Maria João Horta is Deputy Director-General of the Directorate-General of Education, since 2019.
She has a PhD in ICT in Education in the specialty of Information and Communication Technologies in Education, from the Institute of Education of the University of Lisbon (2012) and Master in Education – Specialization in Didactics of Sciences at the Faculty of Science of Lisbon (2002).
She is Team Leader, INCoDe.2030 Education Team at the Directorate General of Education, Ministry of Education, since 2017.
She is a representative in the Thematic Working Group – Digital Citizenship of European Schoolnet and in the Better Internet for Kids Advisory Board of European Schoolnet, since 2017.
She has been a guest lecturer at the Almeida Garrett School of Education since 2016.
She was Director of the Educom Teacher Training Center (2012/2017).
She was part of the Working Group that had the mission of defining the exit profile of young people at the end of 12 years of compulsory education, a group appointed by the Secretary of State for Education, through Order No. 9311/2016, of July 21.
She was a seconded teacher at the Ministry of Education, at the Educom ICT Competence Center (2011/2017).
She has been a certified trainer by the Scientific and Pedagogical Council for Continuing Education since 2008.
She develops research work in the area of education and ICT. She is author and co-author of books, scientific articles, studies, curriculum guidelines and evaluation reports of educational projects.