Overview
Background
Tianyi Ma is a Research Fellow (Academic Level B) at The University of Queensland whose research seeks to understand why children differ in their developmental trajectories and responses to preventive interventions. His interdisciplinary research program integrates developmental psychology, parenting and family psychology, educational psychology, prevention science, and advanced quantitative methods to investigate developmental mechanisms, individual differences, and family-school processes that shape children's learning, mental health, and wellbeing. He has published 28 refereed journal articles (including 17 as first and/or corresponding author) and secured over AU$340,000 in competitive funding as a lead or contributing investigator. He leads an independent program of research involving a coordinated team of honours students and research assistants while contributing to large-scale interdisciplinary collaborations. Tianyi serves as Associate Editor for the Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools and Journal of Child and Family Studies, and sits on multiple editorial boards. His long-term goal is to develop a systems-contextual science of why children respond differently to developmental environments and preventive interventions, translating this knowledge into more personalised and effective supports across family, school, and community settings.
Availability
- Dr Tianyi Ma is:
- Available for supervision
- Media expert
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor (Honours) of Psychological Science, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy of Psychology, The University of Queensland
Research interests
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Parenting Processes
The psychological processes through which parenting influences children's development, which include parental self-efficacy, parental self-regulation, and parenting practices.
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Family–School Connections
The intersection between families and schools, with a focus on family–school partnerships and how parents and educators can work together to create supportive developmental environments.
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What Works for Whom?
Individual and contextual differences in how children and families respond to developmental environments and evidence-based parenting programs, asking what works for whom, under what circumstances, and through which mechanisms.
Research impacts
Tianyi has published 28 refereed journal articles, including 17 as first and/or corresponding author, and secured more than AU$340,000 in competitive research funding as a lead or contributing investigator. His research has appeared in leading international journals across developmental, clinical, educational, and school psychology, including Educational Psychology Review, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Clinical Child and Family Psychology Review, and Journal of School Psychology.
According to SciVal (October 2026), approximately 90% of his publications appeared in Q1 journals (the top 25%), with more than half published in journals ranked in the top 10% by SCImago Journal Rank (SJR). Approximately 7% of his publications fell within the top 1% and 27.5% within the top 10% of publications by citation percentile. His overall Field-Weighted Citation Impact (FWCI) of 3.33 indicates that his publications have received more than three times the citations expected for publications of similar type and subject area. His publications and citation metrics are available through his Google Scholar profile.
Beyond academia, Tianyi's research has been cited in policy documents produced by governments in Australia, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Ireland, Switzerland, Norway, Ghana, and Aotearoa New Zealand, as well as by the OECD. He also contributes directly to the evaluation of evidence-based parenting interventions. As statistical lead for the Thriving Kids and Parents Schools Project, funded by the Australian Government Department of Education, he contributed to the evaluation of Triple P seminars involving parents from 380 primary schools across Queensland, Victoria, and South Australia. The evaluation added to the evidence base for Triple P, an internationally implemented evidence-based parenting program translated into 24 languages and used in more than 80 countries.
Tianyi is also active in public engagement and science communication, translating developmental and parenting research for broader audiences through articles in The Conversation and media interviews with the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and Radio New Zealand. His work has attracted 56 media and news mentions, extending the reach of his research beyond academic audiences.
Works
Search Professor Tianyi Ma’s works on UQ eSpace
2026
Journal Article
Exploring school staff perspectives on brief, school-based parenting seminars with a reciprocal school staff component: implications for home-school partnerships
Hidajat, Tarissa J., Hodges, Julie, Ma, Tianyi, Allen, Kelly-Ann, Morawska, Alina, Boyle, Christopher and Sanders, Matthew R. (2026). Exploring school staff perspectives on brief, school-based parenting seminars with a reciprocal school staff component: implications for home-school partnerships. School Mental Health, 18 (3), 944-958. doi: 10.1007/s12310-026-09875-1
2026
Conference Publication
Toward a three-tier model of parental self-regulation: A scoping review of existing definitions and operationalisations [Paper Presentation]
Jiang, Yihan, Ma, Tianyi, Zheng, Pengjuan, Asmara, Olifa and Morawska, Alina (2026). Toward a three-tier model of parental self-regulation: A scoping review of existing definitions and operationalisations [Paper Presentation]. Brisbane Mental Health Research Conference, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 21 August.
2026
Newspaper Article
'No, I want Mum!' Does it feel like your child has a favourite parent?
Ma, Tianyi (2026, 08 13). 'No, I want Mum!' Does it feel like your child has a favourite parent? The Conversation doi: 10.64628/AA.vrrv4psed
2026
Journal Article
The effects and moderators of online evidence-based parenting intervention when delivered in real-world settings
Morawska, Alina, Hoang, April, Ma, Tianyi and Kirby, Grace (2026). The effects and moderators of online evidence-based parenting intervention when delivered in real-world settings. Journal of Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology, 1-14. doi: 10.1080/15374416.2026.2711213
2026
Journal Article
Associations between parental self-efficacy and outcomes for children and parents: a systematic review protocol
Ma, Tianyi, Masroori, Neika and Morawska, Alina (2026). Associations between parental self-efficacy and outcomes for children and parents: a systematic review protocol. JBI Evidence Synthesis. doi: 10.11124/jbies-26-00106
2026
Conference Publication
New horizons in parenting research: Evidence syntheses of novel constructs, topics, and contexts
Ma, Tianyi, Gonzalez, Carolina, Morawska, Alina and Yang, Liying (2026). New horizons in parenting research: Evidence syntheses of novel constructs, topics, and contexts. The 28th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), Incheon, South Korea, 21-25 June 2026.
2026
Conference Publication
How daily family routines shape children’s self-control: A three-level meta-analysis
Wang, Yan, Cai, Tiantian, Ma, Tianyi and Zheng, Pengjuan (2026). How daily family routines shape children’s self-control: A three-level meta-analysis. The 28th Biennial Meeting of the International Society for the Study of Behavioural Development (ISSBD), Incheon, South Korea, 21-25 June 2026.
2026
Journal Article
Part II: can school-based delivery of an evidence-based parenting program promote the home-school partnership? Parental self-regulation as the mechanism of change
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L., Hodges, Julie, Boyle, Christopher and Sanders, Matthew R. (2026). Part II: can school-based delivery of an evidence-based parenting program promote the home-school partnership? Parental self-regulation as the mechanism of change. Family Process, 65 (2) e70150. doi: 10.1111/famp.70150
2026
Journal Article
Can a low‐intensity evidence‐based parenting seminar series promote the mental health and wellbeing of children and families? A cluster randomised trial
Boyle, Christopher, Sanders, Matthew R., Ma, Tianyi, Hodges, Julie, Allen, Kelly‐Ann, Cobham, Vanessa E., Darmawan, Igusti, Dittman, Cassandra K., Healy, Karyn L., Hepburn, Stevie‐Jae, MacLeod, Lynda M., Teng, Jiachen, Trompf, Madilyn and Warton, William (2026). Can a low‐intensity evidence‐based parenting seminar series promote the mental health and wellbeing of children and families? A cluster randomised trial. Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, 67 (6) jcpp.70066, 832-843. doi: 10.1111/jcpp.70066
2026
Journal Article
Understanding the interplay among parental involvement, parental self-regulation, and child adjustment: a latent profiles analysis and cross-validation
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L., Hodges, Julie, Boyle, Christopher and Sanders, Matthew R. (2026). Understanding the interplay among parental involvement, parental self-regulation, and child adjustment: a latent profiles analysis and cross-validation. Journal of School Psychology, 115 101526, 101526-115. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2025.101526
2026
Journal Article
Part I: can school-based delivery of an evidence-based parenting program promote the home-school partnership? A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L, Hodges, Julie, Boyle, Christopher and Sanders, Matthew R (2026). Part I: can school-based delivery of an evidence-based parenting program promote the home-school partnership? A stepped wedge cluster randomized trial. Family Process, 65 (1) e70109, 1-13. doi: 10.1111/famp.70109
2026
Journal Article
Healthy screen use in schools: how families and schools can work together
Morawska, Alina, Hidajat, Tarissa Judith, Hodges, Julie and Ma, Tianyi (2026). Healthy screen use in schools: how families and schools can work together. Journal of Psychologists and Counsellors in Schools, 36 (1) 20556365261420347, 1-7. doi: 10.1177/20556365261420347
2026
Journal Article
A systematic review of parents’ experiences during their child’s transition to school
Morawska, Alina, Mitchell, Amy E., Etel, Evren, Armstrong, Rebecca, McAuliffe, Tomomi, Ma, Tianyi, McBryde, Cathy and Johnston, Leanne M. (2026). A systematic review of parents’ experiences during their child’s transition to school. Early Childhood Education Journal, 54 (1), 1-12. doi: 10.1007/s10643-024-01780-z
2025
Other Outputs
Parents as partners in children's education: evaluating the role of parental-self-regulation in effective home-school partnership
Ma, Tianyi (2025). Parents as partners in children's education: evaluating the role of parental-self-regulation in effective home-school partnership. PhD Thesis, School of Psychology, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/4aded24
2025
Conference Publication
Tailored futures: a systems-contextual approach to supporting every child
Ma, Tianyi (2025). Tailored futures: a systems-contextual approach to supporting every child. 45th Society for Mental Health Research (SMHR) Conference: pathways for diversity, equity and personalisation in mental health care, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 19 - 21 November 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
How a school-based, low-intensity, evidence-based parenting program can enhance the well-being of children and families and the home-school partnership: findings from a cluster randomised trial in Australian primary schools [Paper Presentation]
Boyle, C., Sanders, M. R., Ma, T., Hodges, J., Allen, K. A., Cobham, V. E., Darmawan, I., Dittman, C. K., Healy, K. L., Hepburn, S. J., MacLeod, L. M., Teng, J., Trompf, M. and Warton, W. (2025). How a school-based, low-intensity, evidence-based parenting program can enhance the well-being of children and families and the home-school partnership: findings from a cluster randomised trial in Australian primary schools [Paper Presentation]. The 45th Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) Conference, Perth, WA, Australia, 16-17 October 2025.
2025
Conference Publication
Innovation in evidence-based parenting and family interventions: responding to the contemporary needs of children young people and their families [Symposium]
Mazzucchelli, T. G., Morawska, A., Ma, T., Studman, L. and Sanders, M. R. (2025). Innovation in evidence-based parenting and family interventions: responding to the contemporary needs of children young people and their families [Symposium]. The 45th Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) Conference, Perth, WA Australia, 16-17 October 2025.
2025
Journal Article
Creating a positive home-school partnership through professional learning for teachers – a scoping review of the international literature
Hepburn, Stevie-Jae, Trompf, Madi, Hodges, Julie, MacLeod, Lynda Maree, Ma, Tianyi, Teng, Jiachen, Johnson, Alicia, Boyle, Christopher and Sanders, Matthew (2025). Creating a positive home-school partnership through professional learning for teachers – a scoping review of the international literature. Teaching and Teacher Education, 165 105127, 105127-165. doi: 10.1016/j.tate.2025.105127
2025
Journal Article
Partners in Education Survey: validation of a brief, parent-report home-school partnership measure in Australia
Johnson, Alicia, Ma, Tianyi, Hodges, Julie, Boyle, Christopher and Sanders, Matthew R. (2025). Partners in Education Survey: validation of a brief, parent-report home-school partnership measure in Australia. Children and Youth Services Review, 177 108455, 1-9. doi: 10.1016/j.childyouth.2025.108455
2025
Conference Publication
Impact of low-intensity parenting seminars: Findings from Australian schools [Oral Presentation]
Boyle, Christopher, Sanders, Matthew, Ma, Tianyi and Hodges, Julie (2025). Impact of low-intensity parenting seminars: Findings from Australian schools [Oral Presentation]. The European Association for Research on Learning and Instruction (EARLI) Conference, Graz, Austria, 25-29 August.
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Tianyi Ma is:
- Available for supervision
Looking for a supervisor? Read our advice on how to choose a supervisor.
Media
Enquiries
Contact Dr Tianyi Ma directly for media enquiries about:
- Family Psychology
- Home-School Partnership
- Parental Engagement
- Parental Involvement
- Parenting
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