Academic Profile : Faculty

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Assoc Prof Wong Yuen Fun, Isabella
Associate Professor, National Institute of Education - Psychology and Child & Human Development
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Dr. Isabella Wong is an Associate Professor with the Psychology and Child & Human Development (PCHD) Academic Group at the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. She had previously served in the Office of Graduate Studies and Professional Learning, and was the prime mover in the development and launch of the NIE EdD and Master of Teaching programs. Isabella is the co-founder of the NIE Mediated Learning Laboratory (MLL) which is set up to propel the use and application of Mediated Learning Experience (MLE) and Dynamic Assess-ment (DA) for research in educational settings and translate research findings into practical guides for teachers and practitioners both locally and globally.  

Isabella has deep gratitude for the awards and scholarships she had received for her studies at the University of Georgia; obtaining a BA in Psychology(summa cum laude) and a Master of Edu-cation (School Psychology and Counselling). As a recipient of the NTU Research Scholarship, she subsequently obtained her PhD from NTU in 2002. Isabella considers it a privilege to share and to be involved in work that extends on these areas of her passion and allows her opportunities to empower capacities. Isabella is well-recognized for outstanding teaching and had received the ‘Excellence in Teaching Commendation’ in 2005, 2006, 2017 and won the ‘Nanyang Education Award’ from NTU in 2010. She is well sought after as a speaker, professional learning leader, and consultant; and has been invited to present locally and at international and academic symposi-ums, such as in Japan, UK, Canada, the Arab States and the United States.  

Isabella’s main research and teaching interests are in child and adolescent psychopathology, psy-cho-educational interventions, school counseling, and instructional mentoring. She has a longstanding interest in teacher cognition, teacher noticing, teacher emotions, and effective high-er education pedagogies. Her current work focuses on MLE, and cognitive and positive education in the primary and pre-school settings. Isabella’s school-based research and consultation activities have also allowed her to work widely and closely with schools and higher education institutions on issues of teacher leadership and teacher professional learning; student and teacher well-being; practices for positive and strengths-based education; and the application, implementation and evaluation of social and emotional learning and character education programs.  

Isabella has published in several international peer-reviewed journals such as, Applied Psychology: An International Review; Australian Journal of Teacher Education; Contemporary Educational Psy-chology; Current Psychology; Journal of Education for Teaching; Journal of Teaching and Teacher Education; Journal of Research on Adolescence, as well as Teaching & Teacher Education.  

She has co-authored three books: Advances in Mediated Learning Experience for 21st century Ed-ucation: Competencies, Contexts and Culture(with Tan and Chua), Mediated Learning Experience: Applications in Various Contexts (with Chua), and SPECTRUM Instructional Mentoring for Physical Edu-cation (with Tan, Tan & Low). She serves on the editorial board of the Journal of Cognitive Educa-tion and Psychology and is a member of the Center for Responsive Schools Social and Emotional Learning Professional Association; European Network for Positive Psychology; and the Internation-al Association for Cognitive Education.
Positive psychology in educational contexts, Mediated Learning Experiences, Developmental psychopathology, Social-emotional learning, Cognitive education, Teacher noticing, Teacher cognition, Teacher emotions, Teacher professional learning, Teacher leadership, Educational effectiveness.
 
  • Critical Affective Literacy for an Affective Teacher Professionalism
  • Harnessing Positive Psychology Principles in Fostering Academic Motivation/Engagement and Wellbeing of Low-Progress Learners in Singapore
  • Are our children feeling good and functioning well' Examining student well-being using a multi-dimensional approach
  • What Matters Most: Beginning and Experienced Teachers' Articulated Noticing In Physical Education through Pedagogies of Practice
  • Emotional Capital and Teacher Professionalism