Sofia Lindberg

Sofia Lindberg is a Lecturer in Special Needs Education at the Department of Special Education, Faculty of Education, Kristianstad University. Her research focuses on relational pedagogy, particularly using virtual simulations with avatars to train pre-service special educators' relational competence. She has led and contributed to projects like 'Att utveckla studenters självkännedom och empatiska förmåga genom svåra samtal' and 'Hur kan studenters relationskompetens utvecklas med stöd av avatar-teknik?.'

Her research interests include virtual simulation technologies, focus group methodologies, teacher education frameworks, and systematic reviews in special education contexts. Lindberg's work emphasizes the intersection of digital tools and pedagogical practice, aiming to enhance empathy, active listening, and relational skills among educators.

Recent publications (2023–2025) explore avatar-based training for special educators, empathy development through difficult conversations, and the application of virtual simulations in teacher preparation. Her projects often involve collaborations with colleagues like Johan Aspelin, Dan Östlund, and Anna Jönsson, focusing on higher education pedagogy and institutional development.

Lindberg holds a Doctoral Thesis (2025) titled 'Att träna relationskompetensmed avatarer: Virtuella simuleringar som verktyg för framtidens speciallärare och specialpedagoger,' which details her innovative approaches to integrating technology into special education training. She has presented her work at multiple academic events, including invited talks on relational competence development.