Dr Yoonjeong Lee

Dr Yoonjeong Lee is a Teaching Fellow at the University of Leicester, specialising in educational leadership, leadership development, and international and comparative education. She holds a PhD in Education from the University of Warwick and an MA in Educational Leadership and Management from UCL’s Institute of Education. Her research focuses on leadership preparation, distributed leadership, teacher leadership, and servant leadership across diverse cultural contexts. She has presented her work at leading international academic conferences, including BELMAS and ICSEI, and has been actively engaged in education-related peace and social justice initiatives on the Korean Peninsula.

Dr Yoonjeong Lee carried out a comparative study between English and Korean pathways to become a headteacher during the MA at UCL Institute of Eduaton and a qualitative research focusing on aspring headteachers' motivation and preparation and new headteachers' first year practice at the University of Warwick.

A Study of Teachers' Strategies for Classroom Behaviour Management of SEN Children in Ghanaian Mainstream Primary Schools

A study of motivation formulating, developing, and achieving processes of aspiring headteachers in the secondary school of the Republic of Korea

Dissertations supervised (MA and MSc level)

• 2025
  Amina Reeve – Impact of Educational Leadership on Expatriate Teacher Retention in International Secondary Schools in Kenya (MSc)
  Louise Tabone – The Influence of Educational Leadership on the Teachers’ Ability to Manage Students’ Challenging Behaviour in Secondary Schools in Malta (MSc)

• 2024
  Aimee Schenk – The Role of Educational Leadership in the Successful Implementation of Inclusive Education Policy in UAE Public Secondary Schools (MSc)
  Melissa Meyers – A Case Study Exploring How Educational Leadership Facilitates Inclusion and Equity in a Primary International Context in China after the COVID-19 Pandemic (MSc)
  Samuel T. Peyton – An Investigation into Effective Strategies of Virtual Leadership to Enhance Online Continuing Professional Development for International Teachers in Asia (MSc)
  Selina Festus – A Study of Educational Leadership to Enhance the Balance of Professional Career Development and Family Engagement of Teachers in an International School (MSc)
  Ellen Buah – Investigating Teachers' Strategies for Effective Behaviour Management for Children with Special Educational Needs (SEN) in Ghanaian Mainstream Primary Schools (MA)
  Jing Xu – The Study of Teachers' Roles to Support the Mental Health of Students in the Exam-Oriented School Environment in Chinese Secondary Schools (MA)
  Aurora Li – The Effects of Using Social Media on Students in Chinese Higher Education (MA)
  Xionghao Ye – A Study of the Relationship Between Mental Health and Academic Performance in Chinese High School Students (MA)
  You Deung – Useful Mental Health Support and Intervention for University Students in the Field of Design in China: Focusing on Students' Depression (MA)
  Nuo Li – Enhancing Student Engagement and Creativity in Art Education: The Impact of Integrating Digital and Multimedia Tools in Chinese Middle Schools (MA)

• 2023
  Ghosia Rabnawaz – The Impact of Headteacher Leadership on Teacher Appraisal in Higher Secondary Schools in Islamabad, Pakistan (MSc)
  Sientania McNeil – Exploring Teacher Leadership with a Focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion and Justice (DEIJ): A Case Study of Teachers in an International School in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire (MSc)
  Jing Geng – A Study of Developing Creativity through Art Education in Chinese Secondary Schools (MA)
  Feby Kalluvettamadayil John – Investigating the Perspectives of Academic Staff and Students Regarding the Improvement of Biological Sciences Teaching and Learning in UK Higher Education after the COVID-19 Pandemic (MA)
  Haritha Nair – A Study of the Impact of Implementing the Play-Way Method in English Language Education in UK Primary Schools (MA)
  Elizabeth Staton – The Impact of Different Leadership Styles on Teachers’ Capability, Motivation, Confidence and Career Development: A Qualitative Study Based on a Multi-Academy Trust in England (MSc)
  Jason Inguanez – The Benefits and Challenges of Participating in the Erasmus+ Programme as Perceived by Two Heads of Two Primary State Schools in Malta: A Case Study (MSc)
  Lifeng Wu – Developing Teacher Leadership Using the Professional Learning Community of Reading Club Activities: A Case Study of a Middle School in Shanghai, China (MSc)

• 2022
  Dingqiong Zhu – A Study of Pedagogical Changes Focusing on Online Teaching after the COVID-19 Pandemic Linked to Teachers’ Continuing Professional Development: A Qualitative Study of Chinese Primary School Teachers Based in Shanghai (MA)

• 2020
  Casey Barnes – Distributed Leadership, Relational Trust and Collegial Communication in an Effective Professional Learning Community: The Case of an International School in the Russian Federation (MSc)

Since 2018, Dr Yoonjeong Lee has been actively engaged in teaching educational leadership and leadership development at the University of Leicester, contributing to both the MSc Educational Leadership and the MA International Education programmes. Her teaching covers a range of core and optional modules, with a particular focus on leadership theory, leadership development practices, and the application of leadership models in diverse educational contexts.

In addition to her work at Leicester, Dr Lee served as a convenor for foundation and pre-master’s programmes at St Mary’s University and the University for the Creative Arts International College. In these roles, she led modules on foundational academic skills, including critical thinking, research methods and methodology, and academic IT skills, supporting international students in their transition to postgraduate study in the UK.

As a qualified teacher of Korean as a foreign language, Dr Lee also played a key role in establishing the Korean language programme at the University of Warwick, contributing to the development and delivery of language courses for non-Korean speakers.

Dr Yoonjeong Lee organised the following online series as a leader of the academic group in The Peaceful Unification Advisory Council for Korean government. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4w5kgr1ml7U
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r3ECXaHF-sE
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EMuf390vWso
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vPHrStEPz9A
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uWJkDbfejco
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1o7a3fL_ueo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rPjpt-vkBk8
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obFXqJqBOzQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gDl8W9B5Q7Y

Dr Yoonjeong Lee led the academic group of The Peaceful Unification Advisory Council for the South Korean Government in the UK from 2019 to 2021. She then served as Vice Chairwoman from 2021 to 2023. During this time, she organised an online lecture series designed to foster deeper understanding of peaceful relations between North and South Korea. In collaboration with the Korean Embassy in the UK, Dr Lee also spearheaded the launch of the Peace Essay Competition, encouraging academic dialogue on Korean reunification and peacebuilding.

In addition to her work in peace and social justice initiatives, Dr Lee organised the K-Academic Series for postgraduate students while completing her PhD at the University of Warwick. This series provided a platform for interdisciplinary academic exchange among emerging researchers. Furthermore, she contributed as a committee member in organising the Postgraduate Conference in Education Studies at Warwick, supporting the professional development and research dissemination of early career scholars.

The Presidential Citation by the government of the Republic of Korea.

https://le.ac.uk/education/news-events/education-news/peace-korea-award

• Equity and Excellence in Education

• Educational Leadership and Leadership Development

• Distributed Leadership, Teacher Leadership, and Servant Leadership

• Inclusive Education and Classroom Behaviour Management

• Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion (EDI) in Education

• International Schools and Comparative Education

• Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Educational Leadership

Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (FHEA), Advance HE, United Kingdom