Ph.D., Interdisciplinary Education, West Virginia University
M.A., Educational Psychology, West Virginia University
B.A., Language and Literature in Education, National Taitung University in Taiwan (National Taitung Teachers’ College) (NTTU)
Dr. Cheng Hsien Wu, a certified teacher in Taiwan, joined Northern State University in 2023. She and her husband, Ian, started their U.S. journey in North Carolina in 2003.
Wu earned a Ph.D. in interdisciplinary education in 2013 from West Virginia University, studying in the Department of Curriculum and Instruction. Her doctoral concentration was curriculum, literacy and cultural studies and her dissertation was "Resilient Journeys: A Case Study of Why and How Low Income Families Practice Homeschooling."
In 2007, she earned a master's degree in educational psychology from West Virginia University, studying in the Department of Educational Psychology and College of Human Resources and Education. Her thesis title was "Social Skills Intervention: Improving Peer Interaction for an Asian Child."
She earned a bachelor's degree in language and literature in education in 1999 from National Taitun University in Taiwan, formerly known as National Taitung Teachers' College or NTTU. Studying in the Department of Liberal Arts, Wu completed an honors thesis in Chinese: "The Characters' Analysis of Hsin Shi His' Adolescent Chapter Books."
From 2014 to 2023, Wu was professor of education at Oklahoma Panhandle State University, where she was named most inspiring professor of the year and served as faculty senate president and education club advisor.
Wu’s research has focused on fostering teacher candidates’ critical thinking within the context of a teacher education program. She emphasizes ways teachers can develop critical consciousness in students, bringing attention to inequalities and promoting social justice at school. Her teaching practices involve culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy.
Research Interests
- Social classes - associating cultures, classes, races, and power to understand advantaged and disadvantaged groups in school
- Homeschooling and school choice programs
- Parental engagement in schooling and education
- Pre-service teachers’ Technological Pedagogical Content Knowledge (TPACK ) application in school settings
Awards
- 2023 Most Inspiring Professor of the Year Award from Oklahoma Panhandle State University
- 2017 SOEA (OAEA) Outstanding Local Chapter Advisor Award from Oklahoma Aspiring Educators Association
Professional Associations
- American Psychology Association (APA)
- American Educational Research Association (AERA)
- Eastern Educational Research Association (EERA)
- Association for Educational Communications and Technology (AECT)
Recent Publications
Wu, C., Kale, U., & Clausell, C. (2014/Winter). WebPACK: Future teachers' plans and practices with emerging tools. Journal for Computing Teachers, 43-54.
Wu, C., Hursh, D. E., Walls, R.T., Stack, S. F., & Lin, I. (2012). The effects of social skills training on the peer interactions of a non-native toddler. Education and Treatment of Children, 35(3), 371-388.
Select Presentations
Wu, C. (2023, February) Exploring Pre-service Teachers’ Technology Integration
Self-Efficacy under the Teacher Education Program at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Myrtle Beach, SC
Wu, C. (2022, February) Active Learning Strategies on the Zoom Format, paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Clearwater, FL
Wu, C. (2021, April) Seeking Diversity in Oklahoma’s Teacher Preparation Programs and the Teaching Force” panel, OAEA Spring Convention
Wu, C. (2021, February). Culturally Responsive Practice in the Teacher Education Program. Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Virtual conference
Wu, C. (2020, March) Presentation Tools in an Education Setting. Presenter at OAEA Spring Conference, Lawton, OK
Wu, C. (2020, February) Social Justice Practice in the Teacher Education Program. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Eastern Educational Research Association, Orlando, FL
Wu, C. (2018, August) Club-Advising: Lesson Learned. Presentation for Professional Development at Oklahoma Panhandle State University
Wu, C. (2017, October) The experiences sharing from the Outstanding Local Chapter Advisor of SOEA. Presentation for SOEA 2017 Fall conference at University of Central Oklahoma
Proposal Reviewer
2020-2023, February, Eastern Educational Research Association, Myrtle Beach, SC
2022, May, American Educational Research Association Open
Personal Interests
Wu is active in campus events and community activities, through which she learns more about students, colleagues, and the community. At OPSU, Wu played trumpet in concert band and sang in choir, and was involved in production of “The Play That Goes Wrong” at OPSU in the spring of 2022.
In Aberdeen, Wu plays in a women's volleyball league. Her husband, Ian; older son, Hercules; and younger son, Aristotle, have visited more than 200 national parks! South Dakota is Wu’s fourth state of residence, and she looks forward to learning different cultural perspectives from you, Northern, and the area.