Jennifer Chen, Ed.D.
Biography
Dr. Jennifer Chen is currently tenured full professor and chair of the Department of Early Childhood Education at Kean University. She is also a senior research fellow at NIEER of Rutgers University. She is a well-respected scholar who has authored/co-authored more than 90 scholarly publications, including four books, co-edited volumes, and many refereed research articles. Her research threads multiple strands of early childhood education (ECE), including teaching and student learning, early childhood teacher education, language and literacy, teaching practices, teacher stress and thriving, and the role of AI in young children’s learning. Most recently, she has developed the POWER (Purposeful, Optimal, Wise, Ethical, Responsible) framework for guiding AI use in ECE. She has also published in the use/overuse/misuse and the ethical considerations of AI-generative technology and AI-powered tools for use in ECE.
Dr. Chen is also an award-winning researcher, distinguished scholar, distinguished college teacher, and research mentor. The honors that have been bestowed on Dr. Chen in recognizing her outstanding scholarly work include the 2022 NJAECTE’s Distinguished Scholarship in Early Childhood Teacher Education/Early Childhood Education Award, the 2021 Kean Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Scholarship, the 2020 NAECTE (National Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators) Foundation Established Career Award for Research on Early Childhood Teacher Education, the Kean Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching, the Kean Faculty Research Mentor of the Year award, a Fulbright Scholar research award to Hong Kong, a book winner award, and many University research awards. Most recently, Dr. Chen was named a 2023 Exchange Leader in the Exchange Leadership Initiative. She was also honored with the 2023 Outstanding Early Childhood Teacher Educator award from the NAECTE Foundation.
Dr. Chen has served in various leadership positions, including as the former president of the New Jersey Association of Early Childhood Teacher Educators (NJAECTE), the former co-president of the NJAECTE, and a former board director of the New Jersey Chapter of the Fulbright Association.
Most Recent Publications
Authored Book:
Chen, J. J. (2024). Responsive practice for dual language learners in early childhood education: Theory and case studies. Redleaf Press.
Co-authored book:
Li. H., & Chen, J J. (2023). The glocalization of early childhood curriculum: Global childhoods, local curricula. Routledge. ISBN13: 9781032229508 https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003274865
Co-edited book:
Brillante, P., Chen, J. J., Cuevas, S. et al. (Eds.) (2023). Casebook: Developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs serving children from birth through age 8. NAEYC. ISBN-13:9781952331121
Journal Articles:
Wu, D., Cai, L., Chen, J. J., & Li, H. (2024). Questioning to elicit inferential responses: A study of teacher-child linguistic interactions during block play activities in Chinese kindergartens. Early Education and Development, 1–22. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2024.2423274
Chen, J. J., Ren, Y., & O’Neill, S. (2024). Exploring the literacy experiences of preservice early childhood teachers: Social and contextual influences, and implications for teacher education. Education Sciences, 14, 1042. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14101042
Chen, J. J. (2024). Neoliberalism and neocolonialism in the mix: Evidence of glocalization in the globalization-localization dynamics of early childhood practices in Hong Kong. Policy Futures in Education, 22(6), 1053-1081. https://doi.org/10.1177/14782103231171977
Chen, J. J., Liang, X., & Lin, J. C. (2024). Weaving the fabric of social and emotional learning in the context of teaching: A Study in Hong Kong Kindergarten classrooms. Early Childhood Education Journal. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-024-01682-0
Chen, J. J., & Lin, J. C. (2024). The double-edged sword of artificial intelligence: Wielding the POWER principles to maximize its positive effects and minimize its negative effects. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 25(1) 146–153. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491231169813
Chen, J. J. (2024). In search of silver linings in teaching during COVID-19: A study of early childhood teachers’ perspectives. Teachers and Teaching: Theory and practice, 30(1), 49-70. http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/13540602.2023.2225436
Chen, J. J. (2023). Reflecting on reflection among early childhood teachers: A study of reflection for, in, and on action intersecting with the technical, practical, and critical dimensions. Reflective Practice, 24(3), 324-346. https://doi.org/10.1080/14623943.2023.2194624
Chen, J. J. (2023). Pedagogical adaptability as an essential capacity: Reflective practice of applying theory to practice among first-year early childhood teachers during remote instruction. Journal of Early Childhood Teacher Education, 44(4), 723-746. https://doi.org/10.1080/10901027.2022.2147879
Chen, J., J., & O’Donnell, B. (2023). Facilitating children’s social and emotional development in virtual learning: Implications for in-person teaching. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 58(S1), 82-86. https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2022.2125128
Chen, J. J., & Adams, C. B. (2023). Drawing from and expanding their toolboxes: Preschool teachers’ traditional strategies, unconventional opportunities, and novel challenges in scaffolding young children’s social and emotional learning during remote instruction amidst COVID-19. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51, 925-937. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01359-6
Chen, J. J., & Rivera-Vernazza, D. (2023). Communicating digitally: Building preschool teacher-parent partnerships via digital technologies during COVID-19. Early Childhood Education Journal, 51, 1189-1203. https://doi.org/10.1007/s10643-022-01366-7
Chen, J. J., & Perez, C. (2023). Enhancing assessment and personalized learning through artificial intelligence. Childhood Education, 99(6), 72-79. https://doi.org/10.1080/00094056.2023.2282903
Chen, J. J., & Garcia, M. M. (2023). Teaching demands and resources: Early childhood teachers’ experiences of remote and hybrid instruction during COVID-19 in the United States. Education 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2023.2206833
Chen, J. J., & Li, H. (2023). Tian Shi (timing) Di Li (context) Ren He (human capital): A new theoretical framework for analyzing the implementability of imported early childhood practices and making a case for a hybrid model. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 37(2), 292-309. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2022.2107588
Chen, J. J., & Krieger, N. J. (2023). Learning gain rather than learning loss during COVID-19: A proposal for reframing the narrative. Contemporary Issues in Early Childhood, 24(1), 82-86. https://doi.org/10.1177/14639491211073144
Chen, J. J., Kacerek, C. R., & Ruiz, M. (2023). The letter-naming benchmarks, growth profiles, and the efficacy of an interactive learning app on uppercase letter-name learning for preschool children. International Journal of Technology in Education (IJTE), 6(1), 113-135.https://doi.org/10.46328/ijte.360
Chen, J. J., & Badolato, H. (2023). Scaffolding social and emotional learning in preschool children from low-income backgrounds: A study of teacher strategies during COVID-19. Education 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1080/03004279.2023.2168131
Chen, J. J. (2023). Leadership at play in preschool children: A systematic synthesis of nearly nine decades of research. Early Education and Development, 34(1), 1-26. https://doi.org/10.1080/10409289.2021.1988036
Chen, J. J. (2022). Between the foreground and the background lies the middle ground: Painting a harmonious early childhood curriculum landscape. ECNU Review of Education. 5(2), 328-337. https://doi.org/10.1177/20965311221092035
Chen, J. J., & Othman, R. O. (2022). At the helm of navigating the remote instruction terrain. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 58(4), 178–182. https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2022.2110823
Chen, J. J., & Kacerek, C. (2022). Leaders and followers during sociodramatic play: A study of racial/ethnic minority preschool children from socioeconomically disadvantaged backgrounds. Journal of Research in Childhood Education, 36(3), 517-540. https://doi.org/10.1080/02568543.2021.1960939
Chen, J. J. (2022). Assessing preschool children’s letter-name knowledge: Responsive practices. Kappa Delta Pi Record, 58(3), 130-135. https://doi.org/10.1080/00228958.2022.2076532
Chen, J. J., Li, Z., Rodrigues, W., & Kaufman, S. (2022). Thriving beyond resilience despite stress: A psychometric evaluation of the newly developed Teacher Stress Scale and the Teacher Thriving Scale. Frontiers in Psychology. 13:862342. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.862342
Chen, J. J. (2022). Self-compassion as key to stress resilience among first-year early childhood teachers during COVID-19: An interpretative phenomenological analysis. Teaching and Teacher Education, 111. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2021.103627