COORDINATOR
Dr. Ignasi Navarro Soria has been an Associate Professor at the University of Alicante since 2008, teaching in the Degrees of Education, Psychopedagogy, and Social Work. His professional career combines experience in the educational field, psycho-pedagogical intervention, and research in neurodevelopment and child protection.
He began his career as a School Psychologist, working for ten years at the Municipal Psychological Office of El Campello, where he served as an educational counselor in the municipality’s four public schools. He later worked as a specialist psychologist at the European School of Alicante, within the Learning Support program, providing assistance to students with learning difficulties. At the same time, he collaborated with the Drug Prevention Team of the Alicante City Council, delivering workshops in numerous secondary schools across the city.
During this stage, he developed a strong interest in learning difficulties, with a focus on ADHD and ASD. He then worked as a psychologist in public child protection centers, including El Teix (Alcoi) and Les Rotes (Dénia), gaining hands-on experience in working with minors at risk of social exclusion. His career continued in the Foster Care Program of the Province of Alicante, where he worked as a psychologist for nine years, leading him to start his research in the field of child protection.
Since late 2021, he has been working full-time as a lecturer and researcher at the University of Alicante, focusing his research on neurodevelopment, ADHD, ASD, attachment, and intervention with vulnerable minors, bringing his practical expertise into university teaching and applied research projects.
This symposium aims to explore the intersection between neuroeducation and the Living and Active School methodology, analyzing how advances in neuroscience can enhance teaching and learning processes in dynamic and participatory educational environments. Through four presentations, key aspects related to the development of executive functions and their role in educational transformation will be addressed.
The first session will present neuroscience contributions that optimize teaching and learning processes, highlighting essential neuroeducational principles for improving student performance and well-being. The second session will delve into the importance of executive function development in the Living and Active School model, emphasizing how these cognitive skills are fundamental for autonomy and self-regulated learning.
The third presentation will analyze the role of Emotional Support in the development of warm executive functions, emphasizing the connection between emotional security and self-regulation in the classroom. Finally, the fourth session will focus on pedagogical strategies to strengthen cold executive functions, facilitating planning, decision-making, and cognitive flexibility within the framework of the Living and Active School.
This symposium offers an interdisciplinary approach that connects neuroeducation with an innovative pedagogical methodology, providing practical and reflective tools for teachers and researchers interested in enhancing educational processes from a scientific evidence-based perspective.