Matea Butković

Dr. Matea Butković holds the position of Associate Professor at the Faculty of Education, University of Rijeka. Her research focuses on inclusive education, intercultural competence development, and the role of children's literature in teacher education. She has actively participated in multiple international conferences and collaborative research projects, including the UNIRI-plus initiatives on teacher professional development and inclusive education policies. Her work critically examines racial diversity representation in textbooks, socio-emotional competencies of educators, and the transformative potential of intercultural dialogue in classrooms. She has delivered invited lectures on controversial children's literature and inclusive pedagogy at institutions like the University of Padua and the University of Rijeka. Her publications span journals like CEPS Journal and Zbornik radova, addressing topics such as SEN inclusion barriers and multicultural curriculum design.

Key projects include analyzing support systems for preschool inclusion of children with special educational needs (2019-2021) and investigating professional development needs of Croatian student-teachers (2019-2021). She frequently collaborates with institutions like the University of Primorska and the University of Ljubljana, contributing to intercultural education frameworks. Her research emphasizes bridging theoretical and practical aspects of education through culturally responsive teaching methodologies.