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School of Educational Studies  |  Main Campus

Associate Professor Dr. Thien Lei Mee

  • Lecturer
      thienleimee@usm.my / thienleimee@gmail.com
      04-6535196
      Ph.D. (USM), M.Sc. (USM), B.Sc. (UKM), Cert.Ed (MPS)
      Education Policy, Management & Administration, Multivariate Analysis, Quality of School Life, Social Psychology
      USM Expert     Research Gate    Google Scholar
  • Dr. Lei Mee THIEN is currently an Associate Professor in School of Educational Studies, Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM). Her areas of expertise are educational management and leadership, school effectiveness studies, partial least squares structural equation modelling (PLS-SEM), and multivariate analysis. She is currently the Program Chairperson of Doctor of Education in the School of Educational Studies, USM. She was a former Research and Development Specialist in Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organisation Regional Centre for Education in Science and Mathematics (SEAMEO RECSAM) from 2013-2016. She was a former primary and secondary school mathematics teacher from 1994-2013.
    She has published articles in refereed journals, including Educational Management, Administration and Leadership(Sage), International Journal of Leadership in Education (Routledge), International Journal of Educational Management (Emerald), Social Psychology of Education (Springer), Asia Pacific Education Researcher (Springer), Journal of Higher Education Policy and Management (Emerald), Journal of Research and Method in Education (Routledge), Quality & Quantity (Springer), and Studies in Education Evaluation (Elsevier). She has served as the reviewer for 27 refereed journals. She is the Associate Editor of Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education (APJEE).
    Dr. Thien is the consultant of the Education Ecosystem Research Project funded by Teach for Malaysia (TFM). She is also the Board Member of the EdD program in Universiti Malaysia Sabah. At international level, she is the Adjunct Professor in the Postgraduate Program of Elementary School Teacher Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia. She is also the Adjunct Professor and Professorial Chairholder of Education Program for the Polytechnic University of Philippines in Manila. She serves as a Deputy Director of the International Educational Leadership Institute in the Jilin International Studies University in China. She involves in research projects with Erasmus + Program of the European Union, ASEAN University Network, Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP) UNESCO, Higher Education Leadership Academic (AKEPT) in Malaysia, and Ministry of Education Malaysia. She is the recipient of international fellowship sponsored by the Division of Sinology and China Studies, Center for Language Education and Cooperation, Beijing.
    • PMC 528 – School Effectiveness Research
    • PGT 437E –General School Administration
    • PLG 701/706 – Advanced Statistics in Education
    • British Educational Leadership, Management and Administrative Society (BELMAS)
    • Japan Comparative Education Society (JCES)
    • Network on Education Quality Monitoring in the Asia-Pacific (NEQMAP), UNESCO Bangkok.
    • The Malaysian Psychometric Association (MPA), Malaysia.
    • Thien, L. M., & Adams, D. (2024). Investigating The Relationships Between Principal Instructional Leadership and Teachers’ Affective Commitment Through Collective Teacher Efficacy in Malaysian Rural and Urban Primary Schools. Malaysian Online Journal of Educational Management, 12(2), 1-15
    • Xu, X., & Thien, L. M. (2024). Unleashing the Power of Perceived Enjoyment: Exploring Chinese Undergraduate EFL Learners’ Intention to Use ChatGPT for English Learning. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education. https://doi.org/10.1108/JARHE-12-2023-0555 (SSCI)
    • Liu, P., Thien, L. M., Song, H., & Wang. X. (2024). The Effects of Instructional Leadership on Teacher Well-Being: The Mediating Roles of Professional Learning Community and Teacher Efficacy. Educational Studies. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2024.2322947 (SSCI)
    • Thien, L.M., & Liu, P. (2024). Linear and nonlinear relationships between instructional leadership and teacher professional learning through teacher self-efficacy as a mediator: A partial least squares analysis. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-023-02500-5
    • Liu, P., & Thien, L. M. (2023). Contemporary issues in teacher leadership: Implications for knowledge production and policy making. Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education. https//doi.org/10.21315/apjee2023.38.2.1 (Scopus)
    • Goh, S. Y., Yeap, S. B., & Thien, L. M. (2023). Enhancing teacher leadership in Malaysian secondary schools: do collaborative school culture and principal support matter? Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education. https://doi.org/10.21315/apjee2023.38.2.10(Scopus) 
    • Hu, D., Thien, L. M., Ahmi, A., & Mohamed, A. (2023). The 100 most-cited research publications on servant leadership: a bibliometric analysis. Sage Open, 1–16. https://doi.org/10.1177/21582440231194220 
    • Thien, L. M., & Yeap, S.B. (2023). Configuring effects of learning-centred leadership dimensions in promoting teacher professional learning and teacher self-efficacy. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432231211431 
    • Thien, L. M., Kho S. H., & Tan, C. S. (2023). Understanding The Perceptions of Malaysian Chinese School Heads on Their Instructional Leadership Roles: A Cultural Lens. In Liu, P. and Thien, L.M. (Eds.), Educational Leadership and Asian Culture: Culturally Sensitive Leadership Practice (pp.23-42). Singapore: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Educational-Leadership-and-Asian-Culture-Implications-for-Culturally-Sensitive/Liu-Thien/p/book/9781032213675
    • Thien, L. M., & Lee, H. C. (2023). The Effects of School Culture Dimensions on Teacher Well-Being across under-enrolled and high enrolment schools. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 7, 100396. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100396 (Scopus)
    • Thien, L. M., Darmawan, N. I., & Adams, D. (2023). (Re)Investigating Principal Instructional Leadership, Collective Self-Efficacy, and Teacher Commitment: A Multilevel Analysis. International Journal of Educational Management. (Scopus)
    • Liu, P., & Thien, L. M. (2023). Conclusion In Liu, P. and Thien, L.M. (Eds.), Educational Leadership and Asian Culture: Culturally Sensitive Leadership Practice (pp.230-235). Singapore: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Educational-Leadership-and-Asian-Culture-Implications-for-Culturally-Sensitive/Liu-Thien/p/book/9781032213675
    • Adams, D., Thien, L. M., Chin, E., & Semaadderi, P. (2023). The elusive Malayan tiger ‘captured’: A systematic review of research on educational leadership and management in Malaysia. Educational, Management, Administration & Leadership, 51(3), 673-692. Doi: 10.1177/1741143221998697.
    • Liu, P., & Thien, L. M. (2023). Educational Leadership and Asian Culture: Culturally Sensitive Leadership Practice. Singapore: Routledge. https://www.routledge.com/Educational-Leadership-and-Asian-Culture-Implications-for-Culturally-Sensitive/Liu-Thien/p/book/9781032213675
    • Ooi, H.X., Hamzah, A., & Thien, L. M. (2023). The Influence of Social Support on Postgraduate Students' Psychological Well-being: Self-Esteem as a Mediator. Participatory Educational Research, 10(3), 150-166. http://dx.doi.org/10.17275/per.23.49.10.3 (Scopus)
    • Thien, L. M., & Lee, H. C. (2022). Is 'the more the better'? Investigating linear and nonlinear effects of school culture on teacher well-being and commitment to teaching across school size. Studies in Educational Evaluation. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.stueduc.2022.101176
    • Thien, L. M. (2022). Psychometric analysis of a Malay language version of Principal Instructional Management Rating Scale. Educational, Management, Administration, & Leadership, 50(4), 711-733. Doi: 10.1177/1741143220942514
    • Thien, L. M., Adams, D., Koh, S. H., & Yap, P. L. (2022). Exploring Value-driven Leadership: Perspectives from School Leaders. Journal of Research on Leadership Education.  Doi: 10.1177/19427751221097988 (SCOPUS)
    • Ding, Z., & Thien, L. M. (2022): Assessing the antecedents and consequences of teacher    leadership: a partial least squares analysis, International Journal of Leadership in Education, DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2022.20681919 (SCOPUS)
    • Low, H. M., Thien, L. M., & Lee, K. C. (2021). Transformative educational practices in Asia Pacific Region During and Post COVID-19 Pandemic. Asia Pacific Journal of Educators and Education, 36(2), iii-V
    • Thien, L. M., & Adams, D. (2021). Distributed leadership and teachers’ affective commitment to change in Malaysian primary schools: the contextual influence of gender and teaching experience. Educational Studies, 47(2), 179-199. https://doi.org/10.1080/03055698.2019.1680349 (SSCI IF: 1.190)
    • Thien, L. M., Liu, S., Yee, L. Q., & Adams, D. (2021). Investigating a Multiple Mediated-Effects Model of Instructional Leadership and Teacher Professional Learning in Malaysian School Context: A Partial Least Squares Analysis. Educational, Management, Administration & Leadership. Advanced online publication. https://doi.org/10.1177/17411432211009892 (Sage, SSCI IF: 4.208)
    • Thien, L. M., Adams, D., & Koh, H. M. (2021). Nexus between Distributed Leadership, Teacher Academic Optimism, and Teacher Organisational Commitment: A Structural Equation Modelling Analysis. International Journal of Educational Management. DOI: 10.1108/IJEM-05-2020-0278 (SCOPUS)
    • Thien, L. M., Lim, S. Y., & Adams, D. (2021). The Evolving Dynamics between Instructional Leadership, Collective Teacher Efficacy, and Dimensions of Teacher Commitment: What Can Chinese Independent High Schools Tell Us? International Journal of Leadership in Education. DOI: 10.1080/13603124.2021.1913236 (SCOPUS)
    • Thien, L. M., Leong, M., & Por, F. P. (2021). Factors contributing to Gen Z’s deep learning: Investigating undergraduates’ course experience in Malaysian private higher education institutions. Journal of Applied Research in Higher Education. Doi:10.1108/JARHE-01-2021-0005 (SCOPUS)
    • Adams, D., Thien, L. M., Chin, E., & Semaadderi, P. (2021). The elusive Malayan tiger ‘captured’: A systematic review of research on educational leadership and management in Malaysia. Educational, Management, Administration & Leadership. Doi: 10.1177/1741143221998697. (SSCI, IF=4.208)
    • Auliah, A., Thien, L.M., Koh, S. H., Razak, N. A, Jamil, H., & Ahmad, M. Z. (2021). Exploring Positive School Attributes: Evidence from School Leader and Teacher Perspectives. Sage Open. DOI: 10.1177/21582440211061572 (SSCI, IF=1.356).
    • Azman, N., Thien, L. M., & Abdullah, M. F. I. L., & Mohd Shariff, N. (2021). Psychometric properties of the 34-Item Short-Form Supportive Care Need Survey (SCNC-SF34) Scale in the Malaysian cancer healthcare context. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 18, 9403. http://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18179403 (SSCI, IF=3.390)
    • Adams, D., Cheah, K., Thien, L. M., & Noni, N. (2021). Leading Schools through the COVID- 19 Crisis in a South-East Asian Country. Management in Education. Doi: 10.1177/08920206211037738. (SCOPUS)
    • Chin, H., Chew, C.M., Lim, H. L., & Thien, L. M. (2021). Development and Validation of a Cognitive Diagnostic Assessment with Ordered Multiple-Choice Items for Addition of Time. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10763-021-10170-5 (SSCI, IF=2.073).