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University of Bedfordshire
Park Square
Luton
Bedfordshire
UK, LU1 3JU

Prof David Kirk

Position

  • Alexander Chair in Physical Education and Sport
  • Head of the Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Research Group

Profile

Professor Kirk joined the University of Bedfordshire in June 2009 as Alexander Chair in Physical Education and Sport. The Chair is named in honour of Eileen Alexander, former Principal of Bedford College of Physical Education and founder of the Alexander Trust. In 2009-2010 Professor Kirk was Director of the Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research and briefly as Acting Director of the Institute for Research in Education ( August - December 2010)

He has held academic appointments in Australia between 1984 and 1998 at Deakin University and the University of Queensland, and from 1999 to 2005 at Loughborough University. Most recently he was Dean of the Carnegie Faculty of Sport and Education and Pro Vice Chancellor (Research) at Leeds Metropolitan University.

He is currently Visiting Professor at the University of Queensland and was Guest Professor in the Department of Sport and Movement Sciences at the University of Ghent in Belgium in 2008-9.

Research Interests

Professor Kirk has published widely on physical education and curriculum change, and on youth sport. His programme of research has four major strands: the social construction of physical education; sustainable curriculum renewal in physical education through models based practice; young people’s learning experiences in school and community sport, dance and active leisure; and physical education teacher education.

Research Students

Professor Kirk is currently supervising the following full-time and part-time research students:

  • Ed Cope, PhD FT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s S Harvey)
  • Vicky Goodyear, PhD FT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s A Casey)
  • Kate Hughes, PhD FT (Year 3 – Leeds Met: Co-supervisor/s J Long)
  • Helen Ives, PhD FT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s T O’Donovan)
  • Hyunwoo Jung, PhD FT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s S Harvey)
  • Charlotte Kerner, PhD FT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s C Kerr/ L Haerens)
  • Changhyun Lee, PhD FT (Year 2: Co-supervisor/s T O’Donovan/ E Lorente)
  • Mark Bowler PhD PT( Year 1: Co-supervisor/s A Casey/ L Haerens)
  • Michelle Flemons PhD PT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s A Casey)
  • Jackie Gallagher, PhD PT (Year 3 – Leeds Met: Co-supervisor/s A Flintoff)
  • Paul Sammon PhD PT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s A Casey/ L Haerens)
  • Nalda Wainwright PhD PT (Year 1: Co-supervisor/s M Whitehead)

Undergraduate Teaching 2011-12

  • Unit Leader, BA Sport and Physical Education Year ‘Critical Pedagogy in Physical Education'
  • Guest lectures, BA Sport and Physical Education Year 1 ‘History of physical education’

Recent Publications

Recent authored and edited books
  • Kirk, D. (2011, Ed.) Physical Education: Major Themes in Education London: Routledge (4 Volumes)
  • Kirk, D. (2010) Physical Education Futures London: Routledge.
Recent papers in Refereed International and National Journals
  • Van Acker, R., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., De Martelaer, K., Seghers, J., Kirk, D.,  Haerens, L., De Cocker, K., Cardon, G. (2011). A framework for Physical Activity programs within School-Community partnerships. Quest 63, 300-320.
  • Haerens, L., Kirk, D., Cardon, G., and Bourdeauhuji, I. (2011) The development of a pedagogical model for Health-Based Physical Education, Quest 63, 321-338.
  • Molina, J-P., Devís Devís, J., Peiro-Velert, C., Kirk, D. (2011) Selection of printed curriculum materials in Physical Education: Recontextualising pedagogical knowledge. European Physical Education Review 17(1), 19-34.
  • Haerens, L., Kirk, D., Cardon, G., De Bourdeaudhuij, I., Vansteenkiste, M. (2010) The quality and quantity of motivation for secondary school physical education and its relationship to the adoption of a physically active lifestyle among university students. European Physical Education Review 16(2), 117–139.
Book Chapters
  • Kirk, D. and Casey, A. (2011) Effective research writing, in Armour. K. and Macdonald, D. (Eds.) Research methods in physical education and youth sport London: Routledge.
  • O'Donovan, T., MacPhail, A. and D. Kirk (2011) Sustainable Sport Education in Primary Education:  An English case study, in Hastie, P. (Ed.) Sport Education: International perspective, London: Routledge.
  • Kirk, D. (2011) Writing the past, writing the self, re-collecting Deakin, in R.Tinning & K. Sirna (Eds.) Education, Social Justice and the Legacy of Deakin University: Reflections of the Deakin Diaspora. Sense Publications.
  • Kirk, D. (2011) Children learning in physical education: an historical overview, in K.M. Armour (Ed.) Sport Pedagogy: An introduction for coaching and teaching  sport Prentice Hall.
Recent Conference Keynotes
  • Kirk, D. (2011) The corporatization of the university, critical pedagogy and prospects for democratic assessment, Keynote presentation to the 6th International Conference of Formative Assessment in University Teaching, University of Zaragoza, Huesca Campus, Spain, September.
  • Kirk, D. (2011) Physical Education Futures: Is physical education fit for purpose in the early 21st Century? Keynote Address to the XVII Brazilian Congress of Sport Sciences and IV International Congress of Sport Sciences, Federal University of Rio Grande do Sul at Porto Alegre, Brazil, September.
  • Kirk, D., Ives, H., O’Donovan, T. (2011) Challenges facing SSPs in an era of uncertainty and austerity: Taking the longer view, Keynote presentation to the Sport Under Pressure Conference, University of Birmingham, March.
Service to the academic and professional communities

Professor Kirk is currently Editor of Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy (Routledge).

He also serves on the Editorial and Advisory Boards of several other journals, including Sport, Education and Society, the European Physical Education Review. In July 2010 he was appointed as Editor of the Routledge Series in Physical Education and Youth Sport.

In 2010 and 2011, Professor Kirk co-led and taught with Dr Jackie Goodway (Ohio State University) the Graduate Research Training Seminar of the University of Tsukuba (Japan) Summer Institute. He also coordinated with Professor Margaret Whitehead the Physical Literacies Conference, held at the University of Bedfordshire’s Putteridge Bury Campus in June 2011.

Professor Kirk is an Academician of the Academy of Social Sciences and a member of the ESRC Peer Review College.

Contact Details

Professor David Kirk
Room P2.12
Faculty of Education, Sport and Tourism
Polhill Avenue
Bedford MK41 9EA
United Kingdom

T: +44 (0)1234 793080
E: david.kirk@beds.ac.uk

Bedfordshire University

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