in Finance program. She earned her PhD in Finance from the Stockholm School of Economics in 2006, focusing on credit risk and forward price models under the supervision of Prof. Tomas Björk, following an MSc in Mathematics Applied to Economics and Management from ISEG. Her research interests include mathematical and computational finance, credit risk modeling, asset pricing, stochastic processes, portfolio management, and risk analysis. Prof. Gaspar has extensive teaching experience at ISEG and internationally, including Stockholm Business School and Universidad Complutense de Madrid. She has supervised multiple PhD and MSc theses in finance and actuarial science, with an emphasis on quantitative methods and applied finance. Her scientific contributions are reflected in 329 citations, an h-index of 10, and 13 i10-index publications, according to Google Scholar. She has authored several pedagogical materials and textbooks and participates actively in research projects under CEMAPRE/REM. Recognized for her pedagogical innovation and leadership, Prof. Gaspar continues to contribute to the development of financial education and quantitative finance research in Portugal and abroad.

Profiles : Scopus | Orcid

Featured Publications

Gaspar, R. M., & Silva, P. M. (2023). Investors’ perspective on portfolio insurance: Expected utility vs prospect theories. Portuguese Economic Journal.

França, R., & Gaspar, R. M. (2023). On the bias of the unbiased expectation theory. Mathematics.

Gaspar, R. M., & Khapko, M. (2023, October). In memoriam: Tomas Björk (1947–2021), on his career and beyond. Finance and Stochastics.

Almeida, J., & Gaspar, R. M. (2023, July 25). Portfolio performance of European target prices. Journal of Risk and Financial Management.

Céu, M. S., & Gaspar, R. M. (2022, December 21). Vegetative cycle and bankruptcy predictors of agricultural firms. Agricultural Economics (Zemědělská ekonomika), 0139-570X / 1805-9295.

Gracia Cristina Villodres | Descriptive Analytics | Best Research Article Award

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Mrs. Gracia Cristina Villodres |  Descriptive Analytics | Best Research Article Award

University of Granada | Spain

Gracia Cristina Villodres is a predoctoral fellow at the University of Granada, specializing in physical activity, health, and education. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Primary Education with a specialization in Physical Education (2020), and two Master’s Degrees—one in Research and Innovation in Curriculum and Teacher Training (2021) and another in Physical Activity and Health (2022). Currently completing her PhD (FPU Fellowship 2021–2025) on healthy habits, cognitive function, and academic performance, she is also pursuing a Degree in Psychology. Her research interests focus on physical activity, body image, academic achievement, and mental health in youth populations. She has participated in four competitive research projects, serving as both researcher and principal investigator, and has published over 50 book chapters with ISBN. Her scholarly impact includes an H-index of 4 in Web of Science, 12 in Scopus, and 5 in Google Scholar, with a total of over 55 citations across databases. She has completed a research stay at the University of Bern and received the University of Granada Talent Award (2022). Through her teaching and research, she promotes evidence-based approaches to education and health, aiming to enhance well-being, inclusion, and performance in school and university settings.

Profiles : Scopus | Orcid | Google Scholar

Featured Publications

Villodres, G. C., Pérez-Díaz, J.-J., Salas-Montoro, J.-A., & Muros, J. J. (2025). Sex-based differences in lifestyle behaviours, self-esteem, and academic performance: A structural equation model in high-socioeconomic-status school-aged youth from southern Spain. Children.

Villodres, G. C., Rodríguez-Mérida, M., Vizcaíno-Cuenca, R., & Muros, J. J. (2025). Effectiveness of physical education interventions on mental health in children and adolescents: A systematic review of wellbeing and distress across educational levels. Adolescent Research Review.

Villodres, G. C., Campos-Pérez, L. M., Salvador-Pérez, F., Muros, J. J., & Vizcaíno-Cuenca, R. (2025). Relación entre el uso de redes sociales, hábitos saludables y factores psicológicos relacionados con la percepción de la imagen corporal en estudiantado universitario. Retos.

Navidad Cobo, L., Villodres, G. C., & Padial-Ruz, R. (2025). Efecto de un programa de actividad física y educación nutricional para la mejora de hábitos saludables en educación primaria. Retos.

Villodres, G. C., Salvador-Pérez, F., & Muros, J. J. (2024). Factors associated with Mediterranean diet adherence in a sample of high socio-economic status children from southern Spain. Public Health Nutrition.

Vassilis Barkoukis | Human Behavior Modeling | Best Researcher Award

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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

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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”