Mengnan Li

Kairangahau | Researcher

Mengnan has experiences in providing quality research, analysis and evaluation to support the development of innovative, international best-practice teaching and learning frameworks which drive equitable outcomes for all learners.

Mengnan joined the NZCER team in August 2022. As a teacher before, her doctoral project showcases the relations between teaching beliefs and student self-concept outcomes. Mengnan explores educational issues from a social-psychological perspective and has experience and expertise in both qualitative and quantitative methodologies.

Areas of Expertise

  • Educational and social psychology.
  • Teacher emotions.
  • Student and teacher beliefs.
  • Systematic literature review.

Qualifications

  • PhD in Education, University of Auckland
  • MSc (Distinction) in Education, University of Edinburgh
  • BA in Chinese Language and Literature, Fudan University

Publications

School Board leadership—Key issues 2025 Research publication 2025
COMPASS: Whānau partnerships with school—patterns and associations with Māori students’ learning Research publication 2025
Primary school principals’ perspectives from the 2024 National Survey Uiuinga ā-Motu o ngā Kura Research publication 2025
What are the main issues for primary principals in Aotearoa New Zealand? Blog post 2025
Under the radar—A rapid review of recent literature about youth problem gambling Research publication 2024
Feedback on the draft Years 0–8 mathematics and statistics learning area—August–September 2024 Research publication 2024
Sorted in Schools, Te whai hua–kia ora 2023/24 survey report Research publication 2024
Assessing how schools are responding to the Equity Index Research publication 2023
What do students say about Sorted in Schools and financial capability? Research publication 2023
Secondary principals’ perspectives from NZCER's 2022 National Survey of Schools Research publication 2023
Teacher perspectives from NZCER’s 2023 national survey of area schools Research publication 2023
Sorted in Schools, Te whai hua – kia ora 2022/23 evaluation report Research publication 2023
National Survey Research Brief 2—PLD and school wide wellbeing as predictors of teacher morale and workload Research publication 2022
Sorted in Schools, Te whai hua – kia ora: 2021/2022 evaluation report Research publication 2022
National Survey Research Brief 3— PLD, NCEA changes, and teachers' work Research publication 2022
National Survey Research Brief 1—Teacher experiences working in Innovative Learning Environments (ILEs) Research publication 2022
Feedback on the draft Years 0–6 English learning area—August–September 2024 Research publication