Dr Tania Leach

Dr Tania Leach
NameDr Tania Leach
Email Addresstania.leach@unisq.edu.au
Job TitleDeputy Head of School (Education)
QualificationsBEd USQ, MEd USQ, PhD USQ
DepartmentSchool of Education
ORCIDhttps://orcid.org/0000-0001-5445-9237
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Biography

Dr Tania Leach is an expert in educational leadership at the University of Southern Queensland. Her research focuses on the contemporary challenges of system leaders, and what that this means for how we can better support schools and their leaders to achieve whole of system growth.

She has a particular interest in the interconnection between system and school leadership and the skills and knowledges that are needed to successfully lead systems and schools.

Tania has 18 years of leadership experience across the schooling and university sector, including Associate Dean - LTSS, Principal Education Advisor and Head of School. Her expertise as a system leader was formally acknowledged in 2017 through the Australian Council of Educational Leadership’s Queensland Excellence in Leadership Award. She now works with current leaders, policy makers, and international researchers to highlight the important and complex work of educational leadership today.

Tania’s PhD thesis, awarded by the University of Southern Queensland in 2021, explored the contemporary challenges of system leaders, and what that this means for how we can better support schools and their leaders to achieve whole of system growth. It won the 2022 ‘Research in Educational Leadership and Management Award’ for exceptional academic achievement in advanced studies in educational leadership, as selected by the Australian Council for Educational Leaders and the Excellence in Doctoral Research: for achieving the highest possible result for a Higher Degree by Research thesis examination, as selected by the University of Southern Queensland.

Employment

PositionOrganisationFromTo
Associate Head Professional Engagement University of Southern Queensland20222023
Associate Dean - Learning Teaching and Student SuccessUniversity of Southern Queensland20202022
Professional Experience DirectorUniversity of Southern Queensland 20192022

Expertise

Education System Reform

System Leadership

Education Policy Implementation

Teaching

Data-Driven Practices - Teacher Impact (National TPA course) in Undergraduate ITE and Masters of Learning and Teaching Programs

Fields of Research

  • 390115. Work integrated learning (incl. internships)
  • 390201. Education policy
  • 390399. Education systems not elsewhere classified
  • 390403. Educational administration, management and leadership
  • 399999. Other education not elsewhere classified

Professional Membership

Professional MembershipYear
ACEL: Australian Council of Educational Leaders
AARE: Australian Association for Research in Education
HERDSA: Higher Education Research ad Development Society of Australia
BEd
USQ
2001
MEd
USQ
2013
PhD
USQ
2022

Supervision Interests

Educational Leadership

Education Policy

School Leadership

School Improvement

Data Driven Practices in Schools

Current Supervisions

Research TitleSupervisor TypeLevel of StudyCommenced
Associate Supervisor
An exploration of the inclusivity of Schon¿s notion of reflective practiceAssociate SupervisorDoctoral2023
Enlightening a path to increased adoption of active learning opportunities in STEMM Higher Education teaching environments.Associate SupervisorDoctoral2021
Project titleDetailsYear
Beginning Principals - Flagship ProgramThe Queensland Department of Education has recently launched its new strategy – Equity and Excellence – realising the potential of every student (attached). A key system initiative of the strategy is educational leadership and teaching expertise, a prioritised agenda to empower educators and leaders to build professional expertise across their career through high quality, targeted development opportunities. This contract research partnership focuses on the use of contemporary research within the department’s pilot flagship Beginning Principals Program. This program aims to contribute to the development of the expertise of the department's emerging school leaders.2023
Technology (and Digital Affordances) Demonstrators Special Initiative GrantsThe Technology (and Digital Affordances) Demonstrator Special Initiative Grants were awarded to academics to enable solutions to contextualised learning and teaching challenges through trialling of specific technologies and associated digital pedagogies. Grant funding supported small L&T projects that are enmeshed within teaching, curriculum, and/or assessment. My project was focussed on the implementation of PADLET platforms to increase cognitive engagement. This project lead to a wider adoption of the platform.2020
QLD Museum STEM Club ProjectThe University of Southern Queensland undertook a 2 year project on behalf of the Queensland Museum and Inspiring Australia to establish an evaluation framework for Queensland STEM (Science Technology Engineering and Maths) clubs. STEM Club Toolkit - Inspiring Australia Queensland The final toolkit is available on the Inspiring Australia Queensland website: https://www.inspiringqld.com.au › stem-clubs › stem-c... 2018
DateNameAwarding organisationUnderpinning research
2023Australian New Voice In Educational Leadership ResearchAustralian Council of Educational LeadershipSystem reform: an exploration of policy interpretation and translation through the enacted role of Regional Education Officers
2022Excellence in Doctoral ResearchUniversity of Southern QueenslandSystem reform: an exploration of policy interpretation and translation through the enacted role of Regional Education Officers
2022Queensland Research in Educational Leadership and Management AwardAustralian Council for Educatonal Ledership - QueenslandSystem reform: an exploration of policy interpretation and translation through the enacted role of Regional Education Officers
2022Higher Education Academy Senior Fellow ScholarshipAdvance Higher Education

System reform: an exploration of policy interpretation and translation through the enacted role of Regional Education Officers

Leach, Tania Helen. 2021. System reform: an exploration of policy interpretation and translation through the enacted role of Regional Education Officers. PhD Thesis Doctor of Philosophy. University of Southern Queensland. https://doi.org/10.26192/q75yz

Preservice Teachers’ Self-efficacy Through COVID-19: A Large Scale Survey of Students at a Regional University In Australia

Leach, Tania, Le, Anh Hai and Barton, Georgina M.. 2022. "Preservice Teachers’ Self-efficacy Through COVID-19: A Large Scale Survey of Students at a Regional University In Australia." Australian Journal of Teacher Education. 47 (9), pp. 19-42. https://doi.org/http://dx.doi.org/10.14221/ajte.2022v47n9.2

Partner Perspectives Matter: Lessons Learnt When Navigating Continued Pre-service Teacher Placements During Disruption

Leach, Tania and Wheeldon, Anita Louise. 2022. "Partner Perspectives Matter: Lessons Learnt When Navigating Continued Pre-service Teacher Placements During Disruption." Bradbury, Ondine Jayne and Acquaro, Daniela (ed.) School-University Partnerships — Innovation in Initial Teacher Education. Singapore. Springer. pp. 73-90

It Takes a Village: Using Communities of Practice as a Framework for Reflecting on Rural and Regional Professional Experience Opportunities

Fitzgerald, Angela, Bradbury, Ondine and Leach, Tania. 2021. "It Takes a Village: Using Communities of Practice as a Framework for Reflecting on Rural and Regional Professional Experience Opportunities." White, Simone and Downey, Jayne (ed.) Rural Education Across the World: Models of Innovative Practice and Impact. Gateway East, Singapore. Springer. pp. 25-45

Understanding the conditions informing successful STEM clubs: what does the evidence base tell us?

Davis, Kate, Fitzgerald, Angela, Power, Margaret, Leach, Tania, Martin, Neil, Piper, Stephanie, Singh, Rena and Dunlop, Shelley. 2023. "Understanding the conditions informing successful STEM clubs: what does the evidence base tell us?" Studies in Science Education. 59 (1), pp. 1-23. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057267.2021.1969168

Informal Spaces for STEM Learning and Teaching: STEM clubs

Fitzgerald, Angela, Leach, Tania, Davis, Kate, Martin, Neil and Dunlop, Shelley. 2020. "Informal Spaces for STEM Learning and Teaching: STEM clubs." Fitzgerald, Angela, Haeusler, Carole and Pfeiffer, Linda (ed.) STEM Education in Primary Classrooms: Unravelling Contemporary Approaches in Australia and New Zealand. Abingdon, United Kingdom. Routledge. pp. 168-187

Building leadership capacity and enacting school improvement policy: voices from the field

Abawi, Lindy-Anne, Leach, Tania and Raitelli, Julie. 2018. "Building leadership capacity and enacting school improvement policy: voices from the field." International Journal of Education. 10 (1), pp. 106-124.

Feelings about feedback: Differing perceptions among teachers and students in a university preparation program in Australia.

Parkes, Frey, Chang, Heejin, Dowden, Tony, Getenet, Seyum, Leach, Tania, J-F and Luetz, Johannes M.. 2023. "Feelings about feedback: Differing perceptions among teachers and students in a university preparation program in Australia." Australian Association for Research in Education (AARE) 2023 Annual Conference. Melbourne, Australia 27 Nov - 01 Dec 2023 Australia.

Equipping Teachers for Success in Rural Communities: Unveiling the Key Characteristics and Attributes of Thriving Rural Teachers

Leach, T.. 2024. "Equipping Teachers for Success in Rural Communities: Unveiling the Key Characteristics and Attributes of Thriving Rural Teachers." Education Sciences. 14 (12), p. 596. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14121384

Exploring provider perspectives of the STEM club landscape: findings from one Australian state

Fitzgerald, Angela, Davis, Kate, Leach, Tania, Martin, Neil, Dunlop, Shelley and Bradbury, Ondine Jayne. 2024. "Exploring provider perspectives of the STEM club landscape: findings from one Australian state." International Journal of Science Education, Part B: Communication and Public Engagement. https://doi.org/10.1080/21548455.2024.2375010

System Reform: The Ever-Elusive Quest—An Australian Study of How System Middle Leaders’ Role Enactment Influences the Attainment of Policy Coherence

Leach, Tania. 2024. "System Reform: The Ever-Elusive Quest—An Australian Study of How System Middle Leaders’ Role Enactment Influences the Attainment of Policy Coherence." Educational Sciences. 14 (6), p. 596. https://doi.org/10.3390/educsci14060596