Physical Education

The School of Sport and Service Management contains one of the largest collections of critical scholars in the field of PE and dance in the country. Researchers have typically focussed their work on developing critical approaches to professional practice and much of the work carried out by staff has had a significant impact upon practice-based teaching. Staff in the PE and dance area are currently involved in research in the following areas:

Curriculum innovation

Recent research in curriculum innovation has been wide-ranging. Jon Binney is currently researching and developing innovative approaches to the teaching of PE through his work on ‘alternative’ curriculum activities such as streetsurfing, parcour and kin-ball.

In the area of dance Fiona Smith and Lucy Pocknell recently worked collaboratively with the Random Dance Company developing innovative performance and choreographic ideas which they have taken into local schools to promote learning and teaching methods in dance.

Many staff in the area have contributed to a recently published book, The Really Useful Physical Education Book: Learning and teaching across the 7-14 age range, edited by two members of staff in the PE and Dance area, Sid Hayes and Gary Stidder, which explores learning and teaching methods within PE and Dance.  

Equity and inclusion in PE and dance

Staff in the PE and Dance area at Chelsea School have made an important contribution to the field of equity and inclusion within PE nationally. Sid Hayes and Gary Stidder’s edited book Equity and Inclusion in Physical Education and Sport, has been a significant contribution to research in this field.

In addition Fiona Smith and Lucy Pocknell have developed some inclusive ideas for promoting the teaching of dance to boys, all of which is explored in their recent publication A Practical Guide to Teaching Dance.

Teaching values/moral education in PE and sport

Much of the research in this area has focussed upon the ground-breaking Football for Peace (F4P) project in which children from Arab and Jewish communities in Israel are taught the values respect, equity and inclusion, responsibility, trust and neutrality through the medium of football.

Other research in this area has explored the way in which children learn moral values such as sportsmanship and fair play through PE in both curricular and extra-curricular contexts and how through PE activities elements of the citizenship are developed.

Consultancy

The Physical Education and Dance Area staff possess a wide range of subject knowledge, professional experience, and research expertise in physical education, dance, and professional matters relating to secondary school teaching and mentoring. Details of staff's research and professional experience can be seen in the Physical Education and Dance Area's Research page and in members of staff’s CV page. Please use this information to contact staff most appropriate for your enquiry.

Examples of current and recent consultancy from staff within the Area include Jim Wallis’ collaborative work with the Jamaican Amateur Swimming Association on developing a swimming teacher education programme at the GC Foster College, Jamaica. Jim Wallis is also involved in working on the talented athlete programme for a number of Sports Colleges where he works with up and coming athletes by training them to cope more effectively with the psychological demands of training and competition.

Fiona Smith and Lucy Pocknell are currently working closely with the National Dance Teachers’ Association (NDTA) delivering in-service training course to dance teachers in order to promote the development of innovative learning and teaching methods within the teaching of dance to school-aged children.