Associate Lecturer Suxiang (Susan) Yu
Associate Lecturer
National School of Education
Areas of expertise: Early childhood education; curriculum and pedagogy; infant-toddlers’ education and care; family pedagogy; STEM conceptual development for young children
Phone: +61 2 970 14759
Email: Susan.Yu@acu.edu.au
Location: Strathfield
ORCID ID: 0009-0007-8967-1853
Suxiang (Susan) Yu is an associate lecturer and a course coordinator for first year students enrolled in Bachelor of Early Childhood (Birth to Five) and Bachelor of Education (Early Childhood and Primary) across all three NSW campuses, National School of Education, Australian Catholic University. She is currently doing her PhD study at Conceptual PlayLab, Monash University. Her current research foci are on infant-toddlers' development of play and imagination, and family science pedagogy for infants and toddlers. Yet, she has a wider research interest in cultural-historical studies, play and pedagogy, early childhood science education, infant-toddlers' education and care, trauma-informed practice, and pre-service teachers' development.
Select publications
- Yu, S., Fleer, M., Rai, P. (2024) From objects to artefacts to props: The role of objects in infant-toddlers’ play and imagination in Conceptual PlayWorlds in family settings. Learning, Culture and Social Interaction, 46(100822). https://authors.elsevier.com/sd/article/S2210-6561(24)00030-8
- Yu, S., Rai, P., Fleer, M. (In Press). Digital educational experiment: Re-conceptualising families’ roles as competent educators and co-researchers for STEM conceptual development. In Marilyn Fleer, Glykeria Fragkiadaki, Erin Eriksen Ødegaard, Prabhat Rai, Alicja R. Sadownik (Eds.), Cultural-historical Digital Methodology in Early Childhood Settings: In Times of Change, Innovation and Resilience. Springer.
- Yu, S. (2023). Turning crisis into opportunities: New insights for academic experiences during the pandemic inspired from a cultural-historical and activity theory perspective in an autoethnography, In Basil Cahusac de Caux, Lynette Pretorius, Luke Macaulay (Eds.), Research and Teaching in a Pandemic World: The Challenges of Establishing Academic Identities During Times of Crisis. Springer.
Appointments and Affiliations
- Co-convener, Cultural Historical and Activity Theory Special Interest Group, Australian Associate of Research in Education (AARE)
- Co-organising Committee, Asia-Pacific Sociocultural, Cultural-historical & Activity Theory Summer School, 2021, 2022, 2023 & 2024
Editorial roles
- Assistant Editor, The Journal of International Research in Early Childhood Education (IRECE)
Public engagement activities
- 2024.08 International Society for Cultural-historical Activity Research (ISCAR) Individual Paper Presentation The title of the paper is “Conceptual PlayWorlds supporting infant-toddlers’ science concept formation at home”. The abstract has been accepted by this conference which will be held in Rotterdam, Holland in August 2024.
- 2023.11 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) 2023 Annual Conference. Individual Paper Presentation. The title of the paper is “The teaching and learning of the concept of gravity for infant-toddlers: A Conceptual PlayWorld educational experiment at home”
- 2023. 07 Australian Teacher Education Association (ATEA) 2023 Annual Conference. Individual Paper Presentation. The title of the paper is “Exploring research-practice partnership with families: An autoethnographic case study of conducting a remote educational experiment of Conceptual PlayWorld with infants-toddlers in family settings”.
- 2022.11 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Individual paper presentation The paper is entitled as “Reconceptualisation of The Concept of Procrastination through Cultural-Historical and Activity Theory” which is further developed from one assessment I did for Graduate Certificate in Tertiary Education.
- 2022.11 International Research in Early Childhood Education Conference (IRECE) 2022 Symposium presentation This symposium entitled as ‘Educational Experiments in the Family Settings: Digital Artefacts and Children’s Social Situation of Development’ was led by Laureate Prof. Marilyn Fleer and Dr. Prabhat Rai. I presented some of my discussions in my methodological book chapter with the title of ‘Creating Conditions for the Doubleness of Parents’ Role in Research: Building Research Intersubjectivity between the Researcher and Parents in a Digital Cultural-Historical Educational Experiment’.
- 2021.11 Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) Symposium presentation This symposium entitled as ‘Cultural-Historical & Activity Research for Re-imagining Education and Education’ and the other presenters in this symposium included Dr. Judy MacCallum, Dr. Jenny Martin, Dr. Hongzhi Yang, and Dr. John Cripps Clark.
- 2021.08 International Social Cultural Activity Research Congress (ISCAR) Poster Presentation My proposal entitled ‘Conceptual PlayWorlds in Family Settings: An Educational Experiment for Creating Motivating Conditions for Infant-Toddlers’ STEM Concept Development’ was accepted by the 6th International Social Cultural Activity Research Congress which was scheduled in August 2020 in Brazil and was finally held in August 2021 due to Covid-19. The ISCAR congress happens once every three years.
