Centre for Teaching Methodology and Student Practice

Name and surname

Valentina Majdenić, Ph.D.

Title

Associate Professor

e-mail

vmajdenic@foozos.hr

Office Nr.

64

Research Interests

Teaching Literature in Primary Schools, Teaching Media Literacy, Regional Literature

She has been enrolled 2005/2006 in postgraduate university study in Literature and Cultural Identity.Her PhD-Thesis entitled Reception of Slavonic Regional Literature In Elementary School Textbooks (1st to 8th grade) From 1970 to 2008 was defended on 27th January 2012 in front of the commission: Prof.Dr. Ana Pintarić (Chairman of the Committee), Dr. DubravkaSmajić, Assistant Professor (Member of the Committee) and Dr. Irena Vodopija, Associate Professor (Member of the Commitee, Mentor).On March 16, 2012, she was elected to the position of Adjunct in the scientific field of humanities, theory and history of literature, branch of Croatian Studies.On December 19, 2013, she was elected into the position of the Assistant Professor, scientific field of humanities, theory and history of literature, branch Croatian Studies.Her scientific interestshave been directed towards the methodology of literature and the methodology of media culture, local and regional literature.She is a co-author of Croatian language textbooks for primary school, from 2nd to 4th grade.She has been the member of the Erasmus K2 Membership Project Pacemaking the education and employment: answers to new challenges and opportunities.

Project Abbreviation: P-EE, from October 1, 2016 to March 31, 2018 (18 months). Project proposed by: Koprivnica Open University, Partner:Faculty of Educational Sciences in Osijek. Project code: 7E470F9E5337D292

Project data is available at:

http://ec.europa.eu/education/erasmus-plus/national-agencies_en.htm

First and last name

Edita Borić, Ph.D.

Profession

Full professor with tenure

Email

eboric@foozos.hr

Office number

45

Research interests

She is an expert in teacher education in the fields of pedagogical competencies, sustainable development, entrepreneurship in education, learning outcomes, as well as student-centered teaching, teaching quality, research-based teaching, and environmental education.

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Edita Borić holds a master's degree from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb, in natural sciences, scientific field of biology, branch of microbiology. She holds a doctorate degree from the Faculty of Biotechnology, University of Ljubljana, in interdisciplinary scientific fields: the scientific field of natural sciences, the field of biology, the scientific field of social sciences, the field of pedagogy. She also trained to conduct external audits of higher education institutions. She completed training in Zagreb to become a child expert, which consisted of four modules: Emotional development and support, Children with special needs, Therapeutic play and Cooperation with parents (2016-2017) and the Greenway winter school education at the University of Pécs.
She has cooperated with the Faculty of Pedagogy of the University of Maribor, the Faculty of Social Sciences of the University of Trnava, the Faculty of Philosophy of the University of Tuzla, the University of Novi Sad, the Jözsef Eötvös University in Baja, etc. for many years.
She was an invited visiting professor as part of the project (INOVUP) "Involvement of visiting foreign experts and university teachers in the pedagogical process as a pillar of the quality development process of internationalization of the University of Maribor".
She was the leader or collaborator of several scientific research projects: Biological research of the Kopački rit Special Zoological Reserve; Water protection of the Kopački rit Reserve; Teaching focused on research and action; Encouraging environmental education of young people in Eastern Slavonia; Competencies in teaching Science and Biology; Orientation of Science teaching to student achievement levels. She was the head of the Slovenian and Croatian bilateral project Cultural heritage in the primary education of Slovenia and Croatia, as well as the NATURAVITA project for the creation of educational programs and manuals for education in nature.
She is the president and head of the postgraduate university doctoral study program Educational Sciences and Perspectives of Education at FOOZOS. She is the deputy president of the postgraduate university specialist study program Sustainable and Circular Bioeconomy.
She is the editor-in-chief of the journal Life and School, which publishes scientific and professional papers with the aim of improving the theory and practice of education. She is the president of the examination committees for taking professional exams in Nature and Society for Teachers. She was the vice dean for teaching at the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek.
She is a permanent court expert in the fields of biology and pedagogy.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS - Edita Borić

First and last name

Zdenka Kolar-Begović, Ph.D.

Profession

Full professor with tenure

Email

zkolar@foozos.hr

Office number

40

Research interests

Nonassociative algebraic structure, geometry

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Zdenka Kolar-Begović obtained her BSc degree in mathematics and physics from the Faculty of Education in Osijek in 1993. She received her MSc degree in the field of mathematics from the Department of Mathematics, University of Zagreb, in 1999. In 2003, she obtained her PhD degree in the field of mathematics from the Department of Mathematics, University of Zagreb. Since 1999, she has been employed at the Department of Mathematics, now the School of Applied Mathematics and Informatics, and the Faculty of Education in Osijek. She was vice head of the Scientific Committee of the International Colloquium Mathematics and Children 2007, 2009, 2011, 2013, and head of these committees in 2015, 2017, 2019, 2021, and 2023. She is the editor of six monographs: Mathematics Teaching for the Future (2013), Higher Goals in Mathematics Education (2015), Mathematics Education as a Science and a Profession (2017), Towards New Perspectives on Mathematics Education (2019), Advances in Research on Teaching Mathematics (2022) and Effective Teaching and Learning of Mathematics Through Bridging Theory and Practice (2024). She has been Head of the Department of Natural Sciences at the Faculty of Education from 2006-2014 and from 2018 until today. She was a vice dean for business relationships and international cooperation at the Faculty of Education from 2014 to 2018. She has been Editor in Chief of Osijek Mathematical Gazette since 2012.

She is a member of the Geometry Seminar at the Department of Mathematics, University of Zagreb, the Croatian Society for Geometry and Graphics, the Croatian Mathematical Society, and the Osijek Mathematical Society. She is a reviewer for Mathematical Reviews. Dr. Kolar-Begović has published 60 scientific papers in international peer-reviewed journals and presented papers at 30 international scientific conferences. She is teaching the following courses Teaching mathematics II and Mathematics and gifted students at the Faculty of Education, as well as Elementary Geometry and Constructive and Analytical Geometry at the School of Applied Mathematics and Informatics.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

Zdenka Kolar-Begović

First and last name

Ivana Đurđević Babić, Ph.D.

Profession

Full Professor

Email

idjurdjevic@foozos.hr

Office number

65

Research interests

artificial intelligence, neural networks and their application and application of other methods of data mining, the use of information and communication technology in education

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Ivana Đurđević Babić teaches courses at integrated undergraduate and graduate five-year university class teacher studies: Informatics in education, Internet in education, Methodology of teaching Informatics, Web programming, Programming language Logo and Computers in leisure. Additionally, in the 2024-2025 academic year, she is teaching Augmented Reality in Educational Rehabilitation, offered in the undergraduate university study program of Educational Rehabilitation, and Digital Tools in Inclusive Education, offered in the undergraduate university study program of Speech Therapy. Previously, she taught the course Computer Literacy, offered in the undergraduate university program of Early and Preschool Education, and the courses Word Formatting, Introduction to Computing, Algorithms and Data Structures, and Computer Databases, offered in the integrated undergraduate and graduate university program of Teacher Education.

She actively participates in international and national scientific conferences and has been a reviewer for professional and scientific articles.

From 2015 until 2019, she held the position of chair president of the Chair of Mathematics and Informatics as part of the Department of Natural Sciences at the Faculty of Education. With the establishment of the Chair of Information, Communication, and Technology in October 2017, she became the Chair President of this Chair at the Faculty of Education. She also held the position of Chair of the Commission for Quality Improvement and Quality Assurance (mandate from October 1, 2018 to September 30, 2022).

Currently, she holds the position of the President of the Committee for Final and Graduate Theses at the Faculty of Education and Educational Sciences at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek for the term from 2022 to 2026.

She is a member of the Croatian Operational Research Society (CRORS).

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS – Ivana Đurđević Babić

First and last name

Goran Kujundžić

Profession

Full Professor, Ph.D. in Art

Email

gkujundzic@foozos.hr ; kujundzic.likovnakultura@gmail.com

Office number

35

Research interests

Visual Arts, Methodology of Visual Culture

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Goran Kujundžić, born in Subotica in 1976, graduated in 2003 with a degree in graphic arts from the Academy of Fine Arts at the University of Zagreb. In 2014, he earned a PhD in Arts from the postgraduate doctoral study program in painting at the same academy. Before starting his work at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences, he was employed as a visual arts teacher in primary school, as well as a teacher of professional subjects at the Secondary School of Applied Arts and Design. He is currently employed at the Faculty of Education and Rehabilitation Sciences as a full professor. He has participated in numerous solo and group exhibitions both in Croatia and abroad. He has also illustrated several children's books by authors from Osijek.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS Goran Kujundžić

Name and surname

Lidija Bakota, Ph.D.

Title

Associate professor

Vice dean for teaching

e-mail

lbakota@foozos.hr

Office number

Vice deans office and office no. 64

Research interests

I was born on 15th July 1974 in Osijek (Croatia) where I have finished my primary and secondary education. I have finished Croatian Language and Literature at Faculty of Pedagogy (today Faculty of Philosophy) at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek. Since 2006/07 academic year I am employed at Faculty of Primary Education (today Faculty of Education) at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek. I have obtained my Ph. D. in 2010 at Faculty of Philosophy at Zagreb University (thesis: Communicational model of oral exercises in primary education). In 2012 I became assistant professor at Faculty of Education.

At Faculty of Education I teach Croatian Language Didactics I, Croatian Language Didactics II, Oral and written communication and Public Speech. I participate at teachers’ professional training by teaching at professional seminars on Croatian language and oral and written communication.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS - Lidija Bakota

First and last name

Tijana Borovac, Ph.D.

Profession

Associate Professor

Email

tborovac@foozos.hr

Office number

49

Research interests

early and preschool education, initial education of educators, professional development of educators, leadership in early and preschool education (EPE)

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Dr. Tijana Borovac, Associate Professor, completed her primary and secondary education (Jezična Gimnazija-Language Grammar School) in Osijek. In 2002, she graduated from the College of Teacher Education in Osijek, earning the title of Preschool Educator. During her studies in 2000, she received the Rector’s Award for exceptional academic achievement. In 2004, she graduated from the Faculty of Economics in Osijek (Marketing Management programme), obtaining the title of Graduate Economist. She earned her doctorate in the field of Social Sciences, specifically Pedagogy, by defending her dissertation titled Social Interaction of Children in Age-Mixed Groups in Early and Preschool Education Institutions. Her doctoral studies were completed at the Postgraduate Doctoral Programme in Pedagogy, focusing on Early Education in Family and Institutional Settings at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, University of Zagreb.

Since 2007, she has been employed at the Faculty of Education in Osijek. She teaches courses at the undergraduate and graduate levels in Early and Preschool Education, specialising in the areas of integrated curriculum, leadership, and action research in early and preschool education.

Dr Borovac has participated in several professional and scientific research projects (financially supported by HRZZ-ECLAT, Adris, and UNICEF), consistently aiming to explore the perspective of children at an early and preschool age. She is the author of numerous professional and scientific papers in the field of early and preschool education, focusing on the education of future educators, their professional development, children’s executive functions, play, and more. She is also the author and co-author of three chapters in Croatia’s first textbook on early and preschool pedagogy, Pedagogy of Early and Preschool Education.

She has presented at numerous national and international conferences on early and preschool education (EECERA, OMEP) and has served as a member of several scientific, programme, and organisational committees. Dr. Borovac is the Chair of the Programme Committee and a member of the Organising Committee for the 1st and 2nd International Scientific-Professional Conference KOMPAS – Competent Systems in Early and Preschool Education, held at the Faculty of Education in Osijek in 2022 and 2024.

In 2020, the Education and Teacher Training Agency appointed her Chair of the Examination Committee for Professional Certification Exams for Preschool Educators in Kindergartens.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS - Tijana Borovac

First and last name

Jelena Kovačević

Profession

Associate Professor, Ph.D. in Art

Email

jkovacevic@foozos.hr

jelenakovacevic4982@gmail.com

Office number

59

Research interests

methodology of art education, art, art therapy

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Jelena Kovačević was born in Osijek in 1982, where she completed her primary and secondary education. In 2005, she graduated in graphic arts from the Academy of Fine Arts in Zagreb. In 2009, she earned a master's degree in graphic arts from the Academy of Fine Arts and Design in Ljubljana. In 2020, she obtained a PhD in painting from the postgraduate doctoral program at the Academy of Fine Arts. In 2021 she specialized in art therapy through the Postgraduate Specialist Study of Creative Therapies at the Academy of Arts and Culture in Osijek, in collaboration with the Faculty of Medicine. She is an associate professor at the Faculty of Education in Osijek. She has exhibited in numerous solo and group exhibitions and is the author of the popular science monograph "Art and Well-being: Artistic Creativity in the Service of Mental Health" (2023).

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS Jelena Kovačević

First and last name

Lidija Nikolić, Ph.D.

Profession

Associate Professor

Email

lnikolic@foozos.hr

Office number

60

Research interests

Her research focuses on music pedagogy and the psychology of music, particularly in the field of higher education in music for future primary school teachers and preschool educators.

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Lidija Nikolić graduated with a degree in Music Culture Education from the Faculty of Education at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek in 1996. In 2016, she defended her doctoral dissertation in the university postgraduate program Science of Musical Arts - Music Pedagogy Module at the Faculty of Music, University of Arts in Belgrade.

Since 1996, she has been teaching music courses for future primary school teachers and preschool educators at the Faculty of Education, now the Faculty of Education and Educational Sciences at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, where she holds the academic title of Associate Professor. The courses she has taught or currently teaches include Playing an Instrument, Choir, Singing and Playing, Music Theory, Music Culture, Music Pedagogy Methodology, Music Listening, Music Culture with Pedagogy Methodology, Children's Music Creativity, Music with Practicum, Music in the Integrated Curriculum, and Understanding the Language of Music.

She is the author of positively reviewed and adopted curricula for mandatory music courses in the teacher education program (1998, 2003, and 2005) and the preschool education program (2002 and 2005).

She regularly presents her research at international scientific conferences in the field of music pedagogy and publishes scientific papers in Croatia and abroad.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS – Lidija Nikolić (https://www.croris.hr/crosbi/searchByContext/2/33967 )

First and last name

Vesna Svalina, Ph.D.

Profession

Associate Professor

Email

vsvalina@foozos.hr vesna.svalina@gmail.com

Office number

52

Research interests

Music education in primary and secondary schools, musical giftedness, creativity in music education, music therapy and inclusive education, application of technology in music education, development of personal and social skills through music, listening to music as a teaching area

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Vesna Svalina, PhD (1968) is an associate professor in the field of music education and head of the Subdepartment of Musical Arts at the Faculty of Education (FOOZOS), at the Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. She graduated from the Faculty of Education (now FFOS) in Osijek in 1991, earned her Master's degree in Music Pedagogy from the Music Academy in Zagreb in 2009, and completed her doctorate in Educational Sciences at the Faculty of Teacher Education, University of Zagreb, in 2013.

Dr. Svalina has published her scientific work in journals and conference proceedings, both nationally and internationally. She is the author of two books in the field of music pedagogy, has published over forty scientific papers, and has participated in numerous national and international scientific conferences (Cambridge – UK; Paris – France; Rostock – Germany; Cetinje – Montenegro; Ljubljana, Ruše – Slovenia; Beograd, Kragujevac – Serbia; Dubrovnik, Osijek, Pula, Split, Zadar, Zagreb – Croatia). She has led research projects and collaborated on a bilateral project focusing on musical and artistic giftedness.

She has actively contributed to the organization of international conferences, including the 6th International Symposium of Music Pedagogues (Osijek, 2019, Faculty of Education) and the First International Conference Creative Approaches to Learning and Teaching - CALT (Osijek, 2023, Faculty of Education). Additionally, she is a member of the editorial boards of several international journals. From 2015 to 2018, she served as the executive editor of the journal Life and School, and since 2021, she has been a member of the editorial boards of the journals SN Social Sciences, International Journal of Psychological and Brain Sciences, and Journal for the Interdisciplinary Art and Education.

In addition to her scientific work, she has achieved notable success in artistic activities with choirs, performing in Croatia and abroad (Italy, Germany, Austria, Slovenia, and Switzerland). She has received numerous national and international awards, including special recognition for the best performance of a mandatory composition and her exceptional conduct.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS Vesna Svalina  

Personal website: www.vesna-svalina.net  

Google Scholar Vesna Svalina

First and last name

Mirna Erk, Ph.D.

Profession

Assistant Professor

Email

merk@foozos.hr

Office number

61

Research interests

second language acquisition, instructed foreign language acquisition, the age factor, individual and contextual factors in foreign language development, language input and interaction

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Mirna Erk completed studies in English and German language and literature in Osijek (Faculty of Education, University of Osijek) in 1995. She received master’s and doctoral degrees at the University of Zagreb, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, in 2005 and 2013 respectively. Currently, she is an assistant professor at the Faculty of Education (previously the Teacher Training College in Osijek, i.e., the Faculty of Teacher Education in Osijek).  Prior to 2020, she lectured in a teaching-oriented track, which included teaching, publishing area expert papers, workshops for in-service teachers, CPD, and engagement with the Croatian Association of English Teachers – Osijek branch meetings (e.g., organizing summer schools and lectures by national and international ELT experts). Since she switched to a tenure-oriented track in 2020, she has led courses in Theories of Language Learning and Acquisition, Early English Language Learning, English Language Teaching and Teaching Practicum, and English for Specific Purposes. She has supervised more than 20 graduate papers and theses, participated in four projects (including two international research projects), and presented at many international and national conferences several times as an invited speaker. She publishes research, review, and area expert papers on the age factor in foreign language acquisition, factors that shape learning trajectories of Croatian EFL learners, and the role of language input and interaction (especially the role of native language in foreign language instruction). She is involved in CPD for foreign language teachers and the dissemination of scientific knowledge among teachers, parents and learners. Currently, she is the principal investigator in a project about informal contact with English (CroRIS 8590). The project aims to offer guidelines to improve EFL instruction so that it adequately caters to EFL learners’ real needs (both in and out-of-school) in numerous and varied contacts with native and non-native users of English over different media resources.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS - Mirna Erk

First and last name

Ana Katalenić, Ph.D.

Profession

Assistant Professor

Email

akatalenic@foozos.hr

Office number

63

Research interests

Mathematics education, teacher competencies

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Ana Katalenić graduated as a mathematics and computer science teacher in 2009 from the Faculty of Science, University of Zagreb. She obtained her PhD in 2017 at the same institution with a dissertation entitled Asymptote and asymptotic behavior – didactic transposition in general secondary education in Croatia under the supervision of Dr. Sc. Aleksandra Čižmešija and Dr. Sc. Željka Milin Šipuš. Since July 2009, she has been an employee at the Faculty of Education, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek, where she teaches courses in computer science, mathematics, and mathematics education. She was elected an assistant professor in 2022. She worked as a co-leader of extracurricular activities for fourth-grade elementary school students with a special interest in mathematics and an associate on the scientific project Education of Students with a Special Interest in Mathematics (2008-2013) under the leadership of Dr. Sc. Margita Pavleković. She is a member of the Croatian Mathematical Society, Osijek Mathematical Society, and the Seminar for Mathematics Education, as well as the editorial board of the professional journal Mathematics and Schools and the organizational and scientific committee of the International Scientific Colloquium Mathematics and Children. As a co-author with teacher training students, she participated in the Congress of Mathematics Teachers and in activities of science popularisation. She has presented independently and as a co-author at several professional and scientific conferences. She is the co-author of several scientific and professional papers in mathematics education and one of the editors of the scientific monographs Effective teaching and learning of mathematics through bridging theory and practice (2024) and Advances in research on teaching mathematics (2022). She lives in Đakovo with her husband and three children.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS – Ana Katalenić

Name and surname

Zvjezdana Penava Brekalo, Ph.D.

Position

Assistant Professor

E-mail

zpenavabrekalo@foozos.hr

Research interests

Zvjezdana Penava Brekalo graduated from the Faculty of Education in Osijek in 1990, becoming an English and German teacher. 1990-1995 she lived and worked in Vienna and during the Homeland War she was engaged at the Pädagogisches Institut der Stadt Wien, on the Project for the Admission and Integration of Refugee Children in the Vienna School System, functioning as a coordinator at preparing teaching materials for bilingual literacy classes, and later on she herself was teaching the bilingual literacy. Consequently, her Kommentar zum Lehrplan der Volkschule was published in Vienna, 1995. In the same year she moved to Toronto for further professonal and language experience. She returned to Croatia in 1998 and taught English and German at II. gimnazija Osijek till April 2020. Having been promoted to a teacher-advisor, from 2014 till 2020 she was the head of the County Council of English Teachers. 2002-2005 she had also taught German courses at the Teacher Training College. In 2008 she earned her master’s degree in Personal Marketing at the Faculty of Economics in Osijek. In 2012 she got her PhD from the Faculty of Economics and Tourism »Dr. Mijo Mirković », at Juraj Dobrila University of Pula, having defended her doctoral thesis titled The Conceptualization of Education for Personal Marketing in Higher Business Education. Since May 2020, she has been employed at the Faculty of Educational Sciences and she teaches the following courses: Integrated Teaching, Methodology of Education, Personal Marketing of Teachers, Action Research in Early and Preschool Education.

List of publications (CroRIS link)

CroRIS - Zvjezdana Penava Brekalo

First and last name

Ana Popović, Ph.D.

Profession

Assistant Professor

Email

apopovic@foozos.hr

Office number

59

Research interests

Science of Art, Educational Sciences

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Ana Popović was born in Zagreb in 1984. She graduated from the III Gymnasium in Osijek, the Franjo Kuhač Music School in Osijek (specialization: Music Theorist), and the Vatroslav Lisinski Music School in Zagreb (specialization: Trombonist). She earned her degree in musicology at the Academy of Music in Zagreb.

Since completing her studies, she has primarily worked as a teacher of various music subjects in primary, secondary, and music schools, teaching music history, musical forms, solfeggio, harmony, choir, piano, musical art, and music culture. Since 2017, she has been employed at the Faculty of Education in Osijek, where she teaches various music courses in the integrated undergraduate and graduate university Teacher Education program. She also teaches in the regular and part-time University undergraduate and graduate programs in Early and Preschool Education.

In 2022, she earned her doctorate at the interdisciplinary postgraduate university program in Cultural Studies, specializing in Culture, Art, and Literature in the European Context, at the Doctoral School of Josip Juraj Strossmayer University in Osijek. Her dissertation, titled The Musical Landscape of Osijek and the Region, was supervised by Prof. Dr. Laura Šakaja.

She regularly publishes scientific, professional, and popular works, as well as music critiques, and performs actively as a trombonist in various ensembles (orchestra, big band). She frequently participates in numerous scientific and professional conferences. She is a member of the Croatian Musicological Society and is also engaged in adult education.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS – Ana Popović

First and last name

Ida Somolanji Tokić, Ph.D.

Profession

Assistant Professor

Email

isomolanji@foozos.hr

Office number

49

Research interests

ECEC, integrated curriculum, play, transition

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Ida Somolanji Tokić, Ph.D., Assistant Professor, was born on February 5, 1985, in Požega. She completed her primary and secondary education in Osijek. In 2007, she graduated from the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Osijek with a degree in pedagogy and Croatian language and literature. She earned her PhD at the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences in Zagreb in 2018 with the dissertation “Transition from early childhood education and care to compulsory school education - the curricular meeting place” under the mentorship of Edita Slunjski, PhD.

She began her career in primary education and has been employed at the Faculty of Education in Osijek since 2008, currently holding the title of Assistant Professor. She is a member of the Department of Social Sciences and the Center for Teaching Methodology and Student Practice, where she oversees the implementation of practicum in kindergartens for undergraduate and graduate students of Early and Preschool Education programs.

She teaches courses in early childhood pedagogy, integrated curriculum, project-based learning, and action research. Her research interests focus on integrated curricula, professional development, children's play, and educational transitions. Through her teaching and research, she strives to advance contemporary knowledge and foster pedagogical innovations tailored to the Croatian educational context. She is the author of numerous academic and professional papers in these fields, including two chapters in the first Croatian textbook on early childhood pedagogy.

She actively participates in and delivers invited lectures at conferences. She serves on committees for both national and international conferences and is one of the key contributors to the establishment of the international conference Competent Systems in Early Childhood Education and Care (KOMPAS). She is a reviewer for domestic and international journals.

She is a member of working groups, including the Committee for the Development of Qualification Standards in Higher Education. Among her project involvement, she highlights “Improving the Inclusivity of Initial Education for Early Childhood Educators” (UFZG and UNICEF).

She chairs examination boards for licensing exams for pedagogues and educators in kindergartens. Additionally, she is a member of the Croatian Pedagogical Society, OMEP Croatia, the Croatian Association for Educational Research, the ENNEA Professional Learning Community, and Alumni FFOS.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS – Ida Somolanji Tokić

Name and surname

Dražen Rastovski, Ph.D.

Title

Assistant Professor

E-mail

drastovski@foozos.hr

Office Nr.

56

Research interests

Swimming, kinesiological methodology, kinesiological education

Dražen Rastovski was born in Osijek on April 8, 1970, where he finished primary and secondary school. He is a Croatian citizen. and graduated on the Faculty of Kinesiology in Zagreb in 1998 and became a professor of physical culture with an additional specialization - water sports. Since 1999 he has been working at the City Swimmingpool in Osijek where he starts and runs a swimming school with children of all ages. He has been working at the Teachers' College in Osijek since 2001 as an external associate, and since 2003 he has been permanently employed as a lecturer for the subject Physical and Health Culture. As part of his work at the Teachers' College, he leads methodological exercises in the subject Methodology of Physical Education and Health, leads Kinesiological Culture, and in 2003 he introduced the elective subject Swimming, for which he fully developed the curriculum, both for five-year teacher training and for preschool professional study. Since the academic year 2007/2008. introduces a new course, Kinesiology practicum, for which he posted his lectures on the Faculty's website in the same year. In 2004, he won the Annual Award of the Croatian Association of Sports Recreation, for his contribution to the training of non-swimmers in the Republic of Croatia. In the same year, by the decision of the Ministry of the Republic of Croatia, he was appointed a member of the commission for the development of a plan of program activities and the implementation of swimming training. Since November 2008, he has been the vice president of the Association of Kinesiologists of the City of Osijek. From the academic year 2017/18. he also works in Kinesiology where he teaches Swimming and recreation.

List of publications (CROSBI link)

CROSBI Dražen Rastovski

Name and surname

Daria Župan Tadijanov, Ph.D.

Profession

Assistant Professor

E-mail

dzupan@foozos.hr

Office number

56

Research interests

Kinesiology teaching methods, kinesiology education, physical activity and physical education

Daria Župan Tadijanov, a senior lecturer at the Faculty of Education (Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek), was born in Osijek, where she has gained primary and secondary education (III. Grammar School). In 2010 she graduated from the Faculty of Kinesiology (University of Zagreb) with a major in Kinesitherapy. A year later she enrolled on a postgraduate doctoral study programme in Kinesiology, field of specialisation: Kinesiology Education. The dissertation title is "Determining Differences in Kinantrophological Characteristics of Students With Cochlear Implants Included in the Compulsory Teaching of Physical Education From the Standpoint of Etiology“. From 2008 to 2015, Daria Župan Tadijanov worked as a Physical Education teacher in several primary and secondary schools in Osijek. She also worked as a teacher at the Universal Sports School in Osijek from 2008 to 2010, and a conditioning trainer at TK Olimpija from 2010 to 2014. In February 2015, she was appointed Lecturer in Social Sciences, field of Kinesiology. In May 2017, she received a Charter of Appreciation for creating a new study programme for Kinesiology. The areas of her research interests are: kinesiology teaching methods, kinesiology education, physical activity, and P. E. Within the field of kinesiology, she has published several papers in scientific and professional journals, and has appeared at several international scientific and professional conferences.

List of publications (CROSBI link)

•Klaričić, I. i Farkaš, D. Razlike u natjecateljskoj učinkovitosti smeča u procesu napada i kontranapada. //Zbornik radova 22. ljetne škola kineziologa Republike Hrvatske / Findak, V. (ur.). Zagreb: Hrvatski kineziološki savez, 2013. 218-222 (objavljeni rad, znanstveni).

•Farkaš, D., Branko, J. i Tomac, Z. High School Students' Attitudes and Interests Toward Sporting Activities and Physical Education Syllabus Content. 3rd International Scientific Conference „EXERCISE AND QUALITY OF LIFE 2013“ / Madić, D. (ur.) Novi Sad: Faculty of Sport and Physical Education, University of Novi Sad, 2013.  315-320 (objavljeni rad, znanstveni).

•Papec, M., Farkaš, D., Štriga Đapić, S. Trends in increase of functional abilities in primary school students. 8th FIEP European Congress „Physical Education and Sports Perspective of Children and Youth in Europe“ / Zapletalova, L. (ur.). Bratislava: Comenius University, Faculty of Physical Education and Sports, 2013. 172-173 (sažetak, znanstveni)

•Vidranski, Tihomir; Tomac, Zvonimir; Farkaš, Daria.
Indicators of Kinantrophologic characteristics in Students with Cochlear Implants in Individualized pe class program creation // Proceedings book 9th Fiep European Congress and 7th International Scientific Congress „Sport, stress, adaptation” / Daniela Dasheva, Branislav Antala, SteNa Djobova, Milena Kuleva (ur.).
Sofia : SoIa 1700, Studentski grad, naOonal Sports Academy “ Vassil Levski”, 2014. 454-458 (poster,međunarodna recenzija,objavljeni rad,znanstveni).

•Farkaš, Daria; Tomac, Zvonimir; Petrić, Vilko; Novak, Dario.
Anthropometric characteristics and obesity indicators among preschool children in an urban area in Croatia. // Graduate Journal of Sport, Exercise & Physical Education Research. 3 (2015) ; 13-27 (članak, znanstveni)

•Vidranski, Tihomir; Tomac, Zvonimir; Farkaš, Daria.
Motor proficiency of students with cochlear implants. // Croatian Review of Rehabilitation Research. 51 (2015) , 1; 1-9 (članak, znanstveni).  

•Vidranski, Tihomir; Farkaš, Daria.
Motor Skills in Hearing Impaired Children With or Without Cochlear Implant - A Systematic Review. // Collegium antropologicum. Supplement. 39 (2015) , Suppl. 1; 173-179 (pregledni rad, znanstveni).  

•Krešimir Ižaković; Branko Jovanovac; Daria Župan: Influence of the frequency of physical activities on anthropometric characteristics of male and female students at the Faculty of Agriculture in Osijek / Utjecaj učestalosti tjelesnih aktivnosti na antropometrijska obilježja studenata i studentica Poljoprivrednog fakulteta u Osijeku, Zbornik radova 5. međunarodnog znanstvenog simpozija “Gospodarstvo istočne Hrvatske – vizija i razvoj”,održanog u Osijeku, 2.-4.lipnja 2016., str. 411.-421

•Đapić Štriga, S., Farkaš, D., Kolić, L. (2013). Kondicijska priprema vojnika. 11. godišnja međunarodna konferencija "Kondicijska priprema sportaša 2013" / Jukić, I., Gregov, C., Šalaj, S., Milanović, L., Wertheimer, V. (ur.). Zagreb: Kineziološki fakultet Zagreb, Udruga kondicijskih trenera Hrvatske, 363-368 (objavljeni rad, stručni).

•Budetić, Vedran; Velki, Tena; Župan, Daria.
Odnos bavljenja sportskim aktivnostima i socio- emocionalni razvoj adolescenata. // Zbornik 26. ljetne škole kineziologija Republike Hrvatske: Kineziološke kompetencije u područjima edukacije, sporta, sportske rekreacije i kineziterapije / Findak, Vladimir (ur.). Poreč, 2017. 127-131 (predavanje,domaća recenzija,objavljeni rad).

Name and surname

Mirta Bijuković Maršić

Title

Senior Lecturer

e-mail

mmarsic@foozos.hr

Office Nr.

47

Research interests

Philology, History and Teory of Literature

Mirta Bijuković Maršić (Osijek, 1981.) is a senior lecturer at Faculty of Education in Osijek.

She has graduated History and Croatian Language and Literature in Faculty of Humanities and Social Science in Osijek in 2004. She worked as a history teacher and croatian language teacher in schools in Osijek and Đakovo 2004-2007. She has worked as teaching assistant professor at Faculty of Humanities and Social Science in Osijek 2007-2010 and 2010-2017 at Department of Cultural Studies, Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek. In 2004 and 2005 she was on project New School in Nansen Dialogue Center. She was  on Junior Faculty Development Program at  University of California, Berkeley, SAD in 2009 from January to June.

She is a member of Matrix Croatica, Society for the Study of the Short Story and Institute of Slavic, East European and Eurasian Studies in Berkeley.

List of publications (CroRIS link)

CroRIS - Mirta Bijuković Maršić

Name and surname

Željko Gregorović

Academic rank

Senior Lecturer

e-mail

zgregorovic@foozos.hr

Office

63

Research interests

Applied mathematics

Željko Gregorović graduated at the Department of Mathematics, University of Osijek, in 2006. with the topic of the graduate thesis 0–1 mathematical programming and applications and earned his degree as a graduate professor of mathematics and computer science. He was granted the Rector's award. Since 2007.  he  has been employed at the Faculty of Education in Osijek. He participated on various scientific and professional congresses and co-authored several professional papers.

He holds lectures from Teaching mathematics II,  Mathematics in play and leisure, Word processing and Computer Tools for Teaching at the Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Teaching Study in Osijek. He also holds lectures from Mathematical culture and communication and Mathematics in play and leisure at the Univesity Undergraduate Study of Early and Preschool Education.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

First and last name

Diana Moslavac Bičvić

Profession

Senior Lecturer

Email

dmoslavac@foozos.hr

Office number

62

Research interests

mathematics methodology, gifted students, class teacher education

Curriculum vitae (up to 300 words)

Diana Moslavac Bičvić was born in 1983 in Osijek. She graduated in 2007 from the Department of Mathematics at Josip Juraj Strossmayer University of Osijek with a thesis titled Bayesian Statistics, earning the degree of Graduate Professor of Mathematics and Computer Science. After graduating, she worked as a mathematics and computer science teacher at August Šenoa Elementary School in Osijek.

Since November 2008, she has been employed at the Faculty of Education (formerly the Faculty of Teacher Education ), initially as a teaching assistant, later as a lecturer, and since 2022 as a senior lecturer. She regularly presents at international scientific conferences, publishes research and professional papers, and participates in the organizational and program committees of international scientific conferences. In order to popularize mathematics, she regularly organizes workshops as part of the Science Festival and Evening of Mathematics.

She has been an associate on two scientific projects funded by the Croatian Science Foundation and participates in the implementation of institutional projects.

At the Faculty of Education, she teaches courses in Elementary Mathematics, Mathematics, Teaching Mathematics I, Teaching Mathematics II, Statistics, and Mathematics for Gifted Students within the Integrated Undergraduate and Graduate University Class Teacher Study Program. She also teaches Introduction to Statistics and Functional Mathematics in the University Undergraduate Study Program of Educational Rehabilitation, Introduction to Statistics in the University Undergraduate Study Program of Educational Rehabilitation (for part-time students), and Functional Mathematical Abilities and Skills in the University Undergraduate Study Program of Language and Speech Pathology.

For many years, she has worked as a co-leader of the Little School of Mathematics, an extracurricular activity for fourth-grade elementary school students with a special interest in mathematics, which is held at the Faculty of Education.

List of publications (link to CroRIS)

CroRIS Diana Moslavac Bičvić