Rate My Professor Liang Li

Liang Li is an Associate Professor in the School of Educational Psychology and Counselling within the Faculty of Education at Monash University. She began her career in Australia as a qualified early childhood teacher before pursuing and completing her PhD at Monash University. Her research employs a cultural-historical perspective to explore infant-toddlers' education and care, family practices, children's play and pedagogy, children's speech development, and science, technology, engineering, and mathematics (STEM) in early childhood and primary education contexts in China and Australia. As leader of the Early Childhood Conceptual PlayLab research group, she investigates play-based learning, child development, and diverse family experiences across cultural, economic, and geographic settings, with a focus on STEM education for infants, toddlers, and preschoolers using the Conceptual PlayWorld model.

Liang Li has led or co-led several impactful research projects, including the Team Teaching Professional Learning program (2024–2027), Supporting children’s mathematics transition to primary school in play (2024–2025), Victorian Curriculum F-10: Mathematics Version 2.0 Professional Learning Program (2023–2024), Shaping our Future - National Children's Education and Care Workforce Strategy (2023–2024), and Building a community of theatre champions for schools in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (2022–2024). Her contributions support UN Sustainable Development Goal 4: Quality Education. She has earned notable awards such as the 2022 MGA Supervisor of the Year (presented 2023), Dean's Award for Excellence in Research by an Early Career Researcher (2015), Dean's Award for Research Impact (Economic and Social) Team Award (2019), Dean's Award of Excellence in Teaching (2016), and Dean's Learning and Teaching Award (2013). Key publications include 'A cultural-historical study of how parents create conditions to facilitate children's transition to school in the Chinese context' (2026, Learning, Culture and Social Interaction), 'Agentic imagination in joint play in a home setting' (2025, Adults in Play with Children), 'Children's mathematics concept learning of informal length measurement: Conceptual PlayWorld as an innovative approach in the beginning of primary school period' (2025, Journal of Mathematical Behavior), 'Conceptual PlayWorlds: a transformational model for children’s learning and development in an early childhood education setting in Indonesia' (2025, Journal of Early Childhood Research), and 'Embracing imaginary play: a pedagogical shift in supporting children’s mathematical transition to school through the intervention of Conceptual PlayWorld' (2025, Early Childhood Education Journal).