Hairui (Harry) Liu
-
Assistant Professor,
Education, Health & Behavior
- Physical Education Teacher Education & Motor Development; Physical Activity & Health Promotion
Contact Info
- Email: hairui.liu@UND.edu
- Office: 701.777.5792
Office Address
Education Health and Behavior Studies
Education Northwest
525 Stanford Rd Stop 8235
Grand Forks, ND 58202-8235
Curriculum Vitae
Biography
Dr. Harry Liu is driving a transformative movement in motor development intervention. As a dedicated educator at the University of North Dakota, he equips future teachers with vital content knowledge, ensuring quality education. Passionate about Models-Based Practice, he employs innovative methods like the Sport Education Model and Play Practice to foster motor skills in children and teenagers, addressing developmental delays and associated challenges. Supported by UND and the College of Education & Human Development, Dr. Liu aims to establish structured activity programs for North Dakota's children, empower teachers, and represent the state on the national stage. Recent research revealing a 70% risk of motor delay in American children underscores the urgency of his mission. Dr. Liu's work is investing in the future of our children – a future where every child, regardless of their circumstances, has the chance to thrive. With your support, Dr. Liu can expand his reach, effect lasting change, and create a new paradigm for motor development intervention programs. Together, we can redefine what's possible for our children and future generations.
KIN 400/400 Lab Methods & Materials for Teaching Physical & Health Education in the Primary School
KIN 410/410 Lab Methods & Materials for Teaching Physical & Health Education in the Secondary School
KIN 404 Adapted Physical Activity
KIN 420 Curriculum Development in Physical & Health Education
PHE 305 Research Methods in Kinesiology & Public Health Education
PHE 306 Epidemiology & Biostatistics
KIN 525 Motor Development
KIN 524 Adapted Physical Activity
Dr. Harry Liu's research focuses on Model-Based Practice, motor development, and their application in school and community contexts. His work emphasizes implementing Sport Education and Play Practice to (1) help K-12 students develop motor skills and physical activity, and (2) examine how educational models facilitate pre-service teachers’ content knowledge.
Early Career Award, The International Organization for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP), Jyväskylä, Finland, 2024
Ph.D. in Kinesiology, 2017 - 2021
Minor: Statistics
Auburn University, Auburn, AL
Ed.D. in Coaching Science, 2011 - 2014
Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
Master, Physical Education & Coaching, 2008 - 2010
Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
Bachelor, Physical Education, 2004 - 2008
Shanghai University of Sport, Shanghai, China
Assistant Professor, 2023 to current
Department of Education, Health & Behavior Studies
University of North Dakota, Grand Forks, ND, USA
Assistant Professor, 2022 to 2023
Department of Kinesiology & Applied Health
University of Winnipeg, Winnipeg, MB, Canada
Research Associate (NIH P20), 08/2021 ro 12/2021
Physical and Developmental Disabilities Research Lab
Department of Physical Education
University of South Carolina, Columbia, SC, USA
UND CONNECT Project brings line dancing to students with visual impairments
Progress Through Pickleball
https://blogs.und.edu/und-today/2025/07/progress-through-pickleball/
Joyful Dance
Editorial Board
Journal of Teaching in Physical Education - March 2026
Frontiers in Sports & Active Living - September 2025
The Professional Educator (Editorial Board) 2020 - 2023
Ad Hoc Reviewer
Journal of Sports Sciences 2025 - 2026
Sport Sciences for Health 2025 - 2026
PHEnex Journal 2025 - 2026
Education Sciences 2022 - 2026
BMC Psychology 2023 - 2026
Frontiers in Psychology 2024 - 2026
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 2021 - 2026
Research Quarterly for Exercise & Sport 2021 - 2026
The Professional Educator 2019 - 2026
Journal of Teaching in Physical Education 2020 - 2026
European Physical Education Review 2020 - 2026
Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy 2024 - 2026
Scientific Reports 2023 - 2026
Children 2021 - 2026
Selected Journal Publications (*indicated as corresponding author)
- Wei Mao, Hairui Liu*, Peter Hastie, Jesse Rhades. An Investigation of Reciprocal, Learner-Designed, and Learner-Initiated Teaching Styles in Sport Education: A Student Coach’s Perspective (in review). Target Journal: Journal of Teaching in Physical Education
- Wei Mao, Hairui Liu*, Wanting He, Tanis Walch. Mapping instructional constraints in preschoolers’ motor skill learning: a brief review (in revision). Exercise, Sport, and Movement.
- Wanting He, Hairui Liu*, Tanis Walch, Wei Mao. Associations of body mass index, physical activity, sex, screen time, and neighborhood environment with school functioning: evidence from the 2022-2023 National Survey of Children’s Health (in review). Pediatric Exercise Science.
- Wanting He, Hairui Liu*, Wei Mao, Tanis Walch. Sex differences in associations among motor competence, perceived motor competence, and physical activity: a brief review (in review). Exercise, Sport, and Movement.
- Wei Mao, Jessica Zorn, Hairui Liu*. Dance like no one is watching: differentiated instruction strategies for teaching line dance to students with vision impairments (in press). PALASTRA – Adapted Physical Education Practice Journal.
- Wei Mao, Hairui Liu*, Peter Hastie. Grow as a student coach: practical insights on integrating three teaching styles into Sport Education Model (in press). Journal of Physical Education, Recreation & Dance.
- Tristan Wallhead, Kelly Simonton, Hairui Liu, Peter Hastie, Duanying Li, Jian Sun (in review). Using Sport Education to promote pre-service teachers’ physical fitness and social-emotional learning. Scientific Reports.
- Melanie Gregg, Peter Hastie, Hairui Liu* (2025). Operationalizing physical literacy through Sport Education in an elementary PE program. PHEnex Journal – PHE Canada’s Official Research Journal.
- Zhi Li, Sandra Moritz, Hairui Liu*. Motor imagery as a potential tool to alleviate choking under pressure in sport performance (2024). Journal of Imagery Research in Sport and Physical Activity.
- Wang Wei, Melanie Gregg, Hairui Liu*. The impact of hemispheric activity priming on choking under pressure in badminton tasks: a study of three fundamental skills (2023). Journal of Human Kinetics.
- Sheri Thornburg-Brock, Hairui Liu* (2023). An investigation of skills, tactical knowledge, and game performance transfer in badminton - a pickleball perspective. International Journal of Physical Education, Sports and Health.
- Hairui Liu, Wei Shen, Anyi Hu, Wei Wang, Wei Li, Peter Hastie (2023). The impact of Sport Education on physical education majors’ basketball content knowledge and performance. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.
- Peter Hastie, Ping Li, Hairui Liu, Xiang Zhou, Lingsong Kong (2023). The Impact of Sport Education on Chinese Physical Education Majors’ Volleyball Content Knowledge and Performance. Research Quarterly in Exercise and Sport
- Ping Li, Wei Wang, Hairui Liu, Chunhe Zhang, Peter Hastie (2022). The impact of Sport Education on Chinese physical education majors’ volleyball competence and knowledge. Sustainability, 14, 1187.
- Peter Hastie, Yanhua Mo, Hairui Liu* (2022). Changing the paradigm: Teaching Martial Arts through Sport Education. Journal of Health, Sports, and Kinesiology, 2(4), 10-19.
- Peter Hastie, Wei Wang, Hairui Liu*, Yaohui He (2021). The effects of Play Practice instruction on the badminton content knowledge of a cohort of Chinese physical education majors. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37(2), 133-143.
- Hairui Liu, Peter Hastie (2021). Incorporation of physical activity challenges within a Sport Education-based physical education class. Physical Educator, 78, 521-539.
- Hairui Liu, Wei Wang, Peter Hastie (2020). College students’ development of badminton skill and tactical competencies following Play Practice. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 40(2), 284-292.
- Hairui Liu, Wei Shen, Peter Hastie (2020). Responses of Chinese students and their teacher to a season of Sport Education. International Sports Studies, 42(2), 5-20.
- Hairui Liu, Wei Wang, Peter Hastie (2020). Using Play-Practice to develop pre-service teachers’ content knowledge in badminton. The Asian Journal of Kinesiology, 22(3), 17-23.
- Peter Hastie, Anyi Hu, Hairui Liu (2020). Incorporating Sport Education within a physical education sports club in China. Curriculum Studies in Health and Physical Education, 11(2), 129-144.