Abstract:
This presentation will provide an overview of the theoretical concept of embodied learning, namely how body movement can successfully be used in the school context to improve learning. Starting from a historical overview of this theory, empirical studies and practical implications of embodied learning in education will be explored stemming from research in gestures, whole-body movements, and physical activity.

Short Bio:
Dr Myrto Mavilidi is Associate Professor of Educational Psychology at the Department of Psychology of the University of Limassol, and Senior Fellow at the School of Education, University of Wollongong, Australia. She has a BSc in Psychology from Panteion University of Social and Political Sciences, Greece, an MSc in Educational Psychology from Erasmus Rotterdam University, the Netherlands, and a PhD in Educational Psychology from the University of Wollongong, Australia. Her current research is centred on the integration of physical activity and learning experiences, specifically through the design, development, implementation, and evaluation of school-based programs that blend physical activity with academic learning. She is looking at the benefits of active learning and cognitively engaging physical activity, through physically active lessons and active breaks, on children’s physical and cognitive (e.g., executive function, academic performance) and mental health outcomes.

She has an extensive track record with 58 published articles and book chapters (Google scholar citations 3200; h-index 32). She has obtained more than 3 million euro in external competitive funding, including a Discovery Early Career Researcher Award from the Australian Research Council (19% success rate), and the University of Wollongong Vice Chancellor Postgraduate Fellowship Award. In 2022, she was considered one of the most productive early career scholars globally in Educational Psychology for 2015-2022 (Fong et al., 2022).

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