Ivan Au FHEA

Doctoral Student | Hertford College

ivan.au@education.ox.ac.uk

About me

I am a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA) and a doctoral researcher at the Department of Education (also former Student Liaison Coordinator). I am part of the Language Learning Lab, and my research interest lies in the psychology and pragmatics of word meanings. My current project investigates how children learn words with mulitple meanings (i.e., polysemy). Broadly speaking, I am also interested in AI, higher education, teacher training, and English Language Teaching.

Outside the lab, I am a tutor in the Department of Experimental Psychology and a Teaching Fellow in the Vice-Chancellor’s Colloquium on Climate Change (2023-2024; 2024-2025) and AI (2025-2026). I have also recently been in two project teams who set out to investigate EAL students’ academic attainment in the UK and the role of artificial intelligence in science education.

Prior to joining Oxford, I have taken up lecturerships in a number of universities in Hong Kong and have delivered courses at undergraduate and postgraduate level. I received my teacher-training in Hong Kong and my postgraduate training in Linguistics (with a specialisation in pragmatics) at University College London. I currently peer-review for the International Journal of Science Education.

Supervisors

Elizabeth Wonnacott and Victoria Murphy

Thesis

An Intervention for Nominal Metaphoric Polysemy for Children who are English monolinguals (EL1) and have English as an additional language (EAL)

Research

Selected Publications

Erduran, S., Chan, HY., & Au, I. (2026). Practical Science, Artificial Intelligence and Science Education. In: Leite, L., Dourado, L., Afonso, A.S., Morgado, S., Carvalho, L. (eds) Practical Work in Science Education in the Digital Era. Advances in Technology-Rich Science Education, vol 2. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-032-13788-3_3
Lindorff, A., Strand, S., & Au, I. (2025) English as an Additional Language (EAL) and Educational Achievement in England: An Analysis of Publicly Available Data. Cambridge: The Bell Foundation. https://www.bell-foundation.org.uk/app/uploads/2025/08/EAL_and_Educational_Achievement_Strand_Feb_2025_web-ok.pdf?_gl=1*p7nd2h*_up*MQ..*_ga*OTMxOTg0OTk0LjE3Nzg2MDA4MzM.*_ga_QBGWH5CZBF*czE3Nzg2MDA4MzIkbzEkZzAkdDE3Nzg2MDA4MzIkajYwJGwwJGgw

Selected Paper Presentations and Pre-Registrations

Murphy, V. A., Au, I., Booton, S., Kolancali, P., Singh, D., & Wonnacott, E. (2025). Unlocking the Power of Vocabulary: Insights into Multilingual Learners’ Metaphor and Homonym Knowledge. Paper presented at International Symposium on Bilingualism.
Au, I., Murphy, V. A., & Wonnacott, E. (2024). The developmental trajectory of polysemy and its impacts on children’s linguistic development. Protocol for a systematic review. Protocol registered in the International Database of Education Systematic Reviews.
Au, I. (2024). Behind the ‘Doors’ of Breakout Rooms: Opportunities and Concerns in Hybrid Post-pandemic Classrooms. Paper presented at BERA Digitisation and education: an interdisciplinary exploration of new and emerging questions and approaches, BERA UK.
Au, I. & Lau, M. (2024). Into the ‘Multiverse of Inclusivity’: Implementing Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in Global University Classrooms. Paper presented at Multiverses of Learning: Fresh Perspectives in our Ever-Changing World, Kaleidoscope 2024 (University of Cambridge).
Au, I. (2021). Unwinding the Fantasy: Using Breakout Rooms to Promote Language Exposure and Less-Public Feedback Practices in Online Synchronous Teaching. Paper presented at the PASHE 2021 – EAP Education and Practice: Supporting Students’ Needs, UCL (IOE).
Au, I. & Yiu, C. (2021). ‘Identity game’: so you think you are what your Instagram bio says about you. Paper presented at the Sociolinguistics Symposium 23, Hong Kong.
Choi, T. H., Chan, H., & Au, I. (2018). ‘Now you’re talking’: Teacher preparation through alumni talks in a community of practice. Paper presented at the Oxford Education Research Symposium

Feature Articles on Knowledge Exchange and Collaboration Events Hosted

Oxford Cambridge Exchange fuels support network and collaborations among students –https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/news/oxford-cambridge-exchange-fuels-support-network-and-collaborations-among-students/
STORIES Conference: Global discussions on pressing issues in education – https://www.education.ox.ac.uk/news/stories-conference-global-discussion-on-pressing-issues-in-education/
GIR Annual Conference 2024: Putting the Spotlight on Issues from the Global South and Raising Novel Ideas on Inequality – spi.ox.ac.uk/article/gir-annual-conference-2024-putting-the-spotlight-on-issues-from-the-global-south-and-raising www.spi.ox.ac.uk/article/gir-annual-conference-2024-putting-the-spotlight-on-issues-from-the-global-south-and-raising

Research Projects

Project AI-Vision: Expert Views about the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Science and Implications for Science Education

Role: Research Student

Funder: John Fell Fund

Date: 2024-2025

The associations between English as an Additional Language (EAL) and educational achievement age 5-16 in England

Role: Doctoral Researcher

Funder: Bell Foundation / Unbound Philanthropy

Date: 2024-2025