Stream 1
Evolutionary Metatheory of Motivation and Disengagement
This stream investigates the biological and metabolic underpinnings of student
motivation, integrating active inference and Life History Theory to explain cognitive engagement
in high-stakes ecologies.
Pre-print
Empowerment-Driven Learning: An Evolutionary and Computational Framework for Academic Motivation.
Chan, W.W.S. (2026). (Status: Pre-print / Under Review)
— View in Publications →
In Prep
Rational Detachment: Reinterpreting "Senioritis" and Gifted Burnout as Evolutionary Energy Conservation.
Manuscript in preparation.
Active
Current Investigations
The metabolic mechanisms of academic procrastination and temporal horizon shifting.
Stream 2
STEM Pedagogy, Cognitive Load, and Domain-Specific Translation
Focusing on the translation of evolutionary metatheory into domain-specific STEM
instruction, this stream examines pedagogical mismatch and the metabolic costs of advanced scientific
conceptualization.
In Prep
Beyond the Henderson-Hasselbalch Equation: A Metabolic Framework for Conceptual Knowledge in Buffer Chemistry.
Manuscript in preparation.
In Prep
Survival of the Fittest Curriculum: Adapting the 5E Instructional Model for Dominance Economies.
Manuscript in preparation.
Active
Current Investigations
The Multiple Representations Compartmentalization Cascade (MRCC) in mathematics transfer; epistemic economy recalibration in STEM.
Stream 3
Systemic Mismatch, Ed-Tech, and Teacher Ecosystems
Applying the EDLT framework to systemic educational structures, including
assessment timing, artificial intelligence adoption, and the biological drivers of teacher burnout.
Active
Current Investigations
Evolutionary responses to AI in the classroom (The Red Queen Hypothesis and academic integrity); real-time collaborative assessment models; cognitive impacts of alternative teacher certification pathways.