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Zheng, Qi
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Email: qi.zheng@ubc.ca
Personal website: https://sites.google.com/view/qizheng/home]
About
Research Interests
College Access, Data-Driven Policy and Program Evaluation, Economics of Education, Education Policy and Inequality, Financial Aid, Public Service Motivation, Quantitative Methods, Teacher Sorting/Turnover/Effectiveness
Individual research Interests
Bio
Zheng, Qi (pronounced Jeng-Chee) is a Postdoctoral Research Fellow in the Department of Educational Studies at the University of British Columbia and a Research Affiliate with the Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR) Lab at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. He holds a Ph.D. in Educational Policy Analysis and Evaluation (PK–20 focus) from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research is driven by a commitment to translating research into evidence-based practice that empowers educational leaders to make informed decisions and fosters greater equity in education and broader society. Leveraging experimental and quasi-experimental approaches, he generates causal evidence for policymakers and develops actionable strategies for practitioners. His research agenda includes cross-cutting themes in teacher sorting, retention, and effectiveness; the evolving landscape of college access; and unequal opportunities in informal education. His recent work extends to responding to a rapidly changing world — examining AI and inequality, and exploring how education shapes public service motivation and democratic beliefs from a policy perspective. His papers have been published in leading journals across education, sociology, and economics, alongside multiple policy briefs and numerous presentations at academic conferences. Outside research, Qi finds inspiration in traveling, photography, and poetry. He has published a collection of poems in Chinese, and he is also a fan of the Golden State Warriors.
Research and Education
Education
- PhD, Educational Policy Analysis and Evaluation (PK-20 focus), University of Wisconsin–Madison, 2025
- M.A., Economics of Education, Peking University, 2019
- B.A., Educational Studies, Northeast Normal University, 2016
- Visiting Student, National Taiwan Normal University, Fall 2014
Research Projects
- Co-Principal Investigator (in preparation, initial grant secured): “Expanding AI Access for Rural Teachers: A Randomized Controlled Trial of Subscription and Platform-Based Support.”
- Co-Principal Investigator (2023-2026): “Addressing Preschool Teacher Turnover Through Evidence-Based Coaching: A Randomized Controlled Trial on Enhancing Administrative Support”. National Natural Science Foundation of China.
- Senior Analyst (2023–2025): “Role of Geography and Local Labor Markets in Measuring Equitable Postsecondary Value.” Principal Investigator: Nicholas Hillman. Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation.
Selected Publications
[Google Scholar profile: link]
Selected Journal Articles
- Zheng, Q. (Conditional acceptance). How Information about Educational Inequality Shapes Student Teachers’ Prosocial Preference and Intentions for Hard-to-Staff Schools? Evidence from a Survey Experiment. Educational Evaluation and Policy Analysis.
- Zheng, Q. (2026). Contextual Factors and Test-Disclosure Decisions under Test-Optional Policies. Research in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-026-09908-3
- Xie, X., & Zheng, Q. (2026). Exploring Effective Teacher Certificate Requirements to Benefit Student Achievement: Evidence from a Global Perspective. International Journal of Educational Development. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2025.103476
- Zheng, Q., & Shi, Y. (2025). Can Service Scholarships Boost Academic Performance? Causal Evidence from China’s Free Teacher Education Scholarship. Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10734-024-01242-w
- Shi, Y., Zheng, Q., Zhang, X., Xie, X., & Ye, X. (2025). Recruiting High-Quality Teachers with Service Scholarships: Descriptive Evidence from China’s Free Teacher Education Scholarship. ECNU Review of Education. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311251345498
- Zheng, Q., & Yu, A. (2024). Inequality in the Shadow: The Role of Private Tutoring in SES Achievement Gaps. Social Science Research. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssresearch.2024.103053
- Zheng, Q., Xie, X., Ye, X., & Wei, Y. (2024). Do Teachers Colleges Prepare More Effective Teachers? Evidence from a Top School District in China. China Economic Review. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.chieco.2024.102225
Papers Under Review and Revision
- Shi, Y., Zhang, X., Zheng, Q., Song, Y., & Ye, X. (Resubmitted to Teaching and Teacher Education). Kindergarten Teacher Turnover in China: Evidence from Nationally Representative Data.
- Zheng, Q. (R&R at Education Finance and Policy). Do Test-Optional Admissions Reduce the SES-Based Admission Disparity? Evidence from a Public Flagship University.
- Zheng, Q. (Under review). The Evolving Role of Standardized Tests in Predicting College Success Amid Test-Optional Admissions.
- Zheng, Q., Shi, Y., & Cui, Y. (Under review). More Than Words: Teachers’ Awareness of Inequality and Support for Compensatory Response, School Assignment, and Student Achievement.
- Yang, H., Zheng, Q., & Xie, X. (Under review). More Use, Less Learning? The Effects of Teacher ICT Use on Achievement Growth: Evidence from the TIMSS 2023 Longitudinal Study.
Policy Reports
- Hillman, N., Colston, J., Boonstra, K., & Zheng, Q. (2025). Calculating the Return on Investment in Postsecondary Education: Differences in State vs. Local Earnings. Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR Lab): University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Zheng, Q., Dziesinski, A., & Hillman, N. (2023). 2022 Director’s Scholarship Report. Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR Lab): University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- Dziesinski, A., Zheng, Q., & Hillman, N. (2023). UW Higher Education Location Program – system-wide perspective on college access; connects students to campuses and resources. Student Success Through Applied Research (SSTAR Lab): University of Wisconsin-Madison.
- An, X., Zheng, Q., Shi, Y., Xie, X., Ye, X., & Zhang, X. (2021). Teaching Skills: The Key Element of Preparing K-12 Educators. Policy Report for Chinese National Center for Education Development Research.
Peer Review Service
Manuscript reviewer for: Education Finance and Policy, AERA Open, Social Science Research, International Journal of Educational Development, Higher Education, Studies in Higher Education, Journal of Teacher Education, The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, Journal of Experimental Education, PLOS One, Humanities and Social Sciences Communications. Association for Education Finance and Policy (Conference) and the Comparative and International Education Society (Conference).
EDST Activity
Invited and Guest Lectures
Lecture: “Test-Optional Admissions and Equality Implications: Evidence from the United States.” April 2026.
Guest lecture: EDST 527, Higher Education Policy: International and Comparative Perspectives (2026).
Guest lecture: EPSE 681, Advanced Topics in Measurement, Evaluation, and Research Methodology (2026).
Additional
[LinkedIn: linkedin.com/in/qi-zheng-9096a32a2]
Awards
- 2026 Ascendium Postsecondary Scholar Award, The Association for Education Finance and Policy (AEFP)
- 2025 Best Student Paper Award, Comparative and International Education Society (CIES) East Asia SIG
- 2023 Best Paper Award, Forum on Empirical Education Research, ECNU
- 2021 Best Paper Award for Emerging Scholars, Annual Conference of the China Institute for Educational Finance Research
Memberships
Khedr, Nashwa
About
Research Interests
Anti-Oppressive Education, Comparative Public and Private Education, Critical Pedagogy in Neoliberal Authoritarian Contexts, Critical Phenomenology, Curriculum Studies, Global Education, Local and Global Citizenship Education, Social Class and Neocolonialism, Teacher Agency in Neocolonial Contexts, Teacher Education, Teacher Life Histories
Individual research Interests
Global Education and Neocolonialism: I examine how global education is taken up within socially stratified neocolonial contexts, and how it may be co-opted to reproduce neocolonial bourgeoisie. I examine how neocolonial conditions shape teachers personal and professional livelihoods, life chances, vulnerabilities, aspirations, and teaching philosophies.
Teacher Biographies, Social Class, and Emergent Agency: I examine teacher biographies across socio-economic class, as illustrative of the interplay between structure and agency, class-specific neocolonial technologies, and emergent forms of agency.
Critical Pedagogy in Neoliberal Authoritarian Contexts: I examine how critical pedagogy is constrained, fostered, negotiated and enacted within neoliberal authoritarian contexts, and how it can be fostered and enacted within these vulnerable, hostile environments. I am particularly interested in theorizing critical pedagogy in relation to class-specific priorities, through responsive anti-oppressive education.
Local and Global Citizenship Education: I examine how social justice-oriented, transformative citizenship can be fostered in schools, with attention to teachers’ beliefs, curricula, school-wide practices, and teacher-student relationships. I am particularly interested in tensions between global citizenship education and local priorities, class-specific aspirations, and context-specific vulnerabilities, privileges and complicities.
Bio
My research interests centre on curriculum studies and teacher education, with a particular focus on theorizing teacher agency in neocolonial contexts, by attending to teacher biographies across socio-economic classes and how these biographies inform their teaching philosophies, trigger class-specific forms of agency, and illustrate the interplay between structure and agency. I am also interested in critical pedagogy in neoliberal authoritarian contexts, local and global citizenship education, anti-oppressive education, and teaching for social justice. My research also includes comparative analyses of public and private educational institutions within socially stratified neocolonial contexts, including the ways global education can be co-opted in the reproduction of neocolonial bourgeoisie.
I co-edited the 2019 book ‘The Struggle for Citizenship Education in Egypt’, published by Routledge. My forthcoming chapter, “The (Un)making of Citizens: Challenges to a Transformative Citizenship Education in Formal Schooling in Egypt,” will appear In ‘The Handbook on Education in the Middle East and North Africa’, edited by B. Akar & Z. Zakharia (Routledge).
My professional experience spans teacher education, curriculum development, and educational research in Egypt and Canada. In Egypt, I worked across teaching, teacher education, and curriculum development in both non-formal and formal education settings. At the University of British Columbia, I have worked in teacher education, curriculum studies, educational research, student mentorship, and program development across undergraduate and graduate programs in the Faculty of Education. I also served as a Curriculum Renewal Coordinator on a curriculum renewal project in the Faculty of Medicine. I currently serve as a Lecturer and Program Coordinator in the Adult Learning and Global Change (ALGC) Master’s Program.
Research and Education
Education
University of British Columbia, 2026, PhD, Curriculum Studies
American University in Cairo, 2016, MA, International and Comparative Education
Cairo University, 2012, MSc, Phytochemistry
Cairo University, 2004, BSc, Pharmacy
Research Projects
Selected Publications
EDST Activity
Courses taught
Additional
ASTU_V 400E – Creativity and Critical Thinking in the Age of AI (Student Directed Seminar)
Course Title: Creativity and Critical Thinking in the Age of AI (Student Directed Seminar)
Course Number: ASTU_V 400E
Dates: Winter 2: Jan 5-April 8, 2027, Tuesdays and Thursdays 2:30-4:00pm
Location: Room 4290, MacIsaac Health Building
Student Coordinator: Khang-Ninh Đặng (ninh.dang@sauder.ubc.ca)
Faculty Sponsor: Dr. Marcelina Piotrowski (marcelina.piotrowski@ubc.ca)
Course Description:
What does it mean to be creative and critically thoughtful in an age of intelligent machines? This student directed seminar explores contemporary concerns about artificial intelligence through philosophies of education, especially concepts of creativity, critical thinking, and critical theories of knowledge. In particular, this student-directed seminar (SDS) explores how the pedagogy of research creation can generate reflection on creativity and critical thinking in an age of mash-ups, recycled ideas, and replicas. Students will engage in critical reading and discussion—alongside planning, creating, and writing about their own original artworks that comment on how they perceive artificial intelligence (AI) is impacting creativity and critical thinking, including social justice critiques of machinic learning and knowledge production. At the end of the term, students will also participate in an open studio to introduce their artworks and insights to the public.
Congratulations to Anthony Bruce Roberts on a Successful Oral Defence (M.A. Thesis)
Please join us in congratulating Anthony Bruce Roberts who successfully defended the M.A. Thesis on October 14 of 2026.
Title:
HELP-SEEKING HESITANCY AMONG INTERNATIONAL STUDENTS AT CANADIAN UNIVERSITIES
Abstract:
This study examines whether domestic and international university students differ in their willingness to seek professional mental health support. Using responses from 13,405 Canadian undergraduates, it finds that international status by itself is not significantly associated with help-seeking intention after adjustment for the other variables. Students reporting more distress, loneliness, or stigma are generally less willing to seek professional help. Stigma is related to help-seeking differently across the two groups, but the relationship is stronger among domestic students, not international students. International students may still face distinct structural and cultural barriers, but the findings caution against assuming that they are uniformly more vulnerable. Universities may benefit from combining campus-wide stigma reduction and belonging initiatives with targeted support for students facing specific barriers to care.
Supervisory Committee:
Dr. Yilin Pan
Dr. Hongxia Shan
We are thankful for the Examining Committee’s contribution and expertise.
Dr. Fei Wang, EDST, University Examiner
Congratulations Anthony!
New article: Where Flesh Meets Paper: Embodied Journaling as Antiracist and Decolonial Sites for Learning and Healing
Announcement:
Congratulations to Dr. Stephanie Glick for the recent publication of her paper Where Flesh Meets Paper: Embodied Journaling as Antiracist and Decolonial Sites for Learning and Healing published in the Harvard Educational Review.
Dr. Glick’s study notes that courses examining colonialism, racism, and oppression often rely solely on intellectual analysis, overlooking the knowledge held in the body and spirit. Her research addresses the value of embedding somatic and neurobiological practices in social justice education.
The paper highlights an embodied journaling assignment developed by Dr. Glick. The goal of the assignment was to aid students in recognizing, interpreting, and recording their bodies’ signals in the process of learning about critical social issues. In addition to the educator’s own accounts, three former students, Nina Gaind, Micah Favel, and Arianna Valentino, reflect on their experiences with the assignment.
Findings indicate that listening to embodied signals that emerge while learning about social in/justice deepened students’ understandings of course topics and their relationships to systems of power, oppression, and healing.
Public Scholars Initiative recipients
Two EDST students were selected to be UBC Vancouver Public Scholars Initiative recipients. See details:
Mohajeri, Aida
PhD Student
Aida Mohajeri is an Educational Studies PhD student and Graduate Research
Assistant at the University of British Columbia. Her research explores the intersections of unsustainability, higher education institutions, and social inequities. Her past experiences include research and policy in the non-profit, federal government, and education sectors.
