I have worked in education since 2005, initially as a secondary school teacher (physical education) and subsequently as a head of department. I moved into higher education in 2014, teaching and leading programmes aligned with physical education and sports coaching. I am now part of the School of Education and Science leadership team with specific oversight for our outreach and engagement with our industry partners.
Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (Advance HE) – 2018
I have taught across undergraduate and postgraduate programmes relating to physical education, teacher education, and sports coaching, with a particular interest in innovative methods of teaching and coaching that lead to higher levels of motivation and engagement. I have regularly supervised research projects at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels, utilising both qualitative and quantitative methods with a particular interest in action research. I particularly enjoy practical delivery and real-world experiences that aim to connect theory to practice.
My main area of research sits around physical education curriculum design and teaching approaches as well as teacher development. Particularly aligned with the recent body of work around meaningful physical education, my current doctorate project involved the implementation of lifestyle sports in physical education, collecting data from both pupils and teachers to understand better how these types of activities (e.g. parkour) could influence pupils’ enjoyment of their physical education lessons.
I have also played a pivotal role in large-scale research projects such as the Erasmus Active Games 4 Change Project, where sport and active games were used as a rehabilitation method for young offenders.