Bridging Theory and Practice: Upskilling Preservice Teachers to Support Children with Autism Spectrum Disorder through Digital Social Stories
Online 2
Paper Presentations
Online
12:00
20 March 2025
The EARLY-ASD project aims to enhance teacher education by equipping preservice teachers with practical skills to support young children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). By integrating experiential learning through digital social stories, the project bridges the gap between theory and practice, providing tools for early intervention in social and emotional skill development. These digital stories enable teachers to teach social skills and navigate challenging scenarios, fostering inclusion and emotional growth. The initiative combines workshops, surveys, and pilot courses to evaluate its impact, emphasizing collaboration between teacher educators and preservice teachers. Findings indicate that experiential learning improves teacher readiness and supports inclusive classrooms, aligning with the goal of fostering diverse, empathetic, and effective teaching practices for students with autism.
Prof. Joanna Madalinska-Michalak
Prof. Joanna Madalinska-Michalak
Prof. Joanna Madalińska-Michalak is a distinguished scholar in the field of social sciences, specializing in research education, teacher professional development, educational leadership, and comparative education. She has been a Full Professor at the University of Warsaw since 2019 and a Professor Ordinarius since 2020.
Her research focuses on the role of teachers in contemporary society, professional ethics, educational policy, and school leadership. She has led and participated in numerous international and interdisciplinary research projects, including the International Successful School Principals Project (ISSPP), the World School Leadership Study (WSLS), and the PEER Project in collaboration with UNESCO. She is also the leader of the Erasmus+ EARLY-ASD Project, aimed at supporting children with Autism Spectrum Disorder through digital social stories.
Prof. Madalińska-Michalak is actively involved in academic leadership, serving as the President of the Polish Educational Research Association, Vice-President of the World Education Research Association (WERA), and Vice-President of the International Association of Educators. She is also a board member of the International Council of Education for Teaching (ICET) and collaborates with UNESCO’s Teachers Task Force.
An accomplished author and editor, she has published over 270 scientific works and contributed significantly to international comparative studies on school leadership and teacher development. She has supervised 190 Master’s theses and 11 Ph.D. dissertations and served as a reviewer for numerous academic advancement processes.
Her outstanding contributions to education research have been recognized with multiple awards and honors, including the Scientific Award of the Rector of the University of Łódź, the Medal of the University of Yerevan, and the Institute De Republica Award for internationalizing Polish education research.
