Overview
Background
Dr Leigh Sperka is a Lecturer in the School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences. She graduated with First Class Honours from the Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education in 2013 and completed her Doctor of Philosophy in 2018.
Her research focuses on the outsourcing of education. This includes investigating decision-making around the practice, how outsourcing impacts curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment, and student perspectives of outsourced lessons.
In her teaching, she emphasises the importance of creating an inclusive environment in Health and Physical Education that allows all students to participate and experience success. Students are at the centre of her teaching. She is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and has been awarded:
- U21 Health Sciences Teaching Excellence Award (2021)
- UQ Commendation for Outstanding Contributions to Student Learning (2020)
- Faculty of Health and Behavioural Sciences Awards for Teaching Excellence (2020)
Availability
- Dr Leigh Sperka is:
- Available for supervision
Fields of research
Qualifications
- Bachelor of Health, Sport and Physical Education, The University of Queensland
- Doctor of Philosophy, The University of Queensland
Research interests
-
Youth Voice
-
Outsourcing in Education
Health and Physical Education and Higher Education
-
Social Justice
Works
Search Professor Leigh Sperka’s works on UQ eSpace
2024
Book Chapter
Outsourcing in H/PE: Teachers and sports coaches working together effectively
Sperka, Leigh and Rynne, Steven (2024). Outsourcing in H/PE: Teachers and sports coaches working together effectively. Routledge Resources Online - Sport Studies. (pp. _-_) edited by Vassil Girginov and Risto Marttinen. London, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9780367766924-ress129-1
2024
Journal Article
An audit of commercialisation and outsourcing across the primary school curriculum
Cowan, Jackie, Sperka, Leigh, Hogan, Anna and Enright, Eimear (2024). An audit of commercialisation and outsourcing across the primary school curriculum. Teachers and Teaching, 1-17. doi: 10.1080/13540602.2024.2355178
2023
Journal Article
Engaging young people with disabilities in research about their experiences of physical education and sport: a scoping review of methodologies and methods
Clish, Meg, Enright, Eimear, Sperka, Leigh and Tweedy, Sean (2023). Engaging young people with disabilities in research about their experiences of physical education and sport: a scoping review of methodologies and methods. European Physical Education Review, 29 (3), 331-350. doi: 10.1177/1356336x221141598
2022
Conference Publication
Outsourcing as a disruptor in education: transforming the ways that teachers and coaches work together
Sperka, Leigh and Rynne, Steven (2022). Outsourcing as a disruptor in education: transforming the ways that teachers and coaches work together. Australian Association for Research in Education, Adelaide, SA, Australia, 28 November - 1 December 2022.
2022
Journal Article
Students and academics in dialogue: Experiences of two Students-as-partners projects in a health and physical education teacher education program
Cross, Jacinta, Clive, Grace and Sperka, Leigh (2022). Students and academics in dialogue: Experiences of two Students-as-partners projects in a health and physical education teacher education program. International Journal for Students as Partners, 6 (2), 91-98. doi: 10.15173/ijsap.v6i2.4961
2022
Journal Article
Vistas of the field: examining quality indicators of health and physical education journals
Sperka, Leigh and Phillips, Murray G. (2022). Vistas of the field: examining quality indicators of health and physical education journals. Sport, Education and Society, 28 (8), 990-1006. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2022.2096585
2022
Conference Publication
Learning from students with disabilities about their experiences of physical education: a critical narrative review
Clish, Meg, Enright, Eimear, Sperka, Leigh and Tweedy, Sean (2022). Learning from students with disabilities about their experiences of physical education: a critical narrative review. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education World Congress, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 15-18 June 2022.
2022
Book Chapter
Proposals for engaging students in outsourced health and physical education
Sperka, Leigh, Stirrup, Julie and Hooper, Oliver (2022). Proposals for engaging students in outsourced health and physical education. Critical pedagogies in physical education, physical activity and health. (pp. 210-220) edited by Julie Stirrup and Oliver Hooper. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003003991-14
2021
Conference Publication
Engaging young people with disabilities in research about their experiences of physical education and sport: a scoping review of methodologies and method
Clish, Meg, Enright, Eimear, Sperka, Leigh and Tweedy, Sean (2021). Engaging young people with disabilities in research about their experiences of physical education and sport: a scoping review of methodologies and method. Australian Association for Research in Education, Online, 29 November - 2 December 2021.
2021
Conference Publication
Looking in the rear view mirror, out the side window, and through the windscreen: Examining the past, current, and emerging quality indicators of Health and Physical Education journals
Sperka, Leigh and Phillips, Murray G. (2021). Looking in the rear view mirror, out the side window, and through the windscreen: Examining the past, current, and emerging quality indicators of Health and Physical Education journals. Australian Association for Research in Education, Online, 29 November - 2 December 2021.
2021
Book Chapter
It's time to predict the implications of outsourcing health and physical education and extra-curricular physical activity programming
Sperka, Leigh (2021). It's time to predict the implications of outsourcing health and physical education and extra-curricular physical activity programming. Before- and after-school physical activity programs: Frameworks, Critical Issues, and Underserved Populations. (pp. 216-226) edited by Risto Marttinen, Erin E. Centeio and Thomas Quarmby. Abingdon, Oxon, United Kingdom: Routledge. doi: 10.4324/9781003051909-18
2020
Journal Article
(Re)defining outsourcing in education
Sperka, Leigh (2020). (Re)defining outsourcing in education. Discourse, 41 (2), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/01596306.2020.1722429
2019
Conference Publication
#AD: The ethical and educative outsourcing of physical education teacher education
Sperka, Leigh, Enright, Eimear and Hogan, Anna (2019). #AD: The ethical and educative outsourcing of physical education teacher education. Australian Association for Research in Education, Brisbane, Australia, 2-5 December 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
Outsourcing and precarity
Sperka, Leigh (2019). Outsourcing and precarity. University of Tsukuba Summer Institute, Tsukuba, Japan, 8-18 July 2019.
2019
Conference Publication
Key learnings and career path: Tsukuba Summer Institute 10th Anniversary
Sperka, Leigh (2019). Key learnings and career path: Tsukuba Summer Institute 10th Anniversary. University of Tsukuba Summer Institute, Tsukuba, Japan, 8-18 July 2019.
2019
Journal Article
And if you can’t hear us?: students as customers of neo-HPE
Sperka, Leigh and Enright, Eimear (2019). And if you can’t hear us?: students as customers of neo-HPE. Sport, Education and Society, 24 (6), 570-583. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2019.1611556
2019
Book Chapter
What we talk about when we talk about gender: constructing and deconstructing gender through physical education teacher education
Sperka, Leigh, O'Brien, Rachel and Enright, Eimear (2019). What we talk about when we talk about gender: constructing and deconstructing gender through physical education teacher education. Teaching about social justice issues in physical education. (pp. 133-143) edited by Jennifer L. Walton-Fisette, Sue Sutherland and Joanne Hill. Charlotte, NC, United States: Information Age Publishing.
2018
Conference Publication
(Re)defining outsourcing in health and physical education
Sperka, Leigh (2018). (Re)defining outsourcing in health and physical education. Australian Association for Research in Education, Sydney, Australia, 3-6 December 2018.
2018
Other Outputs
The impact of the outsourcing of Health and Physical Education on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment
Sperka, Leigh (2018). The impact of the outsourcing of Health and Physical Education on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. PhD Thesis, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland. doi: 10.14264/uql.2018.762
2018
Other Outputs
The impact of the outsourcing of Health and Physical Education on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment
Sperka, Leigh (2018). The impact of the outsourcing of Health and Physical Education on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. PhD Thesis, School of Human Movement and Nutrition Sciences, The University of Queensland.
Supervision
Availability
- Dr Leigh Sperka is:
- Available for supervision
Before you email them, read our advice on how to contact a supervisor.
Supervision history
Current supervision
-
Master Philosophy
The Australian full-service secondary school: What does 'full-service' look like and which factors influence this?
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Associate Professor Peter Lewis
-
Doctor Philosophy
Exploring the role of community dance on wellbeing in Australian culture
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Dr Rebecca Olive
-
Doctor Philosophy
Enduring policy conundrums in the education of young people with disabilities: The case of Health, Sport and Physical Education
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Sean Tweedy
-
Doctor Philosophy
External provision of the school curriculum: local needs to global networks in health and physical education a New Zealand context
Associate Advisor
Other advisors: Professor Doune Macdonald
Media
Enquiries
For media enquiries about Dr Leigh Sperka's areas of expertise, story ideas and help finding experts, contact our Media team: