Mateja Peršolja 

Mathematics teacher, lecturer, consultant, and teacher trainer.



In the teaching profession, I feel good because I do something good for others."

Short Biography

Mateja Peršolja, born Koglot and hailing from Vrtojba, completed her elementary education in Šempeter pri Gorici. She continued her schooling at the Nova Gorica Grammar School, specializing in the natural sciences. In 2001, she earned a degree in Mathematics and Physics Education from the Faculty of Education at the University of Ljubljana.

Mateja's journey in leadership and teaching began during her high school years when she led clubs, excursions, and camps at the Mountaineering Society Nova Gorica. In 1994, she became a guide for the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia. Over the next two decades, she led the youth section of the Mountaineering Society Nova Gorica, served on the regional committee of youth sections in the Posočje region, and was a member of the executive board of the Youth Commission at the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia. In her work with the commission, she particularly focused on youth competitions, mentors within the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia, and programs for young people. She is a co-author of the programsCiciban planinec and Mladi planinecalong with the diaries for both programs, which have a circulation of more than a hundred thousand copies.

She taught at four different primary schools, with her longest tenure at OŠ Preserje pri Radomljah. Dissatisfaction with relationships, learning, and the effectiveness of education drove her towards innovation. Drawing from her experiences in the mountains, she realized that learning could take place differently, without the compulsion of external control, punishments, rewards, or grading. She began developing a new approach to learning and teaching at OŠ Venclja Perka within the framework of the innovative project "Paths to Higher-Quality/Longer-Lasting Teaching/Knowledge" (under the auspices of the Institute of Education), which she continued at OŠ Preserje pri Radomljah. She connected self-regulated learning with the insights of Choice Theory (W. Glasser) and obtained a certificate from the Glasser Institute.

Her journey continued with the applied development project "Development of Knowledge Assessment Didactics" (Institute of Education). She developed a teaching and knowledge progress monitoring model, which she successfully disseminated for over ten years in the context of seminars on Knowledge Formative Assessment (Institute of Education). As more and more schools invited her to lead seminars for teachers and later school development groups and sought her guidance, she founded her own company, published a handbook, and gradually embarked on an independent path. In 2015 and 2016, she led the Erasmus+ project "Internationality as an Opportunity for School Development for Life."

Today, she is a researcher of learning and life, an author of articles, a lecturer, a consultant, a coach, and still a passionate learner and teacher.

Experience and References:

  • Mathematics teacher at OŠ Preserje pri Radomljah (2005 - 2023)
  • Presentation on "Pupils Voice in School Transition" at the World Education Summit 2023.
  • Author of the handbook "Formative Assessment in Practice" (Manual: Formative Assessment in Practice)
  • Presentation on "Formative Assessment and Choice Theory Lead to Better Relationships and Knowledge" at the World Education Summit 2021
  • Co-author of the TALIS study: "Lagging Use of ICT for Teaching in Slovenian Primary and Secondary Schools," Pedagogical Institute 2020
  • povzetek mini raziskave z učenci o doživljanju šole: Učenci si želijo šolo, ki ima srce (Sobotna priloga, 13. 1. 2024)
  • Lecture at the YETDKA Conference (Erasmus+: Finland, Germany, Estonia, Slovenia, November 2020)
  • ​Organizer of the Seminar "Knowledge Formative Assessment in Practice" (2019, 2022, 2023)
  • Member of the development group at the Educational Research Institute for Knowledge Formative Assessment and external advisor (until 2018)
  • Workshop leader within the framework of the Formative Assessment Seminar at the Institute of Education (2007 – 2016)
  • Co-organizer and lecturer at the seminar "Education for Tomorrow" and "Assessment and Evaluation for Effective Learning" (Eekhout Academy, Belgium) (2016, 2018)
  • Coordinator of the Erasmus+ Key Action 1 project "Internationality as an Opportunity for School Development for Life" (2015/16) (Scotland, Sweden, Finland)
  • Participation in the Scottish Learning Festival (Glasgow, 2015) and a visit to Education Scotland
  • Participation in the seminar "Finnish Lessons for European Schools in Quality Management," Finland (2016)
  • Organizer and leader of Knowledge Markets at OŠ Preserje pri Radomljah
  • Presentation at the International Conference "Assessment for Learning in the 21st Century" (Ohrid 2011)
  • Participation in the Final Conference: "Supporting Teachers for Effective Assessment for Learning" (2014)
  • Participation in the CIDREE Conference: "Effective Assessment for Learning" (2012)
  • Participation in the Breaking Tradition 2012 Conference (Murray High School, William Glasser Institute)
  • Workshop on Formative Assessment in the light of Choice Theory at the Glasser Quality School Conference in Slovenia (2011)
  • Presentation at the Youth Leader Training Seminar titled "Programs for Young" (2011)
  • Co-author of the revamp of the"Ciciban planinec" and "Mladi planinec" programs (2011)
  • Author of the article (Age adjusted programme of mountain climbing)

Awards and Qualifications:

  • Professional Learning Community+ Educator certificate
  • Finalist in the "I am a Teacher, I am a Teacher" competition 2020
  • Training with Dr. John Hattie (Visible Learning, 2019), Shirley Clarke (2018), Dylan Wiliam (2014)
  • Participation in the Embedded Formative Assessment course with D. Wiliam (London, 2015)
  • Landmark Forum, Advanced Course, Communication Programs (2022, 2023)
  • Choice Theory (W. Glasser) certificate
  • Guide for the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia (1994)
  • Meritorious Emblem of the Youth Commission of the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia (1996)
  • Silver Honorary Emblem of the Mountaineering Society Nova Gorica (1999)
  • Silver Honorary Emblem of the Mountaineering Association of Slovenia (2018)


My publications in newspapers and magazines: 


Other mentions about me:


Sprejem pri predsedniku. Vir: Foto agencija Bobo