Xiaoxuan (Ariel) Chen

Xiaoxuan (Ariel) Chen is a lecturer in Early Childhood Education at Victoria University and a PhD candidate at Monash University. Her work bridges academic research and professional practice in the Early Childhood Education and Care sector.

Ariel has five years of experience as an Early Childhood Teacher in long day care settings, where she mentored pre-service teachers and supported children’s learning and wellbeing. Her teaching focuses on preparing future educators through practice-based learning, with particular attention to children’s social and emotional development, inclusive learning environments, and reflective teaching practices aligned with national frameworks.

Her doctoral research investigates how early childhood educators respond to children’s social-emotional learning during peer interactions. Using the theoretical lens, her work examines how cultural-discursive, material-economic, and social-political conditions shape educators’ practices in early learning environments.

Her broader research interests include children’s social-emotional learning, educator professional learning, and the impact of policy reforms and social disruptions on access, participation, and equity in early childhood education. Through her research and teaching, Ariel aims to contribute to evidence-informed practices that strengthen early learning environments and support children’s holistic development.