researchED New Zealand

May 2026

Hosted by Long Bay College

In partnership with the New Zealand Initiative

Speaker Profile

Emeritus Professor James Chapman

James Chapman is Professor Emeritus of Educational Psychology at Massey University. He received his M.A. with Distinction in Education from Victoria University of Wellington, and his Ph.D. in Educational Psychology from the University of Alberta. Before working on his PhD, James trained and taught as a secondary school teacher In New Zealand. He joined Massey University in 1980 where he served for 8 ½ years as Head of the Department of Learning and Teaching, and 10 years as Pro Vice-Chancellor of the College of Education. He has over 150 publications on learning disabilities, literacy learning development and difficulties, and cognitive-motivational factors in academic achievement. In 1999 he was co-winner of the International Reading Association’s Dina Feitelson Award for Excellence in Research, and in 2024 he received the Eminent Researcher Award from Learning Disabilities Australia. In addition to serving on the Editorial Boards of numerous international research journals, he completed a 4-year term as President of the US-based International Academy for Research in Learning Disabilities.

Emeritus Professor James Chapman

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