There are various reasons you may want a professor or lecturer to write a letter of recommendation for you or complete relevant sections of an application. This could be for applying to a master’s by research (MPhil) or doctoral (PhD) program, or for a job or research position. Regardless of the reason or your current academic level (undergraduate, master’s, PhD), the checklist below can help make the letter-writing process as smooth and easy as possible for the person providing the recommendation.

Your referees, such as professors or lecturers, need sufficient time to compose a thoughtful letter of recommendation for you. They already have many other demands on their time, such as teaching, attending conferences, meetings, writing papers, and writing other recommendation letters. It is also important to provide your referees with information about your recent work and academic progress, as they may not be fully up-to-date on your current activities and achievements. It is a common mistake to assume they know you so well that you do not need to share any additional details. The following checklist aims to help you avoid common pitfalls and make the reference letter process as easy as possible for your referees.

Give the following to your letter writers:

• An up-to-date C.V.
• A brief statement (1-2 lines) of why you are applying for the award or university.
• The deadline and all relevant application materials.
• A statement about the process of recommendation:
  • Should the referee wait to hear from the target organization?
  • Should the referee need to give a sealed letter to the applicant?
  • Should the referee need to send a sealed letter separately?
    If the latter:
  • Give the full title and postal address of the person to whom the reference is to be posted, preferably in electronic form.
• A way to contact you if anything goes wrong/is missing, such as a phone number or an e-mail address.
• Anything else that will help your referee write a letter for you.
• If you are applying to a university: Your statement of interest/purpose or dissertation proposal.

Your referee has many demands on their time, so:

• Ask your referee to write you a letter at least 1 month (if at all possible) before the letter is due.
• Give your referee your application materials at least 2 weeks before they are due.
• Offer to meet with your referee to talk about your work and progress.
• Ask your referees how you should contact them if you need to inform them of any changes to your application (do not assume you will reach them quickly by e-mail).
• Ask your referee when they will be unavailable (this is especially important during holidays).

Letters of recommendation need to demonstrate the referee’s specific knowledge and understanding of the applicant. Therefore, it is important to choose referees who know you and your work well. Keep in mind that your lecturers or professors may decline to write a letter of recommendation for you. They may do so for various reasons, such as a) they may feel they do not know you or your work well enough to provide an adequate recommendation, b) they may not have the time available to write the letter, c) you may not have given them enough advance notice or time to write the letter, or/and d) they may not feel able to provide a strongly supportive recommendation, based on either your achievements, their knowledge of you, or their opinion on the appropriateness of the program or position you are applying for. Be prepared for the possibility that a potential referee may refuse your request, and have alternative options lined up if needed.

• Ching, B. H.-H., & Li, X. Y. (2024). Early fraction relational reasoning uniquely predicts later algebraic thinking in children: A longitudinal study. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 79, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2024.102300 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.9]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Li, X. Y., & Chen, T. T. (2024). Cross-notation knowledge of rational numbers predicts fraction arithmetic. British Journal of Educational Psychology. Advance online publication. http://doi.org/10.1111/bjep.12674 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.1]
• Ching, B. H.-H. (2023). Inhibitory control and visuospatial working memory contribute to 5-year-old children’s use of quantitative inversion. Learning and Instruction, 83, Article 101714. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2022.101714 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 4.7]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Kong, K. H. (2022). Development of children’s informal understanding of division through sharing: Contributions of reasoning demands and problem situations. Early Childhood Research Quarterly, 59, 228-242. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ecresq.2021.12.013 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.2]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Kong, K. H. (2022). Understanding additive composition is important for symbolic numerical magnitude processing. Cognitive Development, 62, Article 101170. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cogdev.2022.101170 [SSCI Q3; Impact factor: 1.8]
• Ching, B. H.-H. & Wu, H. X. (2021). Young children’s knowledge of fair sharing as an informal basis for understanding division: A latent profile analysis. Learning and Instruction, 73, Article 101460. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2021.101460 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 4.7]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Kong, K. H., Wu, H. X., & Chen, T. T. (2020). Examining the reciprocal relations of mathematics anxiety to quantitative reasoning and number knowledge in Chinese children. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 63, Article 101919. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2020.101919 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.9]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Wu. H. X. (2019). Concreteness fading fosters children’s understanding of the inversion concept in addition and subtraction. Learning and Instruction, 61, 148-159. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2018.10.006 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 4.7]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Nunes, T. (2017). Children’s understanding of the commutativity and complement principles: A latent profile analysis. Learning and Instruction, 47, 65-79. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.learninstruc.2016.10.008 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 4.7]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Nunes, T. (2017). The importance of additive reasoning in children’s mathematical achievement: A longitudinal study. Journal of Educational Psychology, 109,477-508. https://doi.org/10.1037/edu0000154 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 5.6]
• Ching, B. H.-H.(2017). Mathematics anxiety and working memory: Longitudinal associations with mathematical performance in Chinese children. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 51, 99-113. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2017.06.006 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.9]

Research Theme 2 – Self-Worth and Positive Education

• Li, Y., Ching, B. H.-H., Wu, H. X., Chen, T. T., & He, C. C. (2024). Beneficial or debilitating: A qualitative inquiry into Chinese preschool teachers’ workload-related stress mindset. Early Years, 44, 61-78. https://doi.org/10.1080/09575146.2022.2090518 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 1.3]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Li, X. F., & Chen, T. T. (2023). Longitudinal links between parental failure mindsets, helicopter parenting, and fixed mindset of intelligence in adolescents. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 52, 2196-2213. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10964-023-01815-5 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.7]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Li, Y. H., & Chen, T. T. (2023). Helicopter parenting contributes to school burnout via self-control in late adolescence: A longitudinal study. Current Psychology, 42, 29699-29711. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-04011-z [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.5]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Wu, H. X., & Li, X. F. (2023). Creative mindsets are malleable: Effects of “born this way” messages and different definitions of creativity. Thinking Skills and Creativity, 48, Article 101308. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tsc.2023.101308 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.5]
• Ching, B. H.-H. (2023). Maternal child-based worth predicts children’s academic contingent self-worth via perceived maternal achievement-oriented psychological control. Educational Psychology, 43, 643-658. https://doi.org/10.1080/01443410.2023.2207794 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.6]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Chen, T. T., & He, C. C. (2023). Testing a dual pathway model of appearance-related commentary in gay men: Appearance contingent self-worth as a moderator. Current Psychology, 42, 6897-6911. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02033-7 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.5]
• Ching, B. H.-H. & Wu, H. X. (2023). Compliments on skin tone hamper cognitive performance of Chinese adolescent girls with stronger appearance contingent self-worth. Current Psychology, 42, 18982-18996. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03061-7 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.5]
• Ching, B. H.-H. (2022). The effect of masculinity threat on transprejudice: Influence of different aspects of masculinity contingent self-worth. Psychology and Sexuality, 13, 550-564. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2021.1883724 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.4]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Wu, H. X., & Chen, T. T. (2021). Maternal achievement-oriented psychological control: Implications for adolescent academic contingent self-esteem and mathematics anxiety. International Journal of Behavioral Development, 45, 193-203. https://doi.org/10.1177/0165025420981638 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.4]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Wu, H. X., & Chen, T. T. (2021). Body weight contingent self-worth predicts depressive symptoms in adolescent girls: The roles of self-esteem instability and interpersonal sexual objectification. Body Image, 36, 74-83. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2020.10.009 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 5.2]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Xu, J. T. (2019). Understanding cosmetic surgery consideration in Chinese adolescent girls: Contributions of materialism and sexual objectification. Body Image, 28, 6-15. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.bodyim.2018.11.001 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 5.2]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Wu. H. X. (2018). Parental conflicts and materialism in adolescents: Emotional insecurity as a mediator. Journal of Adolescence, 69, 189-202. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.07.019 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 3.0]

Research Theme 3 – Social Stigma: Development and Implications in Education

• Wu, H. X., Chen, T. T., Ching, B. H.-H., Li, X. Y., & Li, Y. H. (2024). Weight stigma from romantic partners: Its relation with maladaptive and adaptive coping and depressive symptoms. Scandinavian Journal of Psychology, 65, 157-167. https://doi.org/10.1111/sjop.12965 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 1.8]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Li, Y. H., & Li, X. F. (2024). Joint effects of offset effort beliefs and biomedical causal attributions on pre-service teachers’ stigma of children with ADHD-related symptoms. Social Psychology of Education, 27, 883-908. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11218-023-09823-w [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.2]
• Wu, H. X., Li, Y., Ching, B. H.-H., & Chen, T. T. (2023). You are how you speak: The roles of vocal pitch and semantic cues in shaping social perceptions. Perception, 52, 40-55. https://doi.org/10.1177/03010066221135 [SSCI Q3; Impact factor: 1.6]
• Wu, H. X., Ching, B. H.-H., He, C. C., & Li, Y. (2023). “Thinness is beauty”: Predictors of anti-fat attitudes among young Chinese women. Current Psychology, 42, 6834-6845. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-021-02021-x [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.5]
• Chen, T. T., Ching, B. H.-H., Li, Y., He, C. C., & Wan, R. (2023). Weight stigma from media: Its associations with coping responses and health outcomes. Current Psychology, 42, 20556-20569. https://doi.org/10.1007/s12144-022-03179-8 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.5]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Chen T. T. (2022). Effects of biological determinism on beliefs and attitudes about transgender people: Psychological essentialism and biased assimilation. Archives of Sexual Behavior, 51, 1927-1942. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10508-021-02262-8 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 2.9]
• Ching, B. H.-H. & Wu, H. X. (2022). Ideological beliefs and gender essentialism: Relations to individual and normative opposition to same-sex parent families. Psychology and Sexuality, 14, 158-174. https://doi.org/10.1080/19419899.2022.2075789 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.4]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Ma, T. C. (2021). Effects of biological determinist and interactionist causal explanations on undergraduate students’ stigma of children with attention deficits hyperactivity disorders: An experimental investigation. International Journal of Psychology, 56, 772-782. https://doi.org/10.1002/ijop.12738 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.3]
• Ching, B. H.-H., Xu, J. T., Chen, T. T., & Kong, K. H. (2020). Gender essentialism, authoritarianism, social dominance orientation, and filial piety as predictors for transprejudice in Chinese people. Sex Roles, 83, 426-441. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-020-01123-3 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.0]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Xu, J. T. (2018). The effects of gender neuroessentialism on transprejudice: An experimental study. Sex Roles, 78, 228-241. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11199-017-0786-3 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 3.0]

Other Topics

• Chang, F., Wu, H. X., Ching, B. H.-H., Li, X., & Chen, T. T. (2023). Behaviour problems in deaf/hard of hearing children: Contributions of parental stress and parenting styles. Journal of Developmental and Physical Disabilities, 35, 607-630. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10882-022-09869-2 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 1.5]
• Ching, B. H.-H., & Nunes, T. (2015). Concurrent correlates of Chinese word recognition in deaf and hard-of-hearing children. Journal of Deaf Studies and Deaf Education, 20,172-190. https://doi.org/10.1093/deafed/env003 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 1.7]
• Ching, B. H.-H.,Ho, C. S.-H., Chan, D. W., Chung, K. K.-H., & Lo, L.-Y. (2014). Behavioural characteristics of Chinese adolescents with dyslexia: The use of teachers’ behaviour checklist in Hong Kong. Applied Psycholinguistics, 35, 1235-1257. https://doi.org/10.1017/S0142716413000179 [SSCI Q1; Impact factor: 2.4]
• Zhang, X., Fung, H. H., & Ching, B. H.-H. (2009). Age differences in goals: Implications for health promotion. Aging and Mental Health, 13, 336-348. https://doi.org/10.1080/13607860802459815 [SSCI Q2; Impact factor: 2.8]
• Fung, H. H., Ching, B. H.-H., & Yeung, D. Y. (2007). Age differences in emotional regulation: Findings from Western and Eastern cultures. In L. O. Randall (Ed.), Aging and the elderly: Psychology, sociology and health (p. 63-88). Nova Science Publishers, Inc.

• Educational Psychology
• Introduction to Special Education
• Elementary Mathematics Teaching and Research
• Advanced Developmental Psychology
• Theories and Studies of Child Development
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• American Psychological Association (APA)
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• Guest Editor
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  • Van de Walle’s Elementary and Middle School Mathematics: Teaching Developmentally, 10^th Pearson Publishing (2019 – 2020)

• Among the 50 most productive researchers in top-tier educational psychology journals from 2017-2022 (Kubik et al., 2024) pre-print available at https://osf.io/preprints/psyarxiv/s7j4y
  • Ranked 22^nd in the world, and 1^st in Asia based on the point-based method (this method considers the number of articles and takes author position into account, with higher positions resulting in more points awarded)
• Rising Star Award 2023, Association for Psychological Science
  • This award recognizes early career researchers who have demonstrated excellence in publications, received significant recognitions, made significant discoveries, generated work with broad impact, and established an independent research career.
• Among the most prolific educational psychology researcher in the early career category worldwide (Fong et al., 2022) https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s10648-022-09704-2
• Excellent Paper Award 2022, Faculty of Education, University of Macau
• Faculty Outstanding Academic Staff 2020, 2023 Faculty of Education, University of Macau
• Jean Piaget Society Doctoral Dissertation Prize 2018, the Jean Piaget Society
  • An annual international prize awarded to an emerging scholar who best continues the spirit of Piaget – a study grounded in a firm knowledge of, but not limited to, the work of Piaget and Inhelder.
• Clarendon Scholarship 2013-2016, University of Oxford
  • A full scholarship that covers tuition fee and living expenses for 3 years
  • Less than 3% of graduate offer holders (~1-2 students per department) receive the scholarship each year
• Emerging Psychologists’ Program Award 2016, the 31st International Congress in Psychology
  • A number of concurrent PhD students, postdoctoral fellows, or recent graduates in the field of psychology were selected internationally to attend this program.
• Student Representative of Division of Social Science at Encaenia 2014-2015, University of Oxford
  • Each year 1-2 students among all undergraduate and postgraduate students in each Division at University of Oxford are selected to attend this annual ceremony.
• Kellogg College Scholarship 2014, Kellogg College, University of Oxford
  • A competitive award that covers 100% college fee
  • Declined in favor of Clarendon Scholarship
• Oxford Education Award 2013, Department of Education, University of Oxford
  • Awarded for the best dissertation in the cohort of the MSc (Education) program (~70-80 students)