Mohammad Noman, Ph.D. (Educational Leadership), possesses three decades of extensive experience in research, leadership, teaching, teacher training, and community engagement across K-12 and higher education sectors. He is an Associate Professor (Tenured) at Wenzhou-Kean University, where he serves as the Director for the Department of Educational Leadership and Administration. He is also the Director of the Wenzhou International Educational Research Center (WIERC), established in collaboration with the local education bureau.

Dr. Noman has a rich and varied academic experience spanning more than three decades in both K-12 and higher education settings. He has worked in four countries: India (K-12), Thailand (K-12 and Higher Education), Malaysia (K-12 and Higher Education), and China (Higher Education), giving him a diverse perspective on educational issues across different levels. He firmly believes that people, irrespective of their socio-economic, cultural, religious, or racial background, have an innate ability to learn, and it is the job of an educator to ensure that they realize their full potential. He strives to make learning meaningful, fun, engaging, and purposeful. He loves teaching and the uniqueness of every student under his tutelage every day.

Dr. Noman is an avid researcher and has produced a substantial body of work published in top education journals. He has produced over 70 articles, mostly in SSCI or Scopus-indexed journals. His research has generated valuable practical insights for educational leadership, teaching, learning, and assessment in K-12 and higher education, as well as the Internationalization of higher education. His publications have generated over 1350 citations and an H-Index of 21, demonstrating the impact of his research. He has collaborated with several international scholars and is keen on expanding such collaborations in the future.

His research interests follow two distinct strands. His primary focus is on exploring educational leadership through a triadic lens, moving away from its traditional person-centric conceptualization. He is among the few scholars currently examining leadership as a phenomenon comprising three essential elements: Leader, Followers, and Context. This innovative approach to context-based leadership has significantly advanced the field's understanding of how leadership manifests and operates across different educational settings. The second strand of his research centers on teaching and learning in higher education. As a Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) practitioner, he has conducted numerous SoTL inquiries that have been published in high-impact journals, contributing to the advancement of pedagogical practices in higher education.

• Ph. D. (Ed. Leadership), University Utara Malaysia, Malaysia
• M. Ed. (Ed. Administration and Management), St. Theresa International College, Bangkok-Thailand
• B. Sc. (Physics, Chemistry, Mathematics), Lucknow University, India

Leadership in Education

Research Methodology

Instructional Leadership

Organization Theories

Qualitative Research Methods

School and Society

Creativity in Management for Effective Schools

Human Resource Development in Education

Research Interests

1. Educational Leadership

Dr. Noman explores leadership as a triad of leader, followers, and context, examining how the three interact across K-12, higher education, and educational settings more broadly. His work focuses on how leadership is enacted differently across contexts, and how followers actively shape the leadership process.

2. K-12 and Higher Education Teaching and Learning

Dr. Noman explores various aspects of teaching and learning across K-12 and higher education, including pedagogy, assessment, engagement, and motivation. His work examines how these elements function differently across educational levels, identifying patterns that connect classroom practice in K-12 settings with instructional approaches in higher education. He also conducts Scholarship of Teaching and Learning (SoTL) inquiries as part of this broader research agenda.

Teaching Interests

Dr. Noman's teaching interests span educational leadership and theories, educational administration and management, organizational theory and change, research methods, and pedagogical theories. Together, these areas reflect a focus on preparing students to lead and manage educational institutions effectively, understand how organizations evolve and adapt, conduct rigorous research, and apply sound pedagogical approaches in their own practice.

PUBLICATIONS (Last two years only)

For a complete list of publications, please visit this link: https://tinyurl.com/NomanPHD

2026

1. Noman, M., Chen, J., & Lin, T. (2026). Transforming artificial intelligence from technical innovation to pedagogical practice in schools: Educational leadership perspective. Journal of Research on Technology in Education. Online First. DOI: 10.1080/15391523.2026.2724352 [SSCI Q1] - 2026
2. Zhihao, H., & Noman, M. (2026). The digital pathway from learning-centered leadership to teacher innovation. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. Advance online publication. DOI: 10.1177/17411432261477738 [SSCI Q1] – 2026
3. Noman, M., Xu, J., Kaur, A., & Fang, K. (2026). The interplay of contextual leadership and teacher-related organizational outcomes: The mediating role of group cohesion. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 54(1), 279–296. DOI: 10.1177/17411432241230662 [SSCI Q1] - 2026
4. Lin, T., & Noman, M. (2026). Complicit or social conditioning? Analyzing women's antifeminist stances across cultures. Feminism & Psychology. DOI: 10.1177/09593535261461781 [SSCI Q1] - 2026
5. Noman, M., Liao, C., Kaur, A., Mao, H., & Fang, K. (2026). Contextual leadership and organizational citizenship: When followers tilt the balance. Leadership and Policy in Schools. DOI: 10.1080/15700763.2025.2608046 [ESCI Q2] – 2026
6. Noman, M., Xu, J., Kaur, A., & Fang, K. (2026). The interplay of contextual leadership and teacher-related organizational outcomes: The mediating role of group cohesion. Educational Management Administration & Leadership, 54(1), 279–296. DOI: 10.1177/17411432241230662 [SSCI Q1] - 2026
7. Kaur, A., & Noman, M. (2026). Students as partners in South Asia: Contextualizing values for culturally responsive student-faculty collaborations in higher education. Multicultural Education Review, 18(2), 133–150. DOI: 10.1080/2005615X.2026.2665476 [ESCI Q3] - 2026
8. Zhang, R., & Noman, M. (2026). Leadership as moral work: Exploring the value-based practices of primary school principals in China. Educational Management Administration & Leadership. DOI: 10.1177/17411432261430869 [SSCI Q1] - 2026

2025

1. Song, J., & Noman, M. (2025). Leadership practices in challenging contexts: A multi-case study of principals in Chinese small rural schools. Educational Studies. DOI: 10.1080/03055698.2025.2603205 [SSCI Q2] – 2025
2. Noman, M., Kaur, A., Mullick, J., & Wang, H. (2025). Navigating dual narratives: The lifestories of successful women leaders in higher education. Higher Education Research & Development, 44(5), 1176–1190. DOI: 10.1080/07294360.2025.2476537 [SSCI Q1] - 2025
3. Noman, M. (2025). Reflection on visioning as a leadership practice. Management in Education, 39(4), 193–195. DOI: 10.1177/08920206231185935 [ESCI Q1] - 2025
4. Kaur, A., Zou, W., Lu, K., Hou, S., Yang, H., & Noman, M. (2025). Student-faculty partnership in research: Evaluating a university-wide initiative for scalability in a Sino-American university. Innovations in Education and Teaching International. DOI: 10.1080/14703297.2025.2561885 [SSCI Q1] – 2025
5. Fang, K., & Noman, M. (2025). Paternalistic leadership in educational contexts: A systematic review and content analysis. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34(3), 975–988. DOI: 10.1007/s40299-024-00912-8 [SSCI Q1] - 2025
6. Kaur, A., Kumar, V., & Noman, M. (2025). The viability of doctoral thesis and oral exams in students' native language. Journal of Language, Identity & Education, 24(5), 1110–1121. DOI: 10.1080/15348458.2023.2271976 [SSCI Q2] - 2025
7. Kaur, A., Noman, M., Zhang, S., & Baafi, M. A. (2025). Examining the psychological constructs for independent learning of undergraduates in sino-foreign universities in China. International Journal of Chinese Education, 14(2). DOI: 10.1177/2212585X251350418 [Scopus Q2] - 2025
8. Mullick, J., Noman, M., Wang, H., & Pan, X. (2025). A narrative inquiry into generational ethos: Unravelling the evolution of educational ideologies and practices in China. Asia Pacific Education Review. DOI: 10.1007/s12564-025-10051-4 [SSCI Q2] - 2025
9. Kaur, A., Lin, Y., Lu, K., Zhou, Q., Zhou, Y., & Noman, M. (2025). Chinese students' conception of psychological need support and need frustration: A qualitative analysis from a self-determination theory perspective. The Asia-Pacific Education Researcher, 34(1), 165–180. DOI: 10.1007/s40299-024-00844-3 [SSCI Q1] - 2025

Book Chapters

1. Chopra, P., Nichol, L., Bell, R., Warren, V. V., Kaur, A., Noman, M., Wen, B., & Foster, S. (2026). Supervisory relationships with doctoral students. In M. Polkinghorne, J. Taylor, & F. Knight (Eds.), Innovative approaches to doctoral supervision: Selected case studies (pp. 36–60). Edward Elgar Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4337/9781035340286.00010
2. Noman, M. (2026). The everyday classroom: Experience, reflection, and growth at Wenzhou-Kean University. In M. Noman & A. Kaur (Eds.), Cases on US-China study abroad programs in higher education (pp. 137–154). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3373-5152-0.ch008
3. Noman, M. (2025). Strengthening program-level learning through multidisciplinary SoTL: Insights from Malaysia. In A. Kaur & M. Noman (Eds.), Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in Asian higher education (pp. 141–156). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3727-1.ch008
4. Tengku Ariffin, T. F., Noman, M., & Suhaili, Y. M. (2024). Symbiosis of teacher leadership and professional learning communities. In Oxford research encyclopedia of education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.664
5. Awang-Hashim, R., & Noman, M. (2023). High impact educational practices (HIEPs): Keeping the students engaged. In R. Awang-Hashim & M. Noman (Eds.), Integrating high impact educational practices for Malaysia: A handbook of reflective practice and professional development (pp. 8–28). UUM Press.
6. Noman, M. (2023). Distributed instructional leadership: The SHARE model. In D. Adams (Ed.), Educational leadership: Contemporary theories, principles, and practices (pp. 39–55). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-99-8494-7_3
7. Noman, M., & Kaur, A. (2023). Collaborative assignments and projects. In R. Awang-Hashim & M. Noman (Eds.), Integrating high impact educational practices for Malaysia: A handbook of reflective practice and professional development (pp. 120–129). UUM Press.
8. Noman, M., & Kaur, A. (2022). Gender equity and the “Lost Boys” in Malaysian education. In D. Adams (Ed.), Education in Malaysia: Developments, reforms and prospects (pp. 19–33). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003244769-2
9. Noman, M. (2021). Contextual awareness and sensemaking among Malaysian school principals: From leaders to leadership. In T. Bush (Ed.), School leadership in Malaysia: Policy, research and practice (pp. 17–30). Routledge. https://doi.org/10.4324/9781003098584-2
10. Kaur, A., & Noman, M. (2020). Educational leadership and self-determination theory in collectivist cultures. In Oxford research encyclopedia of education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.592
11. Noman, M., & Gurr, D. (2020). Contextual leadership and culture in education. In Oxford research encyclopedia of education. Oxford University Press. https://doi.org/10.1093/acrefore/9780190264093.013.595

Books

1. Noman, M., & Kaur, A. (Eds.). (2026). Cases on US-China study abroad programs in higher education. IGI Global Scientific Publishing.
2. Kaur, A., & Noman, M. (Eds.). (2025). Scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in Asian higher education. IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-3693-3727-1
3. Awang-Hashim, R., & Noman, M. (Eds.). (2023). Integrating high impact educational practices for Malaysia: A handbook of reflective practice and professional development. UUM Press.

The Department of Educational Leadership at Wenzhou-Kean University offers an innovative program that prepares students to become transformative leaders in education. Our interdisciplinary, professional-oriented model seamlessly integrates rigorous coursework with practical experience. With a blend of theory and practice, our program equips students with the knowledge, capabilities, and vision to drive systemic improvements as educational leaders in schools, colleges, universities and other institutions with an interest in education. We welcome prospective students eager to advance their career while shaping the future of K-12 education and beyond.