Zachary Chai

Profile

Hi, I'm an EdD candidate in Language Education. Before starting my EdD at the University of Leeds, I worked as a primary school teacher in Sabah, Malaysia, which is also my hometown. Being away from home has made me reflect deeply on my roots, my community, and the values that shape me as a teacher.

I taught English to children aged seven to twelve and spent those early years helping my pupils not just learn the language, but enjoy it. I love using technology, language arts, a range of reading materials and encouraging student voice in my lessons. I believe there’s no single approach that suits all pupils, as every child learns differently, and good teaching meets them where they are. That belief continues to shape how I teach and think about language education.

I hold a First Class Honours degree in TESL from the Institute of Teacher Education Malaysia, where I graduated at the top of my class. I then completed a Master of Education in TESL at Universiti Malaysia Sabah. Now, I’m continuing my journey at Leeds, focusing on English language education. I’m fully funded by the Ministry of Education Malaysia, and I’m here to grow, learn and contribute to the field. Outside of research, I love cooking Malaysian food and am currently working on my first children’s book.

Research interests

My current research explores Mobile-Assisted Language Learning (MALL) in Malaysian primary schools. This work is shaped by my own experiences using mobile technology with my pupils and collaborating with teachers in the district where I taught. Although I was still a novice teacher at the time, I actively worked alongside colleagues and took on leadership roles, including serving as Head of the English Language Panel. These experiences gave me early insight into how teachers approach technology and language teaching in real classroom contexts. I noticed that while some teachers embraced digital tools with enthusiasm, others struggled, hesitated or even resisted integrating technology into their teaching. This variation in response made me wonder what lay behind those choices—What shaped these different approaches?

This led me to focus on teacher cognition in relation to MALL as the central theme of my research. I ask: What do teachers believe and know about using MALL in the classroom, and how do these understandings influence their teaching practices? I also examine the factors that shape their cognition, including schooling, pre-service training, in-service development and everyday classroom experience. In addition, I explore how contextual elements at the macro, meso and micro levels affect teachers’ use of MALL. My research aims to unpack the complex relationship between cognition and practice, and how the two interact in real classroom settings.

More broadly, my research interests include English language teaching for young learners, particularly vocabulary, reading and technology-enhanced learning. I adopt a range of research methods, including surveys, experimental design, interviews, classroom observations and reflective practices.

Qualifications

• MEd in TESL
• BTeach with Honours in TESL

Research groups and institutes

• Centre for Language Education