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:
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
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.
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
Exploring the role of community dance on wellbeing in Australian culture
Doctor Philosophy
Enduring policy conundrums in the education of young people with disabilities: The case of Health, Sport and Physical Education
Doctor Philosophy
The Australian full-service secondary school: What does 'full-service' look like and which factors influence this?
Master Philosophy
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
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
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.
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
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
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
(Re)defining outsourcing in education
Sperka, Leigh (2020). (Re)defining outsourcing in education. Discourse, 41 (2), 1-13. doi: 10.1080/01596306.2020.1722429
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
Selecting, understanding and applying theory as a neophyte researcher
Sperka, Leigh (2018). Selecting, understanding and applying theory as a neophyte researcher. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 11 (3), 1-16. doi: 10.1080/2159676x.2018.1510430
Enright, Eimear, Williams, Benjamin, Sperka, Leigh and Peucker, Kate (2018). Pedagogic rights and the acoustics of health and physical education teacher education: whose voices are heard?. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 23 (5), 524-535. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2018.1470616
Sperka, L., Enright, E. and McCuaig, L. (2017). Brokering and bridging knowledge in health and physical education: a critical discourse analysis of one external provider’s curriculum. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, 23 (3), 328-343. doi: 10.1080/17408989.2017.1406465
Sperka, Leigh and Enright, Eimear (2017). Network ethnography applied: understanding the evolving health and physical education knowledge landscape. Sport, Education and Society, 24 (2), 1-14. doi: 10.1080/13573322.2017.1338564
The outsourcing of health and physical education: a scoping review
Sperka, Leigh and Enright, Eimear (2017). The outsourcing of health and physical education: a scoping review. European Physical Education Review, 24 (3), 349-371. doi: 10.1177/1356336X17699430
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.
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.
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.
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.
#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.
Sperka, Leigh (2019). Outsourcing and precarity. University of Tsukuba Summer Institute, Tsukuba, Japan, 8-18 July 2019.
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.
(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.
Students as pedagogical consultants and advisors: lessons from the coal face
Enright, Eimear, Kurtz, Tessa, Rafferty, Caelan and Sperka, Leigh (2018). Students as pedagogical consultants and advisors: lessons from the coal face. The UQ Student-Staff Partnerships Showcase, Brisbane, QLD, Australia, 3 October 2018.
Enright, Eimear, Williams, Benjamin, Sperka, Leigh and Peucker, Kate (2018). Pedagogic rights and the acoustics of health and physical education teacher education: whose voices are heard?. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP) World Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland, 25-28 July 2018.
The impact of the outsourcing of HPE on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment
Sperka, Leigh (2018). The impact of the outsourcing of HPE on curriculum, pedagogy, and assessment. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education World Congress, Edinburgh, Scotland, 25-28 July 2018.
Sperka, Leigh and Enright, Eimear (2017). Recognising, respecting and valuing students’ perspectives on the outsourcing of health and physical education. Australian Association for Research in Education, Canberra, ACT Australia, 27-30 November 2017.
Sperka, Leigh and Enright, Eimear (2017). Are students customers and are they always right?: Considering Australian students’ perspectives on the outsourcing of their health and physical education. British Educational Research Association, Brighton, United Kingdom, 5-7 September 2017.
Sperka, Leigh and Enright, Eimear (2016). Network Ethnography Applied: Understanding the evolving Health and Physical Education knowledge landscape. Australian Association for Research in Education, Melbourne, VIC Australia, 28 November - 1 December 2016.
Enright, Eimear, Macdonald, Doune, Rossi, Tony, McCuaig, Louise, Sperka, Leigh, Hogan, Anna and Hansen, Scott (2015). Comparing the outsourcing of health and physical education in four different countries: Purpose, products and practice. Australian Association for Research in Education, Fremantle, WA Australia, 30 November - 3 December 2015.
Sperka, Leigh, Enright, Eimear, Macdonald, Doune and McCuaig, Louise (2015). Who is knocking on the door?: A critical discourse analysis of an external provider in Health and Physical Education . Australian Association for Research in Education, Fremantle, WA Australia, 30 November - 3 December 2015.
External partners engagement with school HPE curricula: from core to bespoke contributions
Macdonald, Doune, Rossi, Tony, Enright, Eimear, Sperka, Leigh, McCullick, Bryan, Ha, Amy and Hansen, Scott (2015). External partners engagement with school HPE curricula: from core to bespoke contributions. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP) International Conference, Madrid, Spain, 8-11 July 2015.
Outsourcing in health and physical education: a critical review of predictions and realities
Sperka, Leigh, Enright, Eimear, Macdonald, Doune and McCuaig, Louise (2015). Outsourcing in health and physical education: a critical review of predictions and realities. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP) International Conference, Madrid, Spain, 8-11 July 2015.
Symposium: HPE without borders
Macdonald, Doune, McCuaig, Louise, Enright, Eimear, Sperka, Leigh, Hogan, Anna, Rossi, Tony, Kirk, David, McCullick, Bryan, Ha, Amy, O'Sullivan, Mary and Hansen, Scott (2015). Symposium: HPE without borders. The International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education (AIESEP) International Conference, Madrid, Spain, 8-11 July 2015.
To Be(rnstein) or not to Be(rnstein): selecting, understanding, and applying theory
Sperka, Leigh, Enright, Eimear, Macdonald, Doune and McCuaig, Louise (2015). To Be(rnstein) or not to Be(rnstein): selecting, understanding, and applying theory. Australian Association for Research in Education and The University of Queensland Health and Physical Education Theory and Method Conference, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 19-20 June 2015.
“So he wove a subtle web”: Locating HPE in networks of provision
Enright, Eimear, Macdonald, Doune, McCuaig, Louise, Rossi, Tony, Sperka, Leigh and Hansen, Scott (2015). “So he wove a subtle web”: Locating HPE in networks of provision. 29th Australian Council for Health Physical Education and Recreation International Conference, Adelaide, SA Australia, 13-15 April 2015.
Fuelling global health issue networks
Macdonald, Doune, Enright, Eimear, McCuaig, Louise, Rossi, Tony, Sperka, Leigh and Kirk, David (2014). Fuelling global health issue networks. The Joint Conference between Australian Association for Research in Education and New Zealand Association for Research in Education, Brisbane, QLD Australia, 30 November - 4 December 2014.
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
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.
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.
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.
Exploring the role of community dance on wellbeing in Australian culture
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Enduring policy conundrums in the education of young people with disabilities: The case of Health, Sport and Physical Education
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
The Australian full-service secondary school: What does 'full-service' look like and which factors influence this?
Master Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
Self-Regulated Feedback through Supportive Learning Climates in Physical Education
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors:
External provision of the school curriculum: local needs to global networks in health and physical education a New Zealand context
Doctor Philosophy — Associate Advisor
Other advisors: