Dr. Elena C. Papanastasiou is a Professor and the Dean of the School of Education at the University of Nicosia, Cyprus. A Fulbright scholar, she earned an Honours Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree in Elementary and Kindergarten Education from Pennsylvania State University and a PhD in Measurement and Quantitative Methods from Michigan State University. Her career in education and assessment spans more than 30 years.
After attaining her BSc, Elena returned to Cyprus, where she was born and raised, to take additional teacher education courses and work in schools for a period of time. Her teaching experience led her to develop an interest in assessment, prompting her to pursue graduate studies in educational measurement.
Over the past 25 years, she has worked at the University of Kansas, the University of Cyprus (as a visiting professor), and the University of Nicosia, where she has held numerous positions, including Assistant Professor, Associate Professor, Associate Dean, Professor, and Dean. She currently also serves on the Council and the Senate of the University.
In addition, over the years, she has played an active role in major international assessment organizations. Within the International Association for the Evaluation of Educational Achievement (IEA), she has served as General Assembly Representative of Cyprus, a member of the Standing Committee, and a member of the Publications Committee. She is also highly active in the Association of Educational Assessment-Europe (AEA-Europe), where she serves as a member of its Council and Chair of its Professional Development Committee. In 2018, she was awarded Fellow status within the organization.
Professor Papanastasiou is a noted researcher and writer, having co-authored three books – Motivational Profiles in TIMSS Mathematics: Exploring Student Clusters across Countries and Time, the multi-volume IEA 1958 – 2008: 50 Years of Experiences and Memories, and the multi-edition book Methodology of Educational Research – as well as more than 100 publications, including peer-reviewed journal articles, book chapters and peer-reviewed conference proceedings.
Her research methodology book is widely used in educational research courses in Cyprus and Greece. Elena’s contributions in research, public speaking, and teaching have been instrumental in shaping the future of education in Cyprus and across Europe.
Elena discusses the value of large-scale assessments for researchers, highlighting their potential to provide insights into educational processes and systems within and across countries in order to maximize benefits for learners. She also emphasizes the importance of utilizing process data from computerized assessments to examine how students approach these tests and to gain deeper insights into student effort and the reasons behind performance differences, beyond test results alone.
She explains that such assessments hold significant value for countries such as Cyprus, as they are among the only large-scale, publicly available studies that provide a broad range of valid and reliable data to support data-informed decision-making at the national level and guide educational improvements.
She is aware of the widespread adoption of Vretta’s online assessment platform across Canadian provinces and territories, Europe, and other regions, although she has not had first-hand experience with the solution.
In discussing the future of large-scale assessment, Elena predicts an increased use of process data and AI tools, while emphasizing the importance of human oversight given current limitations and inconsistencies in AI performance.
Regarding future consulting opportunities, Dr. Papanastasiou expresses interest in consulting on large-scale assessment and process data, test construction, and research on AI in education.
Reflecting on her long career in education and assessment, Elena expresses pride in her leadership of the University’s School of Education and its recognition as the highest-ranked school in the field of education in Greece and Cyprus based on the Times Higher Education Rankings. This recognition reflects the School’s excellence in research, teaching, and academic reputation.
Elena explains that she is deeply engaged and genuinely enjoys her research. She also enjoys travelling and connecting with colleagues, opportunities made possible through attending conferences and participating in research projects across Europe. Please feel free to reach out to Elena at: papanastasiou.e@unic.ac.cy.
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