Luísa Mota Ribeiro

Luísa Mota Ribeiro serves as Assistant Professor at the Faculty of Education and Psychology, Catholic University of Portugal (FEP-UCP), where she also holds the position of Dean of the Research Centre for Human Development (CEDH). With a PhD in Educational Sciences from the University of Minho and prior degrees in Psychology from the University of Porto, she has established herself as a leading researcher in educational psychology and service-learning methodology.

Her research interests span educational psychology, service-learning pedagogy, self-regulation processes, and pedagogical innovation in higher education. She has made significant contributions to understanding the teaching-learning process across various educational contexts, with particular attention to vulnerable populations and communities. Her work bridges theoretical psychological frameworks with practical educational interventions, emphasizing experiential learning approaches.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a strong focus on service-learning methodology and its applications across diverse educational contexts. Her research examines how service-learning impacts students' life purpose development, contributes to sustainable development goals education, and transforms traditional teaching approaches. She investigates service-learning's role in fostering civic engagement, professional identity formation, and meaningful community-university partnerships.

• Laura Rubio Award for Service-Learning Projects (2023)

As coordinator of Service Learning initiatives at Catholic University of Portugal, Professor Ribeiro has secured six competitive international grants to support pedagogical innovation. She leads the CApS Project (Catholic University and Service-Learning: Innovation and Social Responsibility), which operates across multiple university campuses. She also co-coordinates WP8 - Outreach of the Transform4Europe European Alliance, involving ten European universities. Her community service program for Psychology students received recognition from the OECD as a quality teaching and pedagogical innovation initiative.

Her research extends to laboratory settings through the Human Neurobehavioral Laboratory (HNL) and the Católica Learning Innovation Lab (CLIL), where she investigates learning processes and innovative educational approaches. She plays a key role in the Research Centre for Human Development, contributing to its mission of advancing knowledge in human development across the lifespan.