Will Roberts - Staff Profiles

Having worked in sport all of my life I have been fortunate that these experiences have formed the basis of my critical appreciation of sport and physical culture, exploring the ways that young people engage in society through sport. Chevron icon

Biography

My teaching and research interests revolve around two key areas; the sociology of sport, and coaching pedagogy. My PhD examines the experiences of young men in gangs and the role coaching has in providing social and personal change. I am also series editor for Constraints-Based Methodologies in Sport which forms the other significant part of my teaching and research interest.

Awards

1st Prize for Outstanding work in early career research (Philosophic, Historical and Cultural Aspects of Physical Education and Sport): VI International Scientific Conference, 2011. Moscow State University, Moscow, Russia

Teaching Fellowship for Excellence and Leadership in Higher Education (2013 – 2015)

Accreditation

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Membership of professional bodies

Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA)

Vice Chair, International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA) for Research, Education and Training

Teaching & Research

Teaching

My teaching coheres around the sociology of sport at undergraduate level, and constraints-based approaches to pedagogy at postgraduate level.

Research

My research is aligned with my teaching expertise and focusses on two distinct areas. Firstly, I have a focus on constraints-based methodologies and nonlinear pedagogy. Secondly, my research focusses on the role of coaching and teaching in social exclusion and social change, in particular within marginalised or disadvantaged populations.

Publications

More publications from Will Roberts can be found in the Research Repository.

External responsibilities

I am a consultant for the Boing (www.boingplaytank.co.uk) social enterprise, a collaborative project with Oxford Brookes University and the University of Gloucestershire focussing on free access for teachers to a developmental curriculum.

I have spoken extensively in conference and media settings on the role of sport in social exclusion.