Education
Dr. Yurou Wang earned a Doctor of Philosophy in Educational Psychology from the University of Kansas in 2019, focusing on the roles of learning beliefs and motivation internalization among Western and East Asian students. Prior to this, he completed a Master of Arts in Education at the University of Durham, UK, where he conducted an ethnographic study on Chinese university students serving as short-term volunteer teachers in rural areas. His academic journey began with a Bachelor of Arts in English from Dalian University of Foreign Languages, China, with a minor in International Trade.
Research and Teaching Interests
Dr. Wang’s primary expertise lies in motivational theories like self-determination theory and basic psychological needs, emotions in achievement and cognitive contexts, motivation interventions, and life-span development with a focus on childhood and adolescence. His secondary expertise includes learning persistence, international large-scale assessments (PISA, TIMSS), structural equation modeling, and experimental design.
Professional Experience
Since 2019, Dr. Wang has served as an Assistant Professor at the University of Alabama, teaching courses in developmental, social, and educational psychology. He supervises Graduate Teaching Assistants and contributes to the Master’s program in Educational Psychology. Previously, he was a Graduate Teaching Assistant at the University of Kansas, where he taught sections on Adolescent and Childhood Development and managed course logistics. He also worked as an Associate Researcher at East China Normal University, focusing on large-scale testing evaluation and educational reforms in East Asia.
Publications Top Noted
Dr. Wang has published extensively in peer-reviewed journals on topics such as educational psychology, self-determination theory, learning motivation, and academic performance under different educational contexts, including the impact of COVID-19. His research contributions include articles in journals like Learning and Motivation, Current Psychology, and Behavior Research Methods. He has also authored book chapters and presented his work at numerous conferences, contributing significantly to the field of educational psychology.
Academic performance under COVID-19: The role of online learning readiness and emotional competence
Journal: Current Psychology
Cited By: 73
Year: 2023
Side effects of large-scale assessments in education
Journal: ECNU Review of Education
Cited By: 61
Year: 2019
Psychometric evaluation of a new internalization of learning motivation (ILM) scale
Journal: Current Psychology
Cited By: 12
Year: 2022
Using Mokken scaling techniques to explore carelessness in survey research
Journal: Behavior Research Methods
Cited By: 6
Year: 2023
Guarding the Past or Inventing the Future: Education Reforms in East Asia
Book Chapter: Imagining the Future of Global Education
Cited By: 6
Year: 2017
Research and Grants
As a Principal Investigator, Dr. Wang leads the Micro-Facial Expression Tracking (MET) Lab, focusing on understanding students’ emotions during problem-solving tasks. He has secured research grants such as the University of Alabama Internal ORED Small Grant for a professional development program and has been involved as a Co-PI in projects aiming to promote college students’ attitudes toward disabilities and analyze large-scale assessment data.
Teaching and Mentoring
Dr. Wang has developed and taught courses at both the University of Alabama and the University of Kansas, covering topics in personality and social development, educational psychology, and motivation. He has mentored several graduate students in their thesis projects and capstone studies, focusing on diverse topics related to educational experiences and academic performance.