The MERL is led by Associate Professors John Wang, Liu Woon Chia and Nikos Chatzisarantis, and is advised by Professor Tan Onn Seng, Dean, Foundation Programme. Other core research staff include Adrian Kee, Coral Lim and Lilian Chua.

Our main focus is on motivational issues in education. We adopt the Self-Determination Theory (SDT) as the core theory in guiding our research, and also integrate other motivational theories in our research. We aim to translate research findings into practical guides for teachers and practitioners.

In Asia, our MERL is the only satellite laboratory of the Rochester Human Motivation Lab. Professors Edward Deci and Richard Ryan are Consultants of our laboratory.

Interested faculty and researchers from other institutions are welcome to contact us for collaborative work. We also welcome potential master and doctoral students who are interested in SDT to consider pursuing your degree with NIE.

Feel free to contact any of the faculty and/or staff for further information and suggestions.