Cross-cultural studies involve the systematic comparisons of different cultures that aim to understand variations of human behavior as it is influenced by cultural context. I focus on cross-cultural differences in achievement motivation and achievement-related behavioral choices.

I am recruiting a full-time PhD student to join me in early 2023 at the Institute for Positive Psychology and Education at ACU. The PhD student will work with me on a motivation intervention designed to boost high school students’ interest and course-enrolment in STEM subjects. This intervention will also aim to increase gender equality in STEM education and careers. This project is embedded within my ARC Discovery Early Career Researcher Award (DECRA).

This project provides reviews and demonstrates applications of advanced methods in Structural Equation Modeling.

The project is a series of studies on school principal and teacher psychological wellbeing and its relations with student academic outcomes and psychological wellbeing.

Self-concept is the belief that people have about themselves. It is the personal knowledge of knowing who we are and considering all our feelings and thoughts about ourselves academically, socially and physically. I’m particularly interest in the development of self-concept during childhood and adolescence and how such development influences achievement-related outcomes.

Success in school is influenced by more than merely cognitive abilities and opportunities. It is also influenced by students’ capacities to manage goal- and task-directed behaviors, maintain social relationships, and regulate emotions.These capacities are refered as social-emotional skils. I’m particularly interest in how students, parents, and teachers navigate social and emotional situations can have powerful consequences for a multitude of important life outcomes for the student, such as educational achievement and attainment, psychological and physical health, and career success.

The project is a series of studies on how multiple ecological systems on the cultural, social, motivational, and behavioural development of youth shape their major and career choices particularly in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics). These studies also focus on gender differences in the ecological mechanisms leading to STEM pathways.

The notion of well-being and happiness has increasingly taken centre stage in our societies over the recent years. As Nobel Prize Economist Daniel Kahneman puts it, “there is a huge wave of interest in happiness among researchers. Children who are in a good state of emotional well-being have higher odds of growing into adults who are happy, confident, and enjoy healthy lifestyles, consequently contributing towards a better society and improving the overall well-being of the population. Different factors can be conducive or detrimental to students’ well-being, and many of these factors are interrelated. I’m particularly interested in collaborating with different actors—schools, teachers, and parents—to improve the effectiveness of different prevention programs and thus enhance children’s and adolescents’ well-being.

The project is a collection of a series of meta-analyses and reviews on educational Psychology, such as achievement motivation, school climate, learning and instruction, and on more general psychology, such as ethnic-racial socialization with collaborators from different research areas. I’ve developed expertise in all parts of conducting a range of systematic reviews, meta-analyses, and meta-meta-reviews.