Professor May Cheng is currently Associate Vice President (Academic Affairs), Registrar and Chair Professor of Teacher Education of The Education University of Hong Kong.

Professor Cheng graduated from The University of Hong Kong and received a BSc (First Class Hons) degree in Zoology, a Certificate in Education (Distinction) and a Master in Education. She obtained her PhD at the University of Waikato, New Zealand. She is now a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology, the UK. She is the current President of the East Asian Association for Science Education (EASE).

Prior to the current appointment, Professor Cheng was a Reader in Professional Education at the Department of Education, University of Oxford from 2010 to the end of 2011, and a fellow of the Governing Body at Kellogg College. Professor Cheng has started teacher education work at the Sir Robert College of Education in Hong Kong and been a long-serving member of The Education University of Hong Kong and has taken up various academic leadership positions. She has served as Acting Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Sciences, Associate Dean (Programmes) and Programme Director. Earlier roles included Deputy Head of Department and Programme Leader. She has extensive tertiary teaching experience and has taught in undergraduate, postgraduate diploma, Master of Education, and Doctor of Education programmes in the areas of Biology Education, Science Education and General Studies. She has also served on subject committees at the Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority and the Curriculum Development Council in subject areas including Biology, Science Education, Science and Technology and Liberal Studies.

Professor Cheng’s main areas of research are teacher education and science education. She researches in inquiry learning, assessment for learning, and the nature of science, with a focus on teacher learning and teacher professional development. She has published extensively in international referred journals, and has published book chapters on teacher education and science education. More recently she has edited the book Science Education in International Contexts, highlighting the contribution of education researchers from Asia and international contexts. She has been successful in obtaining various research grants from the General Research Fund, the Quality Education Fund and the Education Bureau.

Professor Cheng has had active participation in and made contributions to the international science education arena. She is has been an International committee member of the National Association for Research in Science Teaching (NARST in the US) and has chartered status as a fellow of the Royal Society of Biology. She is on the editorial boards of the Journal of Quality School Education, and the Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching [On-line Available: http://www.ied.edu.hk/apfslt/]. She is a reviewer for a number of international journals and associations. In 2008, she received a Certificate of Merit, Quality Education Fund (QEF), Hong Kong for the international project “A Schools Around the World project for teachers’ professional development via setting standards for students’ learning” in collaboration with researchers in the US, Japan, Australia, Germany, Portugal, Czechoslovakia and France.

• Teacher education
• Science education

Executive Membership of International Professional Organizations

• President of the East-Asian Association for Science Education (EASE), 2016 to 2018.
• Executive member of the East Asian Science Education Association, since 2009.
• Membership and Elections Committee member, National Association for Research in Science Teaching, USA, 2009 to 2012.
• International Scientific Committee of the Conference, 2009 Conference of European Science Education Reseacrh Association (ESERA) held in Istanbul between August 31 and September 4, 2009 at the Grand Cevahir Hotel & Conference Center.
• Editorial board member of the International Journal of Quantitative Research in Education since 2012
• Editorial Board Member of the Asian Journal of Educational Research and Synergy (AJERS) Philippine Society for Educational Research and Evaluation (PSERE) since 2009
• Editorial Board Member of the Journal of Quality School Education
• Editorial Board Member of the Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching

Reviewer for conferences and Journals

• Cogent Education since 2013
• Alberta Journal of Education Researchsince 2012
• Educational Research and Evaluation since 2011
• Asia Pacific Education Review since 2012
• American Education Research Association Annual Meeting, since 2006
• National Association of Research in Science Teaching Annual conference, since 2003
• ICET World Assembly 2004, Hong Kong, University of Hong Kong.
• Teaching and Teacher Education, since 2006
• Educational Research and Evaluation, 2006
• Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education and Development,2003 – present
• The Journal of Quality School Education,2003 – present
• Asia-Pacific Forum on Science Learning and Teaching,2000 – present

Members of International Professional Organisations

• American Educational Research Association (USA) since 1997
• Society of Biology (UK) since 2009 (previously named Institute of Biology since 2001)
• Association of Science Educators (UK) since 2000
• New Zealand Association of Science Educators since 1998

Membership of Professional Organizations

• The Hong Kong Educational Research Association

Consultancy

• Reviewer in the Comprehensive Review for HKCCU Logos Academy from 21/4/2009 to 28/4/2009
• Member of interview board for Sir Edward Youde Memorial Fellowships and Scholarships 2008-2009
• Providing advice on a programme on critical thinking, TV programme Tutor Online, RTHK, 2005

Member of Education Bureau, Curriculum Development, and Hong Kong Education Assessment Authority Committees

• Curriculum Development Council Committee on Science Education (Sept 2007 to 2009)
• Curriculum Development Council Committee on Liberal Studies Education (2009)
• Subject Committee of Sixth Form Biology, The Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority, (2002 – 2009, 2011 to present).
• The Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence Steering Committee (Jan 2007 to 2009).
• The Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence, Dissemination and Networking Working Group (2006 to 2009)
• Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority Working Group on Liberal Studies (Senior Secondary) Assessment (Sept, 2007 – 2008)
• The Chief Executive’s Award for Teaching Excellence (2005-2006) Assessment Panel on Science Education Key Learning Area.
• Public Affairs Forum, Government Secretariat, Home Affairs Bureau, Hong Kong, SAR. (2006 – present)
• Curriculum Development Council – Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority Committee on Liberal Studies (Senior Secondary) Working Group (Jan, 2005 – 2007)
• Hong Kong Examination and Assessment Authority for subject committee of Science and Technology at CE level, (2001 – 2005).
• Hong Kong Examination Authority for assessment working group, subject committee of Science and Technology at CE level, (2001 – 2005).
• Reviewer Quality Education Fund projects (2001 to present)
• Human Biology Curriculum Development Committee (1995-97)