Academic Profile : Faculty

Cheung Hoi Shan-square.png picture
Asst Prof Cheung Hoi Shan
Assistant Professor, National Institute of Education - Psychology and Child & Human Development
External Links
 
Dr Cheung began her research career in 2004 at the Singapore Children’s Society, a voluntary welfare organisation where she conducted research and advocacy on parenting and children’s development in Singapore. She obtained a Ph.D. in Developmental Psychology from the National University of Singapore (NUS) in 2014, and focused primarily on how parental sensitivity is related to children’s peer relationships in pre-school based on attachment theory. During her doctoral years, she was trained to conduct observations of caregiver sensitivity using several paradigms. She continued to develop her research in attachment theory and applying it to multiple social contexts, such as school bullying, as a postdoctoral fellow in the Department of Psychology at NUS and later a visiting scholar in the Department of Human Development and Family Studies at Purdue University. Her current research focuses the functional meaning of parenting practices in the Asian context, and how these may have an impact on children’s self-regulation and well-being. Dr. Cheung joined the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University in 2023.
Dr Cheung has a long-standing interest in the study of parenting practices and their influence on children’s social development. Part of her work involves observing parents and children interact in naturalistic settings. Her current work investigates cultural differences in parenting styles and practices, which may have implications on the interpretation of parent-child relationship quality and consequently children’s development. Other research interests include parents’ use of disciplinary practices and corporal punishment, and how parental support may lessen the effects of school bullying.
 
  • Investigating the Psychosocial Factors Associated with Early Childhood Educator (ECE) Well-being in Singapore: A Pilot Study
  • The role of parents in promoting better social competence and self-regulation in early childhood
  • Parent Matters: Exploring Singaporean Parents' Engagement and Beliefs in Educational Assessments in the Context of Educational Assessment Reform
  • Building Human Capacity in Singapore's Population: A National Longitudinal Study of Child and Maternal Well-being
  • The Mental Health and Academic Competence of Singapore Students in High-Achieving Girls' Schools: A Multi-Informant, Longitudinal Study
Awards
National University of Singapore Inauguration Grant (2019): Awarded under the Singapore Teaching and Academic Research Talent Scheme to talented Singaporean academics with promising research and teaching trajectories.

Singapore Children's Society Silver Service Award (2019): In recognition of contributions in advancing research on children, youth and families as a research committee member.
 
Fellowships & Other Recognition
Valedictorian, National University of Singapore Class of 2014
 
Courses Taught
At NIE:
MEC901 Child Development
MED902 Integrative Project
AED16A Issues and Practices in Early Childhood Education
AED16D Child Development in Early Childhood Education

At Yale-NUS College/NUS:
Developmental Psychology
Lab in Developmental Psychology
Parenting and Child Development
Introduction to Psychology
Comparative Social Inquiry
Resilience and Success in College
 
Supervision of PhD Students
Currently accepting PhD students who are interested in research related to parenting styles and practices, parental discipline, and parent-child attachment in relation to children's social development.