Dr. Hsu-Chan KUO (郭旭展) 

Education:

PhD, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge, England, UK (Supervisors: Pamela Burnard, & Ros McLellan;
Advisors: John MacBeath OBE, David Bridges, Dominic Wyse, and Jing-Jyi Wu)

PhD Studies, College of Education, National Chengchi University, Taiwan (Advisor: Jing-Jyi Wu) MA, Institute of Education, National Sun Yat-Sen University, Taiwan (Advisor: Ying-Yao Cheng) BA, Department of Guidance and Counselling, National Chiayi University, Taiwan

Professional positions:

2025-Present: Professor, Center of Teacher Education and Institute of Education, National Cheng Kung

University.

2023-Present: EMI Research Advisor, Fulbright Taiwan

2025-Present: Committee Member, the 16th Council, Department of Teacher Education and Arts

Education, Ministry of Education 

Related experience:

2024-Present: PI: Empowering the Futures: Play, Creativity, and Education, Ministry of Education

2022-Present: Co-PI, Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program, TFETP, Ministry of Education

2022-Present: Co-PI, Sister Schools Between Domestic and Foreign Schools, Ministry of Education

2007-2009 Research Assistant to the Executive Director (Dr. Jing-Jyi Wu), Fulbright Taiwan

 Professional honors, awards and fellowships:

Teaching Excellence Award (Online Teaching), NCKU (2024–2025)
Outstanding Academic Research Grant, Office of Research and Development, NCKU (2025)
Flexible Salary for Research Excellence, National Cheng Kung University (2024–2025)

Flexible Salary for Global Talents Recruitment, NCKU (2016–2019)

MOE Scholarship for Overseas Study & Cambridge Overseas Trust (COT) Scholarship (2009–2014)

Membership and activities in professional associations:

2022-Present: Associate Editor, Thinking Skills and Creativity (SSCI, Q1)

2015-Present – Board Member, Global Association for Chinese Creativity (GACC)

2024-Present – Board Member, Chinese Association for Creativity

2023-Present: Convenor, Digital Learning Project PBL Schools, Bureau of Education, Tainan City

Government

2023-Present: Convenor, 5G New Technology Demonstration Schools VR and Metaverse Project, Chiayi Region, Ministry of Education

Courses taught:

1. Educational Methods: Educational Methodologies and Research Methods in Education

2. Curriculum Design and Instruction: Design and Practice of Interdisciplinary PBL Courses

3. Educational Foundations: Sociology of Education, Classroom Management, Interpersonal Relationships and Communication, Vocational Education and Career Planning

4. Guidance and Counseling: School Counseling, and Theories and Practices of Guidance and Counseling

Other professional activities, workshops, seminars, and consultations:

During the past three years, Dr Hsu-Chan Kuo has been invited by universities and various educational organizations to conduct over 70 professional engagements—including workshops, seminars, keynote lectures, and consultations—covering themes such as STEM/STEAM project-based learning (PBL), the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), educational technology integration, creativity, higher-order thinking, digital literacy, bilingual education, and international education.

Consulting Professor, MOE Digital and Technology-Enhanced Learning Project

Consulting Professor, Digital Learning Deepening Project (Advanced AI and Interdisciplinary PBL)

Consulting Professor, Technology-Enhanced Self-Directed Learning Project

Consulting Professor,5G Demonstration Schools—VR and Metaverse Project (Curriculum design and

practice with VR, XR, and Metaverse)

Consulting Professor, 5G Demonstration Schools—THSD & BYOD Project (Take-Home Student

Device and Bring Your Own Device)

Consulting Professor, Gifted Creativity Programs

Consulting Professor, Integrated Bilingual Teaching in Selected Subject Areas (MOE Program)

Brief Introduction:

Dr Hsu-Chan Kuo is a scholar whose primary expertise spans creativity and imagination education; technology-enhanced learning and learning technologies; multiple forms of project-based learning (including problem-based and place-based approaches); STEM/STEAM education; SDG-aligned curriculum development; and instructional design. His extensive experience in international, bilingual, and intercultural education has substantially shaped both his scholarly contributions and practical implementations.

In academic service, Dr Kuo serves as a committee member of the Ministry of Education (MOE) Teacher Training and Arts Education Council; Associate Editor of the SSCI Q1 journal Thinking Skills and Creativity; and board and supervisory member of the Global Association for Chinese Creativity Education (GACC). Dr Kuo has contributed to MOE initiatives advancing digital and technology-enhanced learning. He has held roles in the Digital Learning Deepening Project (advanced AI and interdisciplinary PBL), the Technology-Enhanced Self-Directed Learning Project, the 5G Demonstration Schools—VR and Metaverse Project (Curriculum design and practice with VR, XR, and Metaverse), the 5G Demonstration Schools—THSD & BYOD program (Take-Home Student Device and Bring Your Own Device), and the Gifted Creativity Programs. Collectively, these projects reflect his commitment to leveraging technology to improve teaching and learning, particularly in diverse and multicultural settings.

As Principal Investigator, Dr Kuo leads several research projects, including: (a) a two-year National Science and Technology Council (NSTC) study examining the impact of STEAM PBL with XR on students’ digital literacy; (b) a three-year NSTC project developing a PISA-aligned creative-thinking assessment and evaluating the impact of interdisciplinary curricula; (c) a three-year MOE project, Empowering the Futures: Play, Creativity, and Education, investigating the effects of play on students’ creativity, social-emotional learning (SEL), risk-taking, and cognitive and social development; and (d) a two-year National Cheng Kung University (NCKU) University Social Responsibility project promoting students’ mental health and well-being.

In the international and bilingual education sphere, Dr Kuo has served as a Fulbright Taiwan EMI Research Advisor and as Co-Principal Investigator on large-scale MOE initiatives such as the “Taiwan Foreign English Teacher Program (TFETP)” and the “Sister-School Partnerships between domestic and overseas elementary and secondary schools.” These roles demonstrate his sustained commitment to enhancing bilingual education and fostering international collaboration. He has actively built and maintained reciprocal relationships among institutions, advanced cultural exchange and mutual learning, and facilitated joint programs and cross-border sharing of effective practices. In bilingual education specifically, Dr Kuo has been a consulting professor for MOE programs such as Integrated Bilingual Teaching in Selected Subject Areas. He has helped design and implement curricula that integrate language learning with disciplinary content, ensuring that students develop English proficiency while engaging deeply with academic subjects. His work includes the development of instructional strategies and materials that concurrently support language acquisition and academic achievement.

Across these endeavors, Dr Kuo’s scholarship and practice consistently integrate interdisciplinary, international, multicultural, and technology-enhanced approaches within bilingual and international education. His contributions advance the field and support the broader aim of promoting global understanding and cooperation through education.

Recent Selected Journals 2022-2025:

1. 1.Kuo, H. C.* (Accepted, 2026). STEAM PBL as an Educational Panacea? Investigating its Impact on Creative Thinking and Academic Achievement across Subjects. Thinking Skills and Creativity (SSCI, Q1; IF: 4.5; 41/762 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 94.7%) (Single Author) 

2. Kuo, H. C.* (2025). Transforming Tomorrow: A Practical Synthesis of STEAM and PBL for Empowering Students’ Creative Thinking. International Journal of Science and Mathematics Education. https://DOI.org/10.1007/s10763-024-10511-0 (SSCI, Q1; IF: 2.1; 182/756 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 76%) (Single author) 

3. Kuo, H. C., Yang, K. Y., Cheng, Y. Y., Chuang, H. H., Chang, C. C.* (Accepted, 2026). Prioritising Creativity at the Heart of the Curriculum: Developing a Creative Competence Scale and Investigating Teachers' Perceptions of Nurturing Students' Creative Competence. Thinking Skills and Creativity (SSCI, Q1; IF: 4.5; 41/762 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 94.7%) (First Author) 

4. Chang, C. C., Hsu, W. C., Chang Chien, W. X., & Kuo, H. C.* (Apr, 2025). Playing with the Future Past: Scaffolding Taiwanese High School Students’ Historical Causal Thinking through Dialogic Game-Based Learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity. (SSCI, Q1). (SSCI, Q1; IF: 4.5; 41/762 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 94.7%) (Corresponding Author) 

5. Wu, E. L., Du, Z., Chang, C. Y.*, Kuo, H. C., Chen, I. H., Wang, L. C., and Shen, T. Y. (2025). Canvas and Quill: Improving Students' Creativity and Writing Composition through Creative Painting Diary. Thinking Skills and Creativity. (SSCI, Q1; IF: 4.5; 41/762 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 94.7%) 

6. Chang, C. Y., and Kuo, H. C.* (Jan, 2025). The Development and Validation of the Digital Literacy Questionnaire and the Evaluation of Students’ Digital Literacy. Education and Information Technologies. https://DOI.org/10.1007/s10639-024-13216-7 (SSCI, Q1; IF: 5.4; 16/760 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 98%) (Corresponding author) 

7. Chang, C. C., Hsu, W. C., Chang Chien., X., and Kuo, H. C.* (Jun, 2025). Scaffolding Taiwanese High School Students’ Historical Causal Thinking with Dialogic Game-Based Learning. Thinking Skills and Creativity https://DOI.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2024.101748 (SSCI, Q1; IF: 4.5; 41/762 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 94.7%) (Corresponding author) 

8. Wang, L.-C., Kung, S.-H., Chen J.-K., Kuo, H.-C. (Accepted) "Repeated Reading and Chinese Oral-Reading Fluency: Is Prosodic Sensitivity an Indispensable Link?" Journal of Research in Reading ( SSCI Q1 in Developmental and Educational Psychology & Q1 in Psychology (miscellaneous), SJR; SSCI, Q2; IF: 2.0; 197/762 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 74.2%) 

9. Chang, C. Y., & Kuo, H. C.* (2024) Attitudes towards Authority and Innovative Behaviors: Adolescents Perspective. Journal of Creative Behavior. (SSCI, Q1 in Psychology, Education 9/60; Top 15%; IF=3.9) (Corresponding author)

10. Chang, C. C., and Kuo, H. C.* (2024). "History is like an old story!": Navigating the Trajectories of Historical Epistemic Beliefs through Epistemic Network Analysis in Taiwanese High School Students' Perspectives. Thinking Skills and Creativity. (SSCI, Q1 in Education & Educational Research; 57/759; Top 10%; IF-3.7) (Corresponding author)

11. Kang, P. J. and Kuo, H. C.* (2024). Optimizing Adolescent Health: Investigating Physical Activity's Impact on Fitness, Working Memory, and Academic Performance. Cognitive Development (SSCI) (Corresponding author)

12. Kuo, H. C., Chang, C. Y., Wang, J. P., and Li, P. L. (2024). Creating My Own Story: Improving Chinese Children's Creativity and Composition Creativity through a Three-staged Individual-Group-Individual Story Writing Framework. Cognitive Development (SSCI) (First and Corresponding author)

13. Kuo, H. C., Su, J. L., Chang, C. C.*, and Chen, I. H. (2024) Improving Junior High School Students' Social and Scientific Creative Problem-Solving through STEAM Interdisciplinary Project-based. Psychological Testing (TSSCI) (First author)

14. Muslim, M., Kuo, H. C., Setiawan, D., Fernandez, D. Putra, R., Derisman, A., Zikri, Z., (Dec, 2024). Evaluation of the practicality of project-based learning implementation plan in light vehicle engine maintenance using ADDIE approach. Journal of Educational Technology Innovation.  DOI: 10.21831/jitp.v11i4.71122. (Scopus/DOAJ Indexed). (Corresponding author) Pan, A. J., Lai, C. F., and Kuo, H. C.* (2023) Investigating the Impact of a Possibility-Thinking Integrated Project-based Learning History Course on High School Students' Creativity, Learning Motivation, and History Knowledge. Thinking Skills and Creativity. 47 (SSCI, Q1 in Education & Educational Research; 57/759; Top 10%; IF-3.7) (Corresponding author)

15. Liu, C. Y., Wu, C. J., Chien, Y. H., Tzeng, S. Y., & Kuo, H. C. (2023). Examining the quality of art in STEAM learning activities. Psychology of Aesthetics, Creativity, and the Arts, 17(3), 382–393. (SSCI, Q1 in Psychology, Experimental, 19/89, 79.2%; IF-2.7)

16. Chang, C. Y., Du, Z., Kuo, H. C., and Chang, C. C.* (2023). Investigating the Impact of Design Thinking-based STEAM PBL on Seventh-graders' Creativity and Computational Thinking. IEEE Transactions on Education. (SCI, Q1 in Education, Scientific Disciplines; 21/85; IF=3.974; JCI)

17. Chang, C. Y., Kuo, H. C. & Du, Z.* (2023). The role of digital literacy in augmented, virtual, and mixed reality in popular science education: a review study and an educational framework development. Virtual Reality. (SSCI, Q1 in Computer Science and Software Engineering; 26/108)

18. Kuo, H. C., Weng, T. L., Chang, C. Y., and Chang, C. C.* (2023). Designing our own Board Games in the Playful Space: Improving High School Student's Citizenship Competencies and Creativity through Game-based Learning. Sustainability. 15(4), 2968. (SSCI) (First author)

19. Kuo, H. C., Pan, A. J., Lin, C. S., and Chang, C. Y.* (2022). Let's escape! The Impact of a Digital-Physical Combined Escape Room on Students' Creative Thinking, Learning Motivation, and Science Academic Achievement. Education Sciences 12(9), (ESCI, Q1 in Education & Educational Research, 114/759, IF: 3.0; JCI; Top 15%) (First author)

20. Kuo, H. C., Du, Z. Y. & Chang, C. Y.* (2022). Nurturing Creativity through the Practice of Genius   Hour. Journal of Education Research. (First author)

21. Kuo, H. C., Yang, Y. T., Chen, J. S.*, Hou, W. T., and Ho, M. T. (2021). The Impact of Design Thinking PBL Robot Course on College Students' Learning Motivation and Creative Thinking. IEEE Transactions on Education (SCI, Q2; IF=3; 28/86 in EDUCATION, SCIENTIFIC DISCIPLINES; 68.8%; SCI, Q1 in Education-SJR) (First author)

22. Kuo, H. C., Tseng, Y. C., and Yang, Y. T. (2019). Promoting College Student's Learning Motivation and Creativity through a STEM Interdisciplinary PBL Human-Computer Interaction System Development Course. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 31, 1-10, https://DOI.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2018.09.001 (SSCI, Q1; IF: 4.5; 41/756 in EDUCATION & EDUCATIONAL RESEARCH; 94.6%) (First and Corresponding author)  

Book Chapters: 2022-2024

19.Kuo, H. C., Chang, C. Y., Wu, J. J., and Cheng, Y. Y. (2025) Effective Research-Informed Policy and Practice in National Contexts: Prioritizing Creativity in the Heart of Taiwan's Education. The BERA-SAGE International Handbook of Research-Informed Education Policy and Practice. London, UK: Sage Publication.

20.Chen, I. H., Kuo, H. C., & Chang, C. C.* (2025). Educational Theory and the Practice of Well-being Projects in Uncertain Times: SEL and Well-being Relationships. Facing an Uncertain Era: Creating Well-being Projects in Education. Taipei: Chinese Society for Education.

21.Burnard, P., et al (2022). The social and emotional foundations of learning. UNESCO International Science and Evidence-based Education Assessment.

International Conference Papers 2022-2025

1. Chang Y.-C., Chen I.-H., Wu P.-H. & Kuo H.-C. (2025). The Impact of AI-Assisted Role-Playing on Elementary School Students’ Problem-Solving and Creative Thinking Skills. International Conference on Learning Evidence and Analytics (ICLEA) 2025. Fukuoka, Japan.

2. Chang, C. Y.*, Gatenby, A. B., Whitworth, A., & Kuo, H. C. (2025). We are in the "Matrix"! How primary school students construct digital literacy practices in virtual reality-enhanced learning in the Taiwanese context. British Education Research Association (BERA) 2025 Annual Conference. 

3. Chen, I. H., Wu, E. L.* and Kuo, H. C. (2025). Growing Hearts and Minds: The Impact of Social Emotional Learning Guided Peer Counseling (SEL-PC) on Young Learners’ Emotional Regulation and Resilience. British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, UK: Brighton.

4. Chen, J. Y., & Kuo, H. C.* (2025). The Price of Bilingualism: Teacher Stress and the Road to 2030 Bilingual Policy. British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, UK: Brighton.

5. Huang, X. C., Du, Z.* Kuo, H. C. (2025). The Power of Belief: How Science Learning and Creative Self-Efficacy Shape Scientific Creativity in Primary School Students. British Educational Research Association (BERA) Annual Conference, UK: Brighton.

6. Chen, I. H., and Kuo, H. C.*, (2025). The Impact of Social-Emotional Learning Course on Student’s Academic Achievement. Paper presented at the 2025 American Education Research Association (AERA) International Conference. US: Denver

7. Chang, C. Y., and Kuo, H. C.*, (2024). The Development and Validation of the Digital Literacy Questionnaire. 2024 British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Manchester

8. Du. Z., Kuo, H. C., and Wang, Y. (2024). The Design, Implementation, and Impact of a Creative Guqin Course based on the Systems Model of Creativity. 2024 British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Manchester

9. Fang, C. H., & Kuo, H. C. (2024). Investigating the Impact of Interdisciplinary PBL Curriculum on Elementary School Student’s Creativity, Learning Motivation, and Learning Achievement. British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Manchester

10. Kuo, H. C., Chen, I. H.*, Du, Z. Y., and Wu, S. W. (2023). Developing Social Creative Thinking and Scientific Creative Thinking Test Based on the PISA Creative Thinking Framework and Examining the Impact of an Interdisciplinary Teaching Approach. 2023 British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Aston.

11. Chen, I. H., Su, Y. N., and Kuo, H. C.*, (2023). A Case Study on the Implementation and Dilemmas of Peer Counseling in Secondary School - An Example of Secondary School. 2023 British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Aston.

12. Chang, C. Y.*, Kuo, H. C., and Lai, C. L. (2023). The Relationship between Attitude toward Authority and Innovative Behaviours in Adolescents: The Mediating Roles of Perspective-Taking and Social Support. 2023 British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Aston.

13.  Kang, P. J.*, and Kuo, H. C. (2023).  Physical activity affects adolescents’ physical fitness, working memory and academic performance: A quasi-experimental study. 2023 British Education Research Association (BERA) International Conference. UK: Aston.