https://www.sinte.me/sinte-url
Coordinator: Eva Liesa
Researchers: Anna Balcells, Montserrat Castelló, Laura Díaz Villalba, Marina García-Morante, Beatrice Ligorio, Joana Mas, Lynn McAlpine, Paula Mayoral, Juanjo Mena, Ingrid Sala, Anna Sala-Bubaré, Kirsi Pyhältö, Auli Toom
Early-Stage Researchers: Cristina Chiquero, Anthoula Delimarou, Estefi Leiva, Bárbara León, Marina Rillo
Research Areas Ongoing
The SINTE-URL research team is linked the Ramon Llull-Blanquerna University and is part of the Interuniversity Research Seminar (SINTE).
The team’s lines of work focus on:
- The development and training of the researcher identity
The projects in this line focus on the training and development of both new research personnel and professionals in innovation, with the aim of improving doctoral education and creating consortia with other social agents in order to promote responsible innovation and research processes. In addition, we have projects and an extensive track record in training in academic and scientific writing in different contexts and levels. It is led by Dr. Montserrat Castelló.
- The development and training of inquiring teaching identities
The projects in this line are aimed at the training and development of the teaching identity, both of future teachers and of active teachers at various educational levels, based on their collaborative participation in professional learning communities based on inquiry. It is led by Dr. Eva Liesa.
- The promotion of the quality of life of families with intellectual and developmental disabilities
The projects in this line aim to promote the development of children in different contexts, parental skills and offer support and resources to Early Childhood Care professionals to implement practices based on scientific evidence. The line is led by Dr. Joana Maria Mas.
Research Projects
PhD holders pursuing non-academic careers in Switzerland: typical profiles and untraditional stories. Ref.: 100019_200910. Entitat financiadora: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). IP Espanya: Montserrat Castelló (URL). Dates: 2021-2025.
Ajuts per donar suport a l’activitat científica dels grups de recerca de Catalunya (SGR-Cat 2021). Ref.: REU/1421/2022. Entitat financiadora: Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca (AGAUR). IP: Dr. Montserrat Castelló (URL). Dates: 2021–2025.
Re-Imaging Intellectual Development: Epistemic Skills for Human-AI Interaction. Entitat financiadora: Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF). IP: Dr Christian Rapp & Dr Otto Kruse. Dates: 2024-2025.
Towards a Qualitative Paradigm: Rethinking Research and Researchers Assessment at Blanquerna, Universitat Ramon Llull- ReAss. Ref.: 24-CoARA-067. Funding Entity: European Union’s Horizon Europe Research and Innovation program. IP: Dr Montserrat Castelló (URL). Dates: 2024-2025.
Estudi sobre els Centres de Desenvolupament Infantil i Atenció Precoç (CDIAP). Ref._ BE-2024-1626. Entitat finaciadora: Departament de Drets Socials de la Generalitat de Catalunya. IP: Dr. Anna Balcells (URL). Data: 2024–2024.
Atención Temprana y Desarrollo Profesional. Reduciendo la brecha entre la Investigación y la Práctica (AT-DP). Ref.: PID2021-128020NA-I00. Entitat financiadora: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. IP: Dr. Anna Balcells (URL). Dates: 2023–2024
Avaluació de la política pública de doctorats industrials de la Generalitat de Catalunya. Entitat financiadora: Consorci de Serveis Universitaris de Catalunya (CSUC). IP: Dr. Montserrat Castelló (URL). Dates: 2023-2024.
Assessment of students’ entrepreneurship competences in Andorra. Entitat financiadora: Govern d’Andorra. IP: Dr Montserrat Castelló (URL). Data: 2022-2023.
Novice researchers’ development: professional trajectories outside academia and employers’ profiles. Entitat financiadora: Facultat de Psicologia, Ciències de l’Educació i de l’Esport Blanquerna. Universitat Ramon Llull. IP: Dr. Anna Sala Bubaré (URL). Dates: 2022-2023.
Teacher inquiry-based practices: mapping the situation in Spanish schools and validating evidence-based training (TIP-MapVa). Ref. PID2021-128483OB-100. Entitat financiadora: Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación. IP: Dr. Eva Liesa (URL). Data: 2022-2026.
Co-creation of social awareness and research careers for the development of responsible research and innovation. Entitat financiadora: Aristos Campus Mundus (ACM). Pl: Dr Montserrat Castelló Badia. Dates: 2021-2022.
La millora de les pràctiques dels futurs mestres a partir de la seva participació col.laborativa en comunitats professionals d’aprenentatge basades en la indagació Entitat financiadora: Agència de Gestió d’Ajuts Universitaris i de Recerca. Generalitat de Catalunya. AGAUR. IP: Dr. Eva Liesa (URL). Dates: 2021-2022.
Desenvolupament de la identitat d’investigadors en carrera inicial: recerca dins i fora del món acadèmic. Entitat financiadora: Facultat de Psicologia, Ciències de l’Educació i de l’Esport Blanquerna. Universitat Ramon Llull. IP: Dr. Mariona Corcelles (URL). URL partners: Dr. Anna Sala Bubaré and Dr. Montserrat Castelló. Dates: 2021-2021.
Researcher Identity and career trajectories – ECRID. Entitat financiadora: Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovación y Universidades. Ref. PID2019-109358RB-I00. IP: Dr. Montserrat Castelló Badia. Dates: 2020 – 2024
Posicionament dels i les investigadores davant de la Covid19: respostes a la incertesa. Entitat financiadora: Facultat de Psicologia, Ciències de l’Educació i de l’Esport Blanquerna. Universitat Ramon Llull. IP: Dr. Anna Sala Bubaré (URL). Dates: 2020-2021.
Digitalisation of academic writing. Entitat financiadora: SNSF (SNF-Projektförderung). Ref: PID2019-109358RB-I00. IP: Dr Montserrat Castelló Badia. Dates: 2019-2023.
Educating and Raising Awareness in Schools to Prevent and Encounter Gender-Based Violence and implementation a training programme for teachers and other. Entitat financiadora: Rights, Equality and Citizenship Programme of the European Union. IP: Marita Husso, Tampere University (FI). URL partners: Dr Eva Liesa and Dr Anna Sala. Dates: 2019-2021.
Notable Publications
Castelló, M., García-Morante, M., Díaz, L., Sala-Bubaré, A., & Weise, C. (2023). Doctoral trends development in Spain: From academic to professional paths. Innovations in Education and Teaching International, 60(5), 736–747. https://doi//10.1080/14703297.2023.2237958
Sala-Bubaré, A., Garcia-Morante, M., Diaz Villalba, L., Castelló, M. & Weise, C. (2025). The Role of Parenthood in Shaping PhD Holders’ Careers Beyond Academia: A Gender Perspective. Higher Education Quarterly, 80(1), e70092. https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/hequ.70092
Sala-Bubaré, A., Garcia-Morante, M., Castelló, M., & Weise, C. (2024). PhD holders’ working conditions and job satisfaction in Spain: a cross-sector comparison. Higher Education Research & Development, 43(7), 1571–1585. https://doi//10.1080/07294360.2024.2347611
Castelló, M. & Sala-Bubaré, A. (2023). Research writing as a tool for doctoral students and early career researchers’ development. In R. Horowitz (ed.). Handbook on Writing. Routledge (pp. 366-378). Routledge. http://dx.doi.org/10.4324/9780429437991-29
Mas, J., Dunst, C., & Gómez, Y. (2025). A systematic analysis of the core features of coaching in early childhood intervention. International Journal of Early Childhood Special Education, 17(1), 1–15. https://doi.org/10.48047/intjecse/v17i1.100
Sala-Bars, I., Rillo-Gómez, M., Laiva, E., Sala-Bubaré, A., & Castelló, M. (2025).La inclusión de estudiantes de doctorado con discapacidad: ¿Qué sabemos hasta ahora? Siglo Cero, 56(221), 7–28. https://doi.org/10.14201/scero.32428
Contreras, N., Liesa, E. & Giralt-Romeu, M. (2024). How pre-service teachers change their view of forms of inquiry after participating in an inquiry-based practicum. Teaching and Teacher Education, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104478
Garcia-Morante, M., Castelló, M., & Sala-Bubaré, A. (2025). PhD holders at the boundaries and knowledge brokering. Studies in Continuing Education, 47(1), 302-320. https://doi.org/10.1080/0158037X.2024.2358007
Castelló, M., & Sala-Bubaré, A. (2025). Collaborative writing among PhD holders in non-academic careers: disciplinary variations and their impact on work engagement and burnout. Higher Education, 1-14. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-025-01413-3
Giralt-Romeu, M., Liesa, E., & Castelló, M. (2021). I research, you research: do future teachers consider themselves researchers?(Yo investigo, tú investigas;¿ se consideran investigadores los futuros maestros?). Journal for the Study of Education and Development, 44(3), 586-622. https://doi.org/10.1080/02103702.2020.1759001
Liesa, E., Mayoral, P., Giralt-Romeu, M., & Angulo, S. (2023). Video-based feedback for collaborative reflection among mentors, university tutors and students. Education Sciences, 13(9), 879. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci13090879
Sala-Bars, I., Mumbardó-Adam, C., & Adam-Alcocer, A. L. (2025). Moving towards preservice teachers’ implementation of universal design for learning: the central role of self-efficacy. Teachers and Teaching, 31(5), 800-818. https://doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2024.2308900
Theses Completed in the Last 5 Years
García-Morante, M. (2025). Unpacking PhD holders’ hybrid trajectories: Navigating boundaries and constructing identities. Supervisor: Dr. Montserrat Castelló. Relevant articles: Sala-Bubaré, A., Garcia-Morante, M., Castelló, M., & Weise, C. (2024). PhD holders’ working conditions and job satisfaction in Spain: a cross-sector comparison. Higher Education Research & Development, 43(7), 1571–1585. https://doi//10.1080/07294360.2024.2347611 .
Díaz-Villalba, L. (2025). Trayectorias investigadoras: procesos de formación y transición profesional de los doctores paraguayos. Directora: Dra. Montserrat Castelló Badia (URL). Producciones derivadas relevantes: Diaz-Villalba, L., & Castelló, M. (2024). Formación doctoral en Paraguay: situación actual y retos pendientes. Revista iberoamericana de educación superior, 15(44), 73-91. https://doi.org/10.22201/iisue.20072872e.2024.44.1891
Contreras, N. (2025). The construction of the inquiring identity of pre-service teachers through the supervision of educational practices in schools. Supervisor: Dr. Eva Liesa. Produccions derivades rellevants: Contreras, N., Liesa, E. & Giralt-Romeu, M. (2024). How pre-service teachers change their view of forms of inquiry after participating in an inquiry-based practicum. Teaching and Teacher Education, 140. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2024.104478.
Meneses Pinto, C. (2025). La escuela como una comunidad de indagación para la mejora educativa desde el modelo de escuela inclusiva. Directora: Dr. Eva Liesa. Producciones derivadas relevantes: Meneses-Pinto, C., & Liesa, E. (2025). Development of Teacher Identity Towards Inclusive Voices. A Case Study. The Journal of Experimental Education, 1–19. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220973.2025.2453176.
Sepúlveda, A. (2024). Sistemas de inclusión en las universidades chilenas y su influencia en la calidad de vida de estudiantes con discapacidad. Directora: Dr. Ingrid Sala-Bars. Tutora: Dra. Montserrat Castelló. http://hdl.handle.net/10803/692409
Mollá, N. (2023). El desenvolupament de la identitat dels directors d’escola. Caracterització empírica i proposta formativa basada en el diàleg. Universidad Ramón Llull. Directora:Dr. Montserrat Castelló, http://hdl.handle.net/10803/689034. Produccions derivades rellevants: Mollá, N., & Castelló, M. (2024). Identity positioning of experienced school principals when facing critical incidents. Heliyon, 10(16). https://doi.org/10.1016/j.heliyon.2024.e36025.
Muries, O. (2023). Quality of life of siblings of people with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Tesis en co-tutela. Supervisors: Dr. Climent Giné Giné, Dr. Geert Van Hove, Dra. Alice P. Schippers. Tutor: Dr. Joana Mas, Universidad Ramón Llull. https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/689319. Relevant articles: Múries‐Cantán, O., Giné, C., Brown, R. I., Aguiar, N. B., & Schippers, A. P. (2023). Siblings of children with intellectual and developmental disabilities: Quality of life perceptions from Catalonia. Journal of Policy and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, 20(2), 192-204. https://doi.org/10.1111/jppi.12451
García-Ventura, S. (2022). Atención temprana centrada en la familia: impacto de variables del profesional y del programa de intervención. Co- directora: Dr. Joana Maria Mas Mestre. Producciones derivadas relevantes: Mas, J. M., Dunst, C. J., Balcells-Balcells, A., Garcia-Ventura, S., Giné, C., & Cañadas, M. (2019). Family-centered practices and the parental well-being of young children with disabilities and developmental delay. Research in developmental disabilities, 94, 103495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ridd.2019.103495
Vargas-Farjado, A. (2022). La identidad profesional a través de los incidentes críticos en la orientación y el asesoramiento educativo. Universidad Autónoma de Barcelona. Directoras:Dr. Maria Mayoral Serrat y Dr. María Isabel Cano Ortiz https://www.tdx.cat/handle/10803/688810. Producciones derivadas relevantes: Vargas-Fajardo, A., Mayoral Serrat, P., Cano Ortiz, M., & Raballaty, I. A. Incidentes críticos y perfiles identitarios de asesores académicos en Colombia: análisis de casos. ÁÁF Ámbitos de Psicopedagogía y Orientación