SER Pedagogy

One thing shared across all staff in our school, irrespective of discipline, is our role in teaching students enrolled on our programmes. This makes the SER pedagogy research group a vehicle for internal collaboration across our main subject areas. The same is the case at other institutions and we have taken a leading role in stimulating external collaborations, culminating in us initiating and hosting the inaugural national Higher Education Sport Conference (HESP) in 2023.

The SER pedagogy research group conducts research that aims to understand the student experience to help improve student outcomes in the areas of physiotherapy and sport. Our recently completed and ongoing projects focus on topics such as student engagement, blended learning, technology enhanced learning, placement provision, student transitions, student partnership, and inclusive learning. Work in inclusive learning also extends beyond Higher Education, with an established international collaboration with Edith Cowan University (Australia) investigating ability and gendered grouping practices in primary and secondary physical education.

The work of this group crosses over into our school’s other research groups too as knowledge of pedagogy is used to inform interventions or outcome measures and translate our findings to support workforce development. Examples include coach and athlete education (Sports Coach Education [SCE], and Sport, Health and Exercise Nutrition [SHEN]), and the potential role of physical activity to improve cognition in school children (Physical Activity & Exercise for Health Across the Lifespan [PA]).

Research Group Leader