Sport and Education
BA (Hons)

Student’s practical skill development will centre upon their ability to enhance performance through the application of skill acquisition principles. Students will be taught via a variety of lectures and seminars as well practical coaching sessions. The module will also provide students with the opportunity to engage with PDP activities related to the role of the coach within the sporting industry.

The aim of this module is to explore the relationship between different psychological traditions and explanations of how learning occurs. Psychological theories including behaviourism, constructivism and socio-cultural approaches are examined to investigate the impact of such ideas on education.

Through lectures and seminar group work you will be introduced to a range of concepts such as curriculum, National Curriculum, accountability, inclusion and choice as well as curriculum structure and key stages.

We encourage you to reflect on your own experiences to help you understand the literature from a range of sources. Tutorials provide opportunities for small group/one-to-one feedback and, later in the module, support student assignment planning.

Students will learn how to collect and interpret data using a range of approaches including questionnaires, interviews and experimental methods. The emphasis on the module is to develop student’s confidence in engaging with academic literature including the associated terminology.

Personal Development Planning (PDP) will be embedded into the program with a series of “step-to-success” workshops which will support students in their professional development . Students will be required to engage with the PDP programme by collating hours in a Sport and Exercise based placement in addition to participation in associated activities in an area related to sport.

Most of the delivery will be based on seminar sessions wherein students will be given structured tasks which will be completed individually or in groups. Delivery and assessment will provide students with the opportunity to engage and explore their own area of interest with respect to the associated academic literature.

This module examines the basic physiology of the relevant body systems. What these systems consist of, how they function and how they respond to an acute bout of physical activity will be considered. In addition to building core knowledge of sport and exercise physiology, students will acquire a set of core skills in the laboratory. This module underpins the subsequent study of sport, exercise and health, and is therefore important preparation for modules at Levels 5 and 6.

There will be a range of teaching and learning methods employed throughout the module including: lectures, seminar activities, individual and group work, tutorials and independent study.

The module will focus on a critical exploration of accounts relating to intelligence and personality and how questions about this controversial concept resonate within the education sector. It explores the relevance of these accounts to an understanding of teaching, learning and assessment for both teachers and learners.

There will be a range of teaching and learning methods employed throughout the module including: lectures, seminar activities, case studies, individual and group work, tutorials and independent study.

Particular emphasis will be given to developing a robust rationale for the research question proposed based on a critical review of existing literature. Furthermore, students will propose a research methodology based on the rationale developed.

The overall focus of the module is on the process of “doing research”, and this will reflect in the delivery methods used. As such, students will be encouraged to explore the suitability different methodologies with respect to the research question asked. There will be the opportunity within sessions for students to critically review literature, and peer review research proposals. In addition to developing a research rationale and design for a proposed research project, students will undertake a range of in-class assessed qualitative and quantitative data analysis tasks using SPSS, including inferential statistics.

The Steps-to-Success programme will be implemented in this module, in conjunction with the employability and careers office, The focus will be placed on graduate schemes, teacher training, networking, job applications and masters programmes. Students will be required to engage with the Professional Development Planning (PDP) for Sport and Exercise programme by collating hours in a Sport and Exercise based placement in addition to participation in associated activities in an area related to sport.

Module learning outcomes

On successful completion of the module, students will be able to:

1. Develop a coherent research question based on a review of the associated academic literature
2. Provide a robust rationale for the research question proposed based on academic literature
3. Develop a suitable research methodology for the proposed research question
4. Analyse and interpret quantitative and qualitative data gathered from a range of research methods used in sport and exercise
5. Demonstrate evidence of Professional Development through engagement with PDP and Sport and Exercise placement

Module content

The module will focus on the following topic areas:

• Research proposal writing
• Literature (critical) review
• Research question rational
• Research methodology (quantitative and qualitative)
• Reliability and validity
• Thematic analysis
• Descriptive statistics
• Inferential statistics
• Probability and significance
• Reporting/summarising data

Students will gain insight into the social, psychological and physical development of young children and adolescents and how sport development interventions are tailored towards the individual participant in both a participation environment. In addition to the theory covered, students will gain experience in applying the related theory into practical sport development sessions throughout the semester that are designed to meet the needs of young children and adolescents to promote lifelong participation. Focus will be given to the delivery of physical education and sport in youth sport settings in a participation in environment.

During this period of work experience, students can gain a deeper appreciation of the responsibilities arising from both corporate and individual responses to such issues, thus enabling them to relate to the wider world when exploring a personal direction for potential career development.

The module draws on theoretical explanations of social exclusion to enable the development of an understanding of the underlying social processes that contribute to social exclusion.

Particularly, the module asks how education policies and practices can create interventions and strategies which perpetuate and exacerbate social exclusion either purposefully or indirectly, or whether such strategies can act to reduce and alleviate social exclusion. Drawing on contemporary themes, topics for consideration are identified.

The module will examine political policy in relation to the behaviour of learners in schools and the possible implications for teaching staff and students. Different theories regarding behaviour management strategies will also be evaluated.

From this, the module engages the student in a critical appraisal of potential behaviour management strategies, their operation and likely consequences. 

The module requires the student to be open to new ideas and perspectives on a ‘take-for-granted’ set of assumptions about managing the behaviours of others.

There will be a range of teaching and learning methods employed throughout the module including: lectures, seminar activities, individual and group work, tutorials, and independent study.

The investigation may adopt a variety of frameworks, typically dependent upon a combination of both the discipline and topic in question. The rationale being to avoid limiting the students to the traditional empirical research format; instead empowering them to select an investigatory design that is best suited to the conduct, completion and presentation of the study in focus e.g. an industry report or an individually focused / institutionally targeted case study etc.

Irrespective of the study framework, all work requires students to apply critical scrutiny and analysis to a diversity of appropriate theories, concepts and procedures. Such work will inevitably relate to a field of study deemed appropriate by a specialist in the area. The module offers the opportunity to develop an in-depth critical understanding alongside the refinement of both their subject and research skills.

The module aims to develop the student’s ability to consider human movement principles, exploring the essence and purpose of movement through both qualitative and quantitative methods of analysis. Furthermore students will be exposed to a critical and experiential consideration of the techniques and practices coaches have at their disposal; in addition to the multi-disciplinary approaches and influences that can enhance and manipulate movement characteristics of athletes.

This module builds and implements knowledge and skills acquired in Coaching and Skill Acquisition, Principles and Practice of Training and Sport Performance Analysis.

Rather than coach their peers, students will work in groups to plan, deliver and evaluate a number of coaching sessions with participants who exhibit a range of learning, sensory and physical disabilities. The planning, delivery and content of the coaching sessions will be informed by a variety of physical, psychological and sociological theories, concepts and evidence. As part of the PDP provision, students will have the opportunity to engage in the practical delivery of coaching sessions to disability learners.