Helena Santos Silva

Helena Santos Silva is an Associate Professor at the Department of Education and Psychology, School of Education and Psychology, University of Trás-os-Montes e Alto Douro (UTAD), Portugal. She is also an integrated researcher at the Center for Educational Research and Intervention (CIIE) at the University of Porto. Her academic work spans teaching methodologies, teacher development, and educational innovation.

• PhD in Education, Teaching of Biology and Geology, UTAD (2001)

Her research focuses on cooperative learning, formative assessment, critical and creative thinking, and communities of practice. She emphasizes student autonomy, peer observation, and feedback mechanisms in learning. She has led and participated in significant projects such as FCT’s 'Critical Thinking in Network in Higher Education,' Erasmus+ 'Crithinkedu,' and the OECD initiative on fostering creativity and critical thinking.

The analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong trend in evaluating cooperative learning strategies, validating assessment tools, and promoting critical thinking across educational levels, particularly in higher and secondary education. Her interdisciplinary approach integrates psychology, pedagogy, and technology.

Scientific awards include:

• Two pedagogical innovation awards

She has co-authored 10 educational books and numerous peer-reviewed articles. She has been involved in national and international projects, serving on scientific and organizing committees of key conferences. She supervises educators and conducts training in cooperative learning and formative assessment. She is a founding member of webPACT and Crithinknet, promoting critical thinking practices in Portugal.

She is actively involved in research teams and labs such as LabDERE and CIIE, contributing to digital experimentation and educational intervention. Her work continues to influence teacher training and curriculum development in Portugal and across Europe.