Sofia Pastor Matamoros

I am a researcher and teacher in Art Education at the Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, where I work in teacher education in early childhood and primary education. My research focuses on creativity, play, and comparative art education between Japan and Spain, with particular attention to Zoukei Asobi as a pedagogical paradigm based on autonomous play, material exploration, and interaction with space. I am especially interested in how arts education can foster creativity, STEAM thinking, inclusion, and social justice.

My work connects academic research, teacher training, and educational practice. I study how artistic processes support children’s development and how future teachers can be prepared to design more open, meaningful, and inclusive learning environments. I have also been involved in international research in Japan, which has strengthened my interest in dialogue between Japanese and Spanish educational traditions. Through this work, I aim to contribute to a more thoughtful, creative, and socially engaged approach to arts education.