Physical-Health Education for Lifelong Learning
Physical-Health Education for Lifelong Learning (PHELL) Research Group is a vibrant, inclusive community of interdisciplinary researchers and practitioners committed to the critical exploration and advancement of lifelong learning that promotes equitable forms of sustainable social, cultural, health and environmental well-being across a range of physical-health education, activity settings. In aspiring to this, PHELL works towards the following objectives:
1. Generate and disseminate high quality, interdisciplinary research within peer-reviewed publications, international conferences and selected research-networks.
2. Actively collaborate with communities, education institutions & practitioners in the design, implementation and evaluation of high-quality practice-based research that generates forms of equitable physical health and well-being at a local, national and global level.
3. Critically inform the development of policy that actively contributes to the sustainable advancement of equitable forms of lifelong physical health education.
Research / Innovation Areas
Advancement of Physical Literacy within the Community
Our work within this theme aims to work with teachers, NGBs and the community in the development, implementation and evaluation of practices that align with the principles of physical literacy. Within a school context recent work has focused on enabling teachers to operationalise the concept of physical literacy in their practice. Within a wider community setting, our current work as ‘Sport Wales Physical Literacy Consultants’ has adopted an ‘Appreciative Inquiry’ approach in the development of knowledge, understanding and enactment of physical literacy principles with National Governing Bodies (NGB’s) and local authorities at a local and national level. A central focus of this work is to use sustainable forms of professional learning to support schools, NGBs and community partners in making sense of the principles of Physical Literacy within the context of their own practices. In doing so, this work contributes to the broader aim of enhancing individuals equitable experience of lifelong engagement with physical activity.
Policy & Curricula Enactment within Physical-Health Education Communities
Our work within this theme focuses on the critical understanding of how individuals experience the construction, translation and enactment of policy and curricula within various Physical-Health Education contexts. This work builds upon both historical and contemporary social theories and a range of research approaches including the use of case-study research design, document analysis and the use of qualitative methods such as focus groups, non-participant observation and forms of visual methods. Ongoing work includes supporting Physical-Health Educators in Wales in the translation and enactment of the new curriculum for Wales across a range of Primary and Secondary Education contexts. Within the context of Higher Education, work within this theme also focuses on understanding how academics and students translate and enact changes to sport and physical activity policy within programme design and classroom activities. Through ongoing conceptual and empirical work this research theme contributes to the broader aim of ensuring Physical-Health Education communities are supported in the enactment of policy and curricula for the benefit of all individuals.
Group Members
Academic Staff
Dr David Aldous, Senior Lecturer Pedagogy (Group Lead)
Dr Anna Bryant, Director of Teacher Education and Professional Learning, School of Education and Social Policy
Dr David Brown, Reader in Sociology of Sport & Physical Culture
Sarah Wagstaff, Associate Tutor
Mike Castle, Lecturer in Physical Education
Lucy Witt, Senior Lecturer
Heidi Wilson, Senior Lecturer
Dr Kevin Morgan, Principal Lecturer Sport Coaching
Gemma Mitchell, Lecturer
Daniel Milton, Senior Lecturer in Coaching Science
Dr George Jennings, Lecturer in Sport Sociology / Physical Culture
Dr Anwen Jones, Senior Lecturer in Physiology & Health
Dr Neil Hennessey, Senior Lecturer in Coaching Science-Welsh Medium
Ian Gardner, Senior Lecturer in Physical Education & Sports Pedagogy
Suzy Drane, Senior Lecturer in Sport Development
Dr Lea Dohme, Lecturer in Sport & Exercise Psychology
Fiona Heath-Diffey, Senior Lecturer, PGCE Secondary PE
Prof Steve Cooper, Professor of Applied Biostatistics
Jose Castro, Lecturer in Physical Education & Youth Sport
Sally Bethell, Senior Lecturer, PGCE Secondary Education
Jane Bellamy, Senior Lecturer in Dance
Rebecca Straker, Biomechanics Technician Demonstrator
Students
| MPhil/PhD |
MSc |
PGCE |
Professional Doctorate |
| Amy Rees | Christian Farrell | Lewis Eynon | Elizabeth Lewis |
| Mara Mata | Victoria Evans | | Lucy Holmes |
| Rhys Lloyd | | | |
| Dione Leigh Rose | | | |
| | | | |
Collaborators
Internal
Professor Gareth Loudon, Cardiff School of Art & Design
Bethan Gordon, Cardiff School of Art & Design
Jennie Clement, Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy
Nick Young, Cardiff School of Education & Social Policy
External
Daniel Newberry, Tonyrefail Community School
Emma Hill, Active Health and Well-Being
Dr Lizi Smith, Middlesex University
Gethin Foulkes, Chester University
Dr Fiona Chambers, University of Cork, Ireland
Professor Dawn Penney, Edith Cowan University, Perth Australia
Associate Professor Richard Keegan, Canberra University, Canberra, Australia
Dr Paul McMillan, Edinburgh University
Dr Nicola Carse, Edinburgh University
Clare Roberts, Physagogy Ltd
Richard Keegan, University of Canberra
Examples of Funding (External)
2016-2017 Dr Kevin Morgan, Dr Anna Bryant & Dr Lowri Edwards.
Sport Wales Physical Literacy Programme for Schools (PLPS) project, £200,000.
2017-ongoing Dr Kevin Morgan, Dr Anna Bryant, Dr Lowri Edwards, Dr David Aldous & Suzy Drane.
Embedding Physical Literacy in National Governing Bodies, Sport Wales, £79,900.
2018-ongoing Dr David Aldous, Dr Anna Bryant and Dr Lowri Edwards.
Welsh Government Professional Learning and Research Development, Welsh Government (2019 - £11,593, 2020 - £17,004)
