About us

As a field of study, Pedagogy and Youth Sport is concerned with learning, teaching and subject matter knowledge as interacting and interdependent components practiced in contexts such as school physical education programmes, outdoor and adventure settings, and youth sports clubs.

We work with pre- and in-service teachers to develop and evaluate initiatives regarding health-based physical education, physical literacy, and youth voice in sport, movement and physical education.

We aim to understand teacher, teacher educator, and coach professional development including knowledge base, decision making, and occupational socialisation.

A special interest is also placed on exploring and developing critical pedagogies and education for social justice in physical education, higher education/teacher education and dance.

Staff Members

• Alexandra Baird
• Dr Mark Bowler
• Dr Louise Ferrandino
• Dr Michelle Flemons
• Dr Joanne Hill
• Dr Saul Keyworth
• David Pears
• Dr Paul Sammon
• Dr Alex Psaltis (Stewart)

Research student success

• James Hall MSc by Research: Game Sense, a Theoretical Model for a Practical Reality, a Discussion with Elite and Amateur Rugby Union Coaches. Completed 2021
• Elizabeth Durden-Myers PhD: Physical literacy and human flourishing: realising the value and developing physical education teaching practice. Awarded 2020
• Michelle Flemons PhD: Occupational socialisation and the subjective warrant of physical education teachers. Awarded 2018

Recent papers

• Hill, J., Walton-Fisette, J.L., Flemons, M., Philpot, R., Sutherland, S., Philips, S., Flory, S., and Ovens, A. (2022) Social justice knowledge construction among physical education teacher educators: The value of personal, professional and educational experiences. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy https://doi.org/10.1080/17408989.2022.2123463
• Flemons, M., Hill, J., O’Donovan, T. and Chater, A. (in press). Recycling and resistance to change in physical education: The informal recruitment of physical education teachers in schools. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education.
• Martínez Bello, V. E., & Hill, J. (2020). Gender, age and physical activity representation in children’s colouring books / Representación del género, la edad y la actividad física en libros para colorear infantiles. Cuestiones de Género: De La Igualdad y La Diferencia, 15, 291–312.
• Lynch, S., & Hill, J. (2020). “I had to pop a wheelie and pay extra attention in order not to fall:” Embodied experiences of two wheelchair tennis athletes transgressing ableist and gendered norms in disability sport and university spaces. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health. https://doi.org/10.1080/2159676X.2020.1731575
• Bowler, M. & Sammon, P. (2020). ‘Health-Based Physical Education – a framework for promoting active lifestyles in children and young people. Part 1: Introducing a new pedagogical model for Health-Based Physical Education’, Physical Education Matters, 15(3), pp.60-63.
• Sammon, P. & Bowler, M. (2020). ‘Health-Based Physical Education – a framework for promoting active lifestyles in children and young people. Part 2: Health-Based Physical Education in practice’, Physical Education Matters, 15(3), pp.64-66.
• Hill, J., Philpot, R., Walton-Fisette, J. L., Sutherland, S., Flemons, M., Ovens, A. and Flory, S. (2018). Conceptualising social justice within physical education teacher education: International perspectives. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 25(3), 469–483.
• Walton-Fisette, J. L., Philpot, R., Phillips, S., Flory, S., Hill, J., Sutherland, S. & Flemons, M. (2018). Implicit and explicit pedagogical practices related to sociocultural issues and social justice in physical education teacher education programs. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 25(3), 497-509.
• Ovens, A., Flory, S., Sutherland, S., Philpot, R., Walton-Fisette, J. L., Hill, J., Phillips, S. & Flemons, M. (2018). How PETE comes to matter in the performance of social justice education. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 25(3), 484-496.
• Flemons, M., Diffey, F., & Cunliffe, D. (2018). The role of PETE in developing and sustaining physical literacy informed practitioners. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37, 299-307.
• Farias, C., Mesquita, I., Hastie, P. A., & O’Donovan, T. (2018). Mediating Peer Teaching for Learning Games: An Action Research Intervention Across Three Consecutive Sport Education Seasons. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 89(1), 91–102.
• Pang, B. & Hill, J. (2018). Rethinking the ‘aspirations’ of Chinese girls within and beyond Health and Physical Education and physical activity in Greater Western Sydney. Sport, Education and Society 23(5), 421-434.

Books

• Lawrence, S., Hill, J., and Mowatt, R (forthcoming) The Routledge Handbook of Sport, Leisure and Social Justice.
• Walton-Fisette, J., Sutherland, S. and Hill, J. (eds.) (2019) Teaching about social justice issues in physical education. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.

Book chapters

• Bowler, M., Bassett, S. & Newton, A. (2020) ‘Assessing pupils’ learning’ in Capel, S., Cliffe, L. & Lawrence, J. (eds.) A Practical Guide to Teaching Physical Education in the Secondary School (3^rd) London: Routledge. pp.191-201.
• Newton, A. & Bowler, M. (2020) ‘Assessment for and of learning in PE’ in Capel, S. & Gower, C. (eds.) Learning to Teach Physical Education in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience (5^th) London: Routledge. pp.144-160.
• Bowler, M., Newton, A., Keyworth, S. & McKeown, J. (2020) ‘Secondary School Physical Education’ in Capel, S. & Blair, R. (eds.) Debates in Physical Education (2^nd) London: Routledge. pp.170-189.
• Hill, J. (2019). Taking action for change: (Participatory) action research and social justice education. In J. Walton-Fisette, S. Sutherland, and J. Hill, (eds.) Teaching about social justice issues in physical education,13-20. Charlotte: Information Age Publishing.
• Hill, J. & Walton-Fisette, J. (2019). Why is our PETE curriculum white? A collaborative self-study of teaching about race in physical education teacher education programmes. In S. Dagkas, L. Azzarito and K. Hylton (eds.), ‘Race', Youth Sport, Physical Activity and Health: Global Perspectives, 30-42. London: Routledge.
• Bassett, S., Bowler, M. & Newton, A. (2019) ‘Supporting beginning physical education teachers to deliver and evaluate their lessons’ in Capel, S. & Lawrence, J. (eds.) Mentoring Physical Education Teachers in the Secondary School: A practical guide. London: Routledge. pp.169-182.

Internally funded projects

• Flemons, M. and Croft, L. (2016). A model for the future: a move towards defining and developing outstanding teaching and learning in Higher Education using an andragogical approach.
• Hill, J., and Flemons, M. (2016). Social justice in physical education teacher education.