Introducing Dr Winnie S. W. Pui: educational leader, researcher and innovator
Dr Winnie S. W. Pui, Course Director and Senior Teaching Associate at the University of Cambridge’s Professional and Continuing Education (PACE), has released three new publications that collectively advance a powerful argument: education is fundamentally relational, inclusive and reflective.
At PACE, Dr Pui leads the Undergraduate Certificate in Coaching and teaches on the MSt in English Language Assessment. Her work is grounded in a deep commitment to widening participation and ensuring that students from all backgrounds feel valued, supported and empowered. With experience across both academic and industry settings, she brings a holistic, practice-informed perspective to curriculum design, coaching pedagogy and educational leadership.
She holds an MPhil and PhD from the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge and is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy, the Association for Coaching and CollectivED. She is also a certified MBTI® Practitioner, LEGO® Serious Play® facilitator and qualified Parental Transition Coach.
A research agenda at the intersection of inclusion, international education and pedagogical innovation
Across her scholarship, Dr Pui examines how educators can design communities of practice where diverse learners experience belonging, agency and voice. Creativity, playfulness and reflective practice are central to her work, not as optional extras but as powerful pedagogical tools.
Her three new publications reflect this commitment to relational, inclusive and collaborative approaches to teaching and learning.
1. Resilience in ELT: rethinking teacher burnout in technology‑rich contexts
Article: Chan, J., Lemmerich, E., & Pui, W. S. W. (2025). Resilience in ELT: Responding to teacher burnout in the age of educational technology. ETAS Journal, Winter, 15–19.
In this article, Dr Pui and her co-authors explore the rising pressures faced by teachers amid increasing technological demands, performative cultures and blurred professional boundaries. Their analysis reframes resilience not as an individual trait but as a relational and systemic construct.
The paper argues that teacher well-being depends on:
- Supportive organisational structures
- Reflective spaces for professional dialogue
- Coaching-informed practices that recognise emotional and cognitive labour
This work contributes to a growing movement that positions educator well-being as a shared institutional responsibility.
2. Inclusive English language classrooms in Asia: beyond the native-speaker paradigm
Article: Pui, W. S. W., Lai, K. K. L., & Lam, F. C. (2025). Not just English native-speaker teachers: Building inclusive English classrooms in Asia, starting from Macau. ETAS Journal, Winter, 47–49.
This publication interrogates long-standing assumptions that equate linguistic nativeness with pedagogical superiority. Drawing on reflective practice and collaborative case examples from Macau, the authors argue that effective English language education emerges from equitable professional partnerships between local and foreign teachers.
The article highlights the importance of:
- Student voice
- Culturally responsive pedagogy
- Co-planning and shared professional agency
The findings challenge hierarchical distinctions between “native” and “non-native” teachers and advocate for more inclusive, contextually grounded approaches.
3. Guided play and leadership development in early childhood education
Article: Pui, W. S. W., Tang, Y., & Tang, P. I. (2025). Guided play as context for teacher practice: exploring young children’s leadership development in Macau. Polish Journal of Educational Studies, 77(1), 163–185.
This study examines guided play as a context for leadership development among young children, including those with special educational needs. Using participatory action research, the authors demonstrate that guided play enables children to enact leadership in developmentally authentic ways.
The article introduces the TAP Model, which highlights teacher practices such as:
- Observational presence
- Responsive adaptation
- Affirming mindsets
- Equity awareness
These practices create conditions for leadership to emerge as a lived, relational experience, not merely preparation for a distant future.
Playfulness, AI and interdisciplinary collaboration
Dr Pui’s advocacy for playfulness extends into adult learning and interdisciplinary research. She was recently invited by the School of Social Sciences and Humanities to co-facilitate workshops exploring AI, creativity and academic practice through the LEGO® Serious Play® method. Hosted in partnership with CGHR and CRASSH, these workshops demonstrated how structured play can support rigorous reflection on AI, ethics and knowledge production.
A collaborative approach to knowledge creation
Collaboration is central to Dr Pui’s research philosophy. Each publication is co-authored with students, teachers and researchers across educational levels, reflecting her belief that knowledge is best produced through shared inquiry and negotiated meaning.
Her current work explores how artificial intelligence might support, rather than displace, human relationships in teaching, mentoring and coaching, with a particular interest in how AI reshapes questions of identity, community and ethics in educational spaces.
Study with Dr Winnie S. W. Pui: coaching professional apprenticeship at Cambridge PACE
Dr Pui teaches on the Undergraduate Award: Coaching Professional Apprenticeship, a programme designed for aspiring and practising coaches who want to develop evidence-informed, reflective and relational coaching skills.
This apprenticeship offers:
- A Cambridge learning experience tailored to working professionals
- A strong foundation in coaching theory and practice
- Opportunities to apply coaching in real-world organisational contexts
- Expert teaching from practitioners and researchers, including Dr Pui
You can also apply for the Undergraduate Certificate in Coaching, where you can develop the communication and interpersonal skills needed to establish and maintain an effective and developmental coaching relationship.
Applications for both courses close on September 2, 2026.