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
2024
Journal Article
Supporting families affected by adversity: an open feasibility trial of Family Life Skills Triple P
Sanders, Matthew R., M. T. Turner, Karen, Baker, Sabine, Ma, Tianyi, Chainey, Carys, Horstead, Siân K., Wimalaweera, Subodha, Gardner, Susan and Eastwood, John (2024). Supporting families affected by adversity: an open feasibility trial of Family Life Skills Triple P. Behavior Therapy, 55 (3), 621-635. doi: 10.1016/j.beth.2023.09.004
2024
Journal Article
The role of parenting self-efficacy on teacher-child relationships and parent-teacher communication: evidence from an Australian national longitudinal study
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L. and Sanders, Matthew R. (2024). The role of parenting self-efficacy on teacher-child relationships and parent-teacher communication: evidence from an Australian national longitudinal study. Journal of School Psychology, 103 101296, 101296. doi: 10.1016/j.jsp.2024.101296
2024
Journal Article
Facilitators and barriers of implementation of evidence-based parenting support in educational settings
Moller, Nicholas, Tellegen, Cassandra L., Ma, Tianyi and Sanders, Matthew R. (2024). Facilitators and barriers of implementation of evidence-based parenting support in educational settings. School Mental Health, 16 (1), 189-206. doi: 10.1007/s12310-023-09629-3
2023
Journal Article
The thriving kids and parents schools project: protocol of an incomplete stepped wedged cluster randomised trial evaluating the effectiveness of a Triple P seminar series
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 and Trompf, Madilyn (2023). The thriving kids and parents schools project: protocol of an incomplete stepped wedged cluster randomised trial evaluating the effectiveness of a Triple P seminar series. BMC Public Health, 23 (1) 2021. doi: 10.1186/s12889-023-16962-4
2023
Journal Article
Predicting the sustained implementation of an evidence-based parenting program: a structural equation modelling approach
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L., McWilliam, Jenna and Sanders, Matthew R. (2023). Predicting the sustained implementation of an evidence-based parenting program: a structural equation modelling approach. Administration and Policy in Mental Health and Mental Health Services Research, 50 (1), 114-127. doi: 10.1007/s10488-022-01226-x
2023
Conference Publication
Enhancing the policy and social impact of evidence-based parenting support [Symposium]
Ma, Tianyi, Chainey, Carys, Sanders, Matthew R. and Dadds, Mark (2023). Enhancing the policy and social impact of evidence-based parenting support [Symposium]. Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) 43rd National Conference, Sydney, NSW Australia, 19-20 October 2023.
2023
Journal Article
Scoping review of nature-based interventions in bereavement care: what are the implications for perinatal loss?
Dean, Julie, Cleary, Anne, Ma, Tianyi, McDaid, Lisa, Pollock, Danielle and Boyle, Frances (2023). Scoping review of nature-based interventions in bereavement care: what are the implications for perinatal loss?. Social Sciences and Humanities Open, 8 (1) 100690, 100690. doi: 10.1016/j.ssaho.2023.100690
2023
Conference Publication
Families and schools working together to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing [Symposium]
Kirby, Grace, Hodges, Julie and Ma, Tianyi (2023). Families and schools working together to enhance children’s learning and wellbeing [Symposium]. International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, Online, 6-8 June 2023.
2023
Conference Publication
Strengthening the training and implementation of evidence-based parenting support program: An example of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program [Video poster presentation]
Ma, Tianyi, Hoang, Nam-Phuong T., Moller, Nicholas and Matthews, Hannah (2023). Strengthening the training and implementation of evidence-based parenting support program: An example of the Triple P – Positive Parenting Program [Video poster presentation]. International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support (I-CEPS), Online, 6-8 June 2023.
2023
Journal Article
Predictors of champion behaviors in an evidence‐based parenting program: A structural equation modeling approach
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L. and Sanders, Matthew R. (2023). Predictors of champion behaviors in an evidence‐based parenting program: A structural equation modeling approach. American Journal of Community Psychology, 71 (1-2), 211-223. doi: 10.1002/ajcp.12623
2023
Conference Publication
Supporting families affected by adversity: Recommendations drawn from the context, development and testing of a novel intervention, Family Life Skills Triple P
Chainey, Carys, Sanders, Matthew R., Turner, Karen, Baker, Sabine, Ma, Tianyi, Horstead, Sian, Wimalaweera, Subodha, Gardner, Susan and Eastwood, John (2023). Supporting families affected by adversity: Recommendations drawn from the context, development and testing of a novel intervention, Family Life Skills Triple P. International Congress on Evidence-based Parenting Support, Online, 6-8 June 2023.
2022
Conference Publication
From perinatal care to school involvement: supporting parents and their children’s development through parenting interventions [Symposium]
Adina, Japheth, Morawska, Alina, Mitchell, Amy E. and Ma, Tianyi (2022). From perinatal care to school involvement: supporting parents and their children’s development through parenting interventions [Symposium]. Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) 42nd NationalConference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 13-14 October 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Building evidence to improve access and effectiveness of parenting interventions for caregivers, children, and families [Symposium]
Ma, Tianyi, Sanders, Matthew R., Khalid, Amina and Gonzalez, Carolina (2022). Building evidence to improve access and effectiveness of parenting interventions for caregivers, children, and families [Symposium]. Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) 42nd NationalConference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 13-14 October 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
Predicting the sustained implementation of an evidence-based parenting program
Ma, Tianyi, Tellegen, Cassandra L., McWilliam, Jenna and Sanders, Matthew R. (2022). Predicting the sustained implementation of an evidence-based parenting program. Australian Association for Cognitive and Behaviour Therapy (AACBT) 42nd National Conference, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 13-14 October 2022.
2022
Conference Publication
A systematic review of barriers and facilitators experienced by parents of typically developing and preterm children during the transition to school
Morawska, A., Mitchell, A., Etel, E., Ma, T., McAuliffe, T., Armstrong, R., McBryde, C. and Johnston, L. (2022). A systematic review of barriers and facilitators experienced by parents of typically developing and preterm children during the transition to school. 76th Annual Meeting of the American Academy for Cerebral Palsy and Developmental Medicine, Las Vegas, NV United States, 21-24 September 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Parental Adjustment Scale: Validation of a brief, five-item measure of parental adjustment for use with families of typically developing children and children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities in Australia
Kelly, Eliza, Day, Jamin J., Hodges, Julie, Tellegen, Cassandra L., Ma, Tianyi, Sanders, Matthew R., Tonge, Bruce, Einfeld, Stewart, Sofronoff, Kate, Gray, Kylie M., Mazzucchelli, Trevor G. and The MHYPeDD Team (2022). Parental Adjustment Scale: Validation of a brief, five-item measure of parental adjustment for use with families of typically developing children and children with developmental and/or intellectual disabilities in Australia. Research in Developmental Disabilities, 128 104304, 104304. doi: 10.1016/j.ridd.2022.104304
2022
Journal Article
Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: a scoping review of risk and protective factors
Ma, Tianyi, Moore, Jane and Cleary, Anne (2022). Climate change impacts on the mental health and wellbeing of young people: a scoping review of risk and protective factors. Social Science and Medicine, 301 114888, 1-14. doi: 10.1016/j.socscimed.2022.114888
2022
Journal Article
Measurement properties for a scale assessing self-regulation in parents and parenting practitioners
Tellegen, Cassandra L., Ma, Tianyi, Day, Jamin J., Hodges, Julie, Panahi, Babak, Mazzucchelli, Trevor G. and Sanders, Matthew R. (2022). Measurement properties for a scale assessing self-regulation in parents and parenting practitioners. Journal of Child and Family Studies, 31 (6), 1736-1748. doi: 10.1007/s10826-022-02307-z
2021
Other Outputs
Predicting the sustained implementation of an evidence-based parenting program
Ma, Tianyi (2021). Predicting the sustained implementation of an evidence-based parenting program. Honours Thesis, School of Psychology, University of Queensland.
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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