Dr Leigh Burrows
Senior Lecturer
College of Human Sciences and Culture
Before coming to Flinders Leigh held the following positions as Project Officer Wellbeing and ARC Research (2007-2010) and Project Officer Learning Difficulties (200-2007) with the South Australian Education Department.
Leigh has a background in primary and secondary teaching, counselling, advising, consultancy and research in primary, secondary, special, Waldorf/Steiner, inclusive and higher education. A link between all her roles in various organisations has been her passion for teacher, leader and student/child wellbeing. Her main areas of research and teaching have been focused on wellbeing, mindfulness, relational teaching and learning trauma sensitive practice, inclusion and autism.
Leigh has conducted research and provided professional learning and advice to teachers and leaders in variety of research, policy, teaching and leadership roles and contexts, within South Australia, nationally and internationally including local education department and independent schools systems, sectors and schools. In addition she has a small private practice in counselling and art therapy.
In her teaching, research, professional learning provision, consultancy and counselling she has in recent years been particularly interested in bringing together her learning and experience gathered in all her roles and trainings.
'Innovations in mindfulness for young people need to take more account of their unique needs if they are to live up to their potential.' Published Online 3/10/2022 Child and Adolescent Mental Health : http://doi.org/10.1111/camh.12601
Recent books for Routledge:
Empowering mindfulness for women
https://www.routledge.com/Empowering-Mindfulness-for-Women/Burrows/p/book/9780367427139
Safeguarding mindfulness in schools and higher education an holistic and inclusive approach.
https://www.routledge.com/Safeguarding-Mindfulness-in-Schools-and-Higher-Education-A-Holistic-and/Burrows/p/book/9781138735521
Find out more about Leigh's research and publications at the following links:
Researchnow
Researchgate
Orcid
Google Scholar
- Bachelor of Arts (Monash University, 1982)
- Diploma of Education (Flinders University, 1994)
- Masters of Special Education (Flinders University,2003)
- Diploma of Solution Focused Psychotherapy (Centre for Effective Therapy, 2008)
- Doctor of Philosophy (University of South Australia, 2010)
- Diploma of Educational and Clinical Art Therapy (ACAT, 2023)
Leigh is registered as a teacher in South Australia
- Dean's award for Consistent high quality teaching in post graduate education (2022)
- Vice Chancellor's Teaching Award for Pioneering mindfulness in pre, in service and post graduate teacher education ( 2016)
- Faculty Teaching Award recipient (2012) for: Developing a Relational Pedagogy for Pre and In Service Teacher Education
- Fellow of the Torrens Resiliency Institute, Adelaide 2008
- Supervisee Vice Chancellor's award for teaching excellence 2019
- Faculty Grant research into Steiner/Waldorf education 2012
- Faculty Grant research into mindfulness in a US community college 2015
- Faculty Grant research into mindfulness in US community college 2016
College roles
Disability Academic Advisor for CEPSW (2024-2025)
Academic Integrity Advisor for CEPSW (2019-2020)
Teaching and topic coordination
- undergraduate and post graduate levels focusing on mindfulness, trauma sensitive pedagogies, counselling, relationships and wellbeing
Service to the Field
- professional learning for colleagues and teachers
- writing and publishing in mindfulness, wellbeing, therapeutic stories and art therapy.
Supervision
- Creativity in Teacher Professional Learning (PhD)
- Mindfulness and Teacher Wellbeing (PhD)
- Mindfulness in Classrooms (PhD)
- Empowerment of Parents of Children with Special Needs in Nepal (PhD)
- Integral Theory in Leadership (Ed.D)
- Inclusion of children with special needs in Bangladesh (Masters by Coursework Dissertation)
- Religious Instruction (Masters by Coursework Dissertation)
- Teaching for Sustainability in Steiner Waldorf education (Honours)
- Therapeutic pedagogy (Honours)
Writing and Publishing
Leigh publishes in the areas of mindfulness, wellbeing and therapeutic pedagogies.
Leigh teaches into Bachelor, Graduate Certificate and Masters of Education courses, and is a topic coordinator.
She has developed topics such as 'Mindfulness and the Innner World of Teaching and Learning', 'Creating Calmer Classrooms: a trauma sensitive approach' (at both undergraduate and post graduate levels) and Relationships for Learning.
Her courses and topics are based in her qualitative research and publications exploring i wellbeing, trauma, autism, mindfulness, teacher student and parent relationships, Waldorf/Steiner education and autism.
Her teaching interests include wellbeing, spirituality, mindfulness, trauma and holistic education. She enjoys teaching in intensive formats and aims to bring a holistic approach that includes head, heart and body.
Leigh provides professional learning and consultancy input for government, independent and alternative schools, both primary and secondary relating to wellbeing, mindfulness and trauma sensitive pedagogies.
- Counselling
- Meditation
- Children/Youth
- Education - Teaching
- Education - Special
- Special education
- Teaching
- Mindfulness
- Waldorf/Steiner Education
- wellbeing
Sturt Rd, Bedford Park
South Australia 5042
South Australia | Northern Territory
Global | Online
Follow Flinders
