Qingli Lei, PhD
Assistant Professor
Special Education
Contact
Building & Room:
ETMSW 1440
Address:
1040 W. Harrison St. (M/C 147), Chicago, IL 60607
Office Phone:
Email:
Related Sites:
About
Dr. Qingli Lei is an Assistant Professor in the Department of Special Education at the University of Illinois Chicago. She earned her PhD in Educational Studies from Purdue University, with a focus on special education. Dr. Lei coordinated a multi-year model-based mathematics problem-solving program funded by the National Science Foundation. Her research interests include developing effective mathematics interventions for students with disabilities, analyzing teacher-student discourse to empower mathematics reasoning and problem-solving skills, and exploring cognitive and non-cognitive factors that influence mathematics learning.
Selected Grants
Illinois State Board of Education, TEAming for Improvements in Math. Amount: $120,000; Duration: Sep 2023—Jun 2025, Principal Investigator
Selected Publications
Lei, Q., Morita-Mullaney, T., & Renn, J. (2026). Read Aloud Scaffolding for Language and Content Learning With Emergent Bilinguals: Quadrants of Engagement. International Journal of Applied Linguistics, 1-15. https://doi.org/10.1111/ijal.70152
Lei, Q., Xu, J., & Oni, T. K. (2026). Inclusive Classroom Practices for Students With High- and Low-Incidence Disabilities: A Practical Guide for Pre-Service Educators. In F. Salendab (Ed.), Teaching for Inclusion in Higher Education: Pedagogies and Digital Practice (pp. 67-98). IGI Global Scientific Publishing. https://doi.org/10.4018/979-8-2600-0976-5.ch003
Lei, Q., & Xin, Y. P. (2025). Bridging language and mathematics: Scaffolding strategies for English learners with mathematics difficulties. The Journal of Educational Research, 1–11. https://doi.org/10.1080/00220671.2025.2590509
Lei, Q., Liu, D., Chen, X., Hirni, M., Wang, J., Abdelnaby, H., & Wei, S. (2025). Mathematics anxiety, trait emotional intelligence, and self‐concept: Pathways to mathematics performance in students with and without mathematics learning difficulties. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 25(4), 945-957. https://doi.org/10.1111/1471-3802.70020
Liu, D., Lory, C., Lei, Q., Cai, W., Mao, Y., Yang, X. (2024). Using Explicit Instruction and Virtual Manipulatives to Teach Measurement Concepts for Students with Autism Spectrum Disorder. The Journal of Special Education, 58(1), 3-13. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669231171558
Lei, Q. & Xin, Y. (2023). A synthesis of mathematical word problem-solving instructions for English learners with learning disabilities in mathematics. Review of Education, 11(2), 1-18. https://doi.org/10.1002/rev3.3396
Wei, S., Lei, Q., Chen, Y., & Xin, Y. P. (2023). The effects of visual cueing on students with and without math learning difficulties in online problem solving: Evidence from eye movement. Behavioral Sciences, 13(11), 927. https://doi.org/10.3390/bs13110927
Xin, Y., Kim, S., Lei, Q., Liu, B., Wei, S., Kastberg, S., Chen, Y. (2023). The effect of model-based problem solving on the performance of students who are struggling in mathematics. The Journal of Special Education, 57(3), 181-192. https://doi.org/10.1177/00224669231157032
Lei, Q., Mason, A. R., Xin, Y. P., Davis, J., David, M. & Lory, C. (2020a). A meta-analysis of single-case research on mathematics word problem-solving interventions for English learners with learning disabilities and mathematics difficulties. Learning Disabilities Research & Practice, 35(4), 201-217. https://doi.org/10.1111/ldrp.12233
Lei, Q., Xin, Y. P., Morita-Mullaney, T., & Tzur, R. (2020b). Instructional scaffolds in mathematics instruction for English learners with learning disabilities: An exploratory case study. Learning Disabilities: A Contemporary Journal, 18(1), 123-144.
Education
Ph.D., Special Education, Purdue University
M.S., Applied Statistics, Purdue University
M.S.Ed., Special Education, Purdue University
M.A., TESOL, Central Michigan University