Fonsén works as an associate professor in the field of educational leadership. She holds title of Docent (University of Eastern Finland 2019 and Univeristy of Helsinki 2025).
Elina Fonsén previous work was University Lecturer and Deputy Director of the Department of Education The Faculty of Educational Sciences at the University of Helsinki, Finland. Other previous work experience consists of teaching and researching the university affiliated project coordinator, lecturer and teacher at the University of Tampere and as earlier career she was ECE teacher in the city of Pirkkala and the city of Tampere.
Fonsén’s dissertation in 2014 was about Pedagogical leadership in early childhood education. Her post-doctoral research interest focuses on leadership in the educational field, e.g. the discourses of leadership and professional development. She has lead several national and international research projects (Discourse of leadership in the diverse field of early childhood education, Vepo johtajuus 2035 - development and research project of leadership studies for the educational field, Eduleaders, Sääntökirjat etc.) and sub-studies (Ohoske, Vakatuki, Johto+ etc.). She is Member of the Board of Federation of Finnish Learned Societies and Early Childhood Education Association Finland (ECEAF) and the chair of the International Leadership Research Forum (ILRF -EC). Furthermore, she is chair of the Executive Board of the Education, Administration and Research (SIG) of Finnish Society for Education and one of the coordinators for society of Finnish Educational Leadership Researchers (FinEdLead).
