Introduction To Sport And Exercise Psychology

This unit introduces a range of major themes from sport & exercise psychology that have had a significant impact on the development of the growing body of knowledge which informs this domain. There is opportunity to consider a diverse range of research informed approaches that contribute to this multi-faceted discipline and explore its position in sport science and applied practice.

A significant amount of study time is devoted to exploring and clarifying how different theories and principles guide both understanding and practice in sport contexts. The unit recognises that sport and exercise psychology contributes to performance enhancement and athlete well-being, influencing many areas of practice. There will be opportunity to consider your own development as a practitioner by reflecting on a range of key psychological issues. This unit provides the foundation for future study of this area.

Working In Sport

This unit will introduce you to the multiple career pathways available within the Sport & Physical Activity industry. 

The unit will start by introducing the key agencies and organisations within the sector and consider the current situation within the industry. You will explore the challenges facing the sector and review examples of best practice.

The unit will help you consider your pathway into the sector and allow you to recognise your skills and experience as well as providing opportunities for you to consider your personal development needs.

In doing this, the unit will enable you to plan for your on-going personal development and consider your future employability. The unit will help you prepare for applying for both volunteering and potentially paid employment opportunities within local schools and community based sports clubs.

Academic Writing Skills

In this unit we will help you to find the answers to the following questions:

What do I need to do to produce academic work to a higher education standard?

What are some of the key ideas that underpin my subject area and how can I write about them academically?

This unit will equip you with the skills you need to succeed in higher education and will introduce you to the key concepts and knowledge base that underpin your field of study. It will act as an extended induction programme to your degree. You will take an active approach to constructing knowledge in the unit. All sessions are workshops where you will take part in learning activities including discussion, information gathering, analysis, evaluation, debate and written exercises. In the sessions you will complete, share, discuss and develop work. You will undertake guided, focused discussion and analysis of literature and concepts. The assessments will be approached in a step-by-step basis to ensure you are confident in what is required to complete a successful assessment at university.

Introduction To Research Methods

This unit introduces you to quantitative and qualitative research, consequently serving as a foundation stone for either the BA or BSc research methods units at Level 5. The knowledge and skills gained are essential for successful degree study. The research concepts and skills in this unit apply to each of the disciplines encountered on the Sport and Physical Education degree programme.

It introduces the concept of research methodologies and overviews basic quantitative and qualitative paradigms, research designs, data collection methods, sampling, analysis and validity/trustworthiness. You will also consider the overlaps between these approaches. Overall, the unit aims to:

Provide an introduction to the concept of methodological approaches to research and basic qualitative methods

Provide an overview of basic quantitative research methods

Introduce students to designing and undertaking research projects that apply to contemporary issues in sport and physical education disciplines

Introduction To Sport Development And Management

This unit introduces you to the UK policy framework of sport provision and examines current approaches in sport development delivery. The central question that this unit aims to address is:

‘In what ways is sport and physical activity used to develop individuals and wider society and what knowledge, skills and competences are necessary for me to achieve such aims?’

Sport, Physical Activity And Social Inclusion

This unit examines the social and cultural processes affecting the construction and experience of sport and physical activity in contemporary society. The unit introduces you to using a sociological framework for the study of sport in contemporary society. It examines key theories and concepts relating to social inclusion in sport and physical activity, centred on gender and sexuality, class, race and ethnicity, and (dis)ability. It also aims to enhance your skills of using a range of sources of information, developing logical arguments and writing in academic style.

The teaching is informed by the research undertaken by the unit co-ordinator and other sport sociologists who have all contributed to the core text.

Foundations In Sport Coaching Pedagogy

What is good coaching and why does it matter? What can research in coaching pedagogy tell us about good coaching and how can we embed this in our practice.

This unit is designed to help you answer these and similar questions by providing an introduction to coaching pedagogy in a range of sport contexts. This unit will be underpinned by current research relating to sport coaching pedagogy and practice.

This unit seeks to;

a)  introduce you to the theory and application of how to develop a positive learning environment that enables the participant to develop fundamental physical and technical skills,

b)  help you to develop your practical coaching sessions in relation to the design and delivery of practice to meet the needs of the participants.

c)  help you develop your reflective skills.

Professional Development And Employability

Building upon the skills identified and developed at Level 4 this unit will develop your PDP and tailor your development to seeking employment in Physical Education, Physical Activity and Health or Sport. The focus on grant funding knowledge reflects the high level of reliance within the industry of applying to agencies to enable a range of youth sport initiatives to increase participation. You will align your development of youth sport activities with current policy objectives and target groups.

The unit aims to provide you with:

The knowledge to identify and apply for grant funding

Project development aligned to policy and strategy: 'Sporting Future: Towards an Active Nation' (HM Government, 2015), Towards an Active Nation 2021 (Sport England, 2016).

Understand ‘partnership working’ and identify potential partners with whom to engage for your project at Level 6

Acquire the skills required relevant to the job application and interview process

Understanding the multilingual approach in youth sport

Sport And Development: Working In Communities

This unit builds on the work that you did at level 4 and extends your theoretical and applied understanding of the role of sport and physical activity within British society and its diverse communities. Through research based insight and active participation within a community sport project or activity it will enhance your awareness of the vocational opportunities available within community sport settings and the associated desirable skill sets relevant to your future employability within the various professional contexts relevant to sport and community development. 

The central question that this unit aims to address is:

‘What are the potential issues that may assist in the delivery and planning of community sport development and what work-based competencies are necessary to achieve desired outcomes?’

The syllabus draws from contemporary sport development policy and practice and is underpinned by relevant literature and theory predominantly from the social sciences.

Dissertation Preparation

The unit is fundamental to help develop the skills necessary for reading and understanding research and you will specifically design and complete a comprehensive dissertation proposal with accompanying ethical documentation. Key research areas will be discussed and students will be encouraged to read a range of peer reviewed research articles in the area they are writing a proposal in. 

Research Methods For Sport, Exercise And Physical Activity

This unit will expand upon the knowledge of the basic qualitative and quantitative methods and analysis covered during the Introduction to Research Methods unit at level 4. During this unit you will examine and conduct research using a range of methods of data collection and analysis within the field of sport, exercise and physical activity. The unit is fundamental to help continue develop the skills necessary for reading and understanding research.

Contemporary Issues And Social Practices In Sports Coaching And Development

This unit is designed to develop your awareness and understanding of the interplay between sports coaching, development, and social context. Through exploring a range of critical issues and practical themes associated with sport and physical activity in modern society, the central question that this unit aims to address is:

‘What social practices and contexts support coaching and development practitioners achieve successful social justice outcomes among diverse social groups?’

The syllabus is based on relevant theoretical perspectives from critical sociology, social-psychology and cultural studies and insights from established and innovative sport coaching and development initiatives currently in practice.  

Simultaneously, you will have the opportunity and scope to develop the personal and academic skills sets necessary to successfully progress into your 3rd year of study in a supportive environment.

Coaching To Promote Health And Well-Being In Sport And Physical Activity

This unit is designed to demonstrate how physical literacy and embodiment can be used to underpin a holistic approach to developing participant health and wellbeing in a range of sport contexts. This unit will be underpinned by current research relating to the sport coaching pedagogy and practice. This unit seeks to; 

a)     Introduce you to physical literacy as a concept to underpin holistic development to promote the health and wellbeing of participants.

b)     Help you understand how to evaluate existing programmes and design an action plan to improve current provision. 

c)     Help you develop your reflection on action to assess the effectiveness of your pedagogical practice in explicitly planning and delivering sessions that promote the health and wellbeing of participants

Psychology Of Physical Activity

This unit builds upon the foundations established in year 1 and 2 psychology units. This unit explores physical activity and exercise behaviour from a psychosocial perspective (i.e. looking at both the individual and inter-personal influences). The unit examines issues related to physical activity participation and the problem of inactivity. Positive and negative behaviours associated with exercise participation and how theses might vary within certain populations (e.g. children, older adults, or clinically obese) are considered. In addition, the relationship between physical activity participation and psychological well-being will be examined. The link between research and practice will be emphasised throughout the unit with key models, concepts and principles employed to inform the development of physical activity intervention strategies.

The unit aims to enhance your knowledge and understanding of the…

contribution of physical activity to the development and maintenance of psychological well-being

important psychological processes that underpin participation and motivation in physical activity

application of psychological principles and models to the development of informed strategies for promoting and maintaining physical activity in a variety of contexts

Dissertation For Sport And Physical Activity

This unit aims to:

 
Enhance your research knowledge (gained in L5 and 6) with a personally chosen topic focus, using your choice of research methods

Explore a key issue in sport and physical education and critically examine it through the use of current research that underpins the knowledge base of your academic curriculum

Select and use appropriate research methodologies, designs and analytical strategies that underpin a sustained piece of work

Critically discuss and explore your findings and relate them to the wider knowledge base for your chosen topic, with insightful conclusions

Work Placement Project

This unit aims to enhance student awareness of the vocational opportunities available in their chosen subject discipline and the associated desirable skills alongside opportunity for project development in a specific topic related to the work experience. Students will develop reflective practice, critical evaluation and work-based competencies as well as undertaking a project requiring data analysis. In order to achieve this, students are expected to find and maintain a suitable work placement for a minimum of 60 hours. The placement project topic chosen should relate to some aspect of the content and issues within an appropriate discipline, and should examine a limited area in depth rather than attempt any wide-ranging generalised investigation. You will be required to meet your supervisor on a regular basis to discuss your progress. You will be required to complete ethical documentation before you start your data collection. This will be reviewed by the Undergraduate School Ethics Committee via specific meetings throughout the unit. 

Work Experience For Sport Science And Coaching

This unit provides students with the opportunity to gain work experience within a suitable sport science and/or coaching environment. It will provide an invaluable opportunity for students to understand the cultural or employment context of their academic discipline and to enhance awareness of skills that are required in such applied or vocational settings. Other benefits include improving their work experience portfolios to support their subsequent pursuit of employment or promotion, enhanced communication skills, and networking opportunities.

Professional Development (Sport Policy Enactment)

This unit aims to:

In pursuing future employment within your chosen sector you are increasingly being expected to become familiar with discourses of health, sport and education. With decreasing budgets, but increasing opportunities to grant funding, this unit will develop your knowledge of project development. You will use your knowledge of working in partnership, grant applications and government policy to design a school or community based intervention to be delivered over a minimum period of 6 weeks.

You will be required to collate data to effectively monitor and evaluate your project against your agreed project outcomes. This will enable you to critically reflect upon your project design and delivery, including project limitations and/or suggested improvements.  These skills are increasingly becoming required for entry level roles within the sport sector but also develop your understanding of whole school improvement plans 

This unit will provide you with a wide range of transferable skills.  These include report writing, working collectively with others and delivering presentations with a core focus on enhancing your communication skills.

Critical Insight Into Sport And Development

The aim of this unit is to broaden your understanding of the significance of sport in society through the (self)-exploration of key concepts and theoretical perspectives from critical sport sociology including: culture, identity, socialization, embodiment, power, freedom (agency) and constraint (structure).

The central question that this unit aims to address is:

‘How is the structure and experience of contemporary sport culture connected to the broader stream of societal forces of which it is a part?”

Sport And Social Justice: Leadership For Change

Following on from your study of ‘Critical Insight into Sport and Development,’ this Unit is designed to further develop your critical thinking to become a self-directed, theoretical and reflective practitioner capable of enhancing the transformative power of sport and physical activity to enrich individual lives and also create equal, inclusive and connected communities.

The central question that this unit aims to address is:

‘How is contemporary sport culture connected to various forms of inequality (class, race, ethnicity, gender, sexuality, disability, age) and what is the scope and role of sport in promoting social justice?

The syllabus is based on theoretical perspectives from critical sociology and leadership, and insights from research on the relationships between sport, power and social justice

Running A Business

This unit is designed to explore the possibilities and realities of establishing a small Sport and Physical Activity organisation within the public private and voluntary sectors of sport. You will therefore consider management issues within context of government policy frameworks and initiatives as well as the issues of successful provision within the constraints and pressures of the commercial sector.

The range of provision for sport and physical activity has developed in response to technological, socio-economic and political changes and these factors have also shaped the rapid growth in overall provision. An appreciation of these issues underpins a thorough knowledge and understanding of the extent, use and operation of facilities and services.

The individual working in this sector must not only have a thorough knowledge of facilities, operations and services but must also understand how societal and political structures impact upon decision making processes.

Literature from Sport management, business and management, strategic sport management and economics and finance are the research basis for this unit.

Narratives Of Bodies And Health

This unit examines the anatomical, social and cultural construction of bodies and the development of physical cultural practices. Using major social theories (including feminist and poststructuralist) concerning normative and non-normative bodies, you will explore ways in which individuals make meaning out of their physical cultural practices. Physical culture as a concept draws together sport, exercise and recreation and notes the cultural influences on participation in these fields. This unit enables you to conduct nuanced analysis of the meaning of physical activity, sport and exercise in people’s lives and understand the relationship between culture/society, identity, and participation. 

The unit is framed as research-based learning with a strong relationship with the theoretical underpinnings of multiple narratives of bodies. 

Critical Pedagogies For Sport Coaching

The unit builds upon your knowledge of pedagogy and so that you can: 

Explore current socialised practices and beliefs within the field of sport development and sports coaching using socialisation theories. Using critical pedagogy, you will critically examine, identify and highlight good practice to complement and consider your own practice. 

Critically examine contemporary issues in sport coaching and community sport development with an appreciation of the holistic development of participants to promote overall wellbeing and equitable learning environments for optimum learning and performance within the field(s).

Engage in problem-based learning and experiential learning in theoretical and practical sessions to critically consider, explore and experiment with your own coaching practice. You will apply theoretical knowledge of the concepts studied to improve holistic appreciation, wellbeing and performance of all athletes/ participants to create and support equitable environments through empowerment. 

Develop awareness of aspects of identity and background that can affect athletes/ participants and apply strategies for inclusive practice, athlete development and participant engagement to enable all to thrive. 

You will reflect on your experience in Assessment 1 and use your submission and feedback to inform your application of theoretical knowledge to a design for a practical situation in Assessment 2. 

Studying Sport In Higher Education

This is a subject specific unit that builds on the knowledge and understanding that students gained in semester one of their foundation year. The unit is focused on developing students’ skills and applied knowledge relevant to their future degree study of sport. During this unit students will gain knowledge and understanding of sport in a higher education environment through exploring a range of topics and activities reflecting the variety of sport degrees within the University. The students will produce assessment work that demonstrates the development of sport specific knowledge and academic skills that are applicable in a higher education environment. This unit aims to extend students’ confidence to explore new research topics and themes relating to studying sport in higher education.

Individuals In Society (Sport)

This unit has been designed to enable you to develop your understanding of some of the core intellectual themes and issues that you will encounter as part of your degree study within the Faculty of Education and Sport.

Within the unit you will be studying aspects of current Government policy and consider how it is influencing sport, health and wellbeing. To support this you will be introduced to aspects of sociological and psychological thinking. You will use this knowledge of the underpinning theories and concepts that relate to: you as an individual; the society in which you live; the subject area that you will be focussing on during your degree.

The unit content serves the combined purposes of developing knowledge and understanding that will form the foundation for your degree studies; developing the ability to apply theory to real world examples while becoming familiar with some of the issues, skills and techniques that you will meet in your degree studies.

Studying For He (Sport)

In this unit you will be introduced to what academic study in Higher Education involves both generally and related to studying specific subjects. You will be given opportunities to develop the skills, attitudes, confidence and strategies to help you succeed in the course meeting the entry requirements for university study. 

You will be supported in identifying where you have scope to develop skills and abilities using planning for your on-going personal development, through exploring what works best for you. Tutors will guide you towards the options best suited for the subject area you are hoping to study in your degree.

As you go through the year you will notice that you will be able to link the learning that you do in this unit with other parts of the course and apply the learning to the assessments you will be doing.

Examining Research (Sport)

This unit applies subject knowledge and critical thinking that you have developed during the course. It will give you the opportunity to think about what research is and how different people in your subject area develop the research process. You will examine some research that has been done in relation to a subject that you will be studying on your degree. This is your chance to analyse what the researchers have done and assess its strengths and weaknesses

You will learn about the process of developing a small scale research project from the point of view of students and staff who have experience of doing it. You will get the opportunity to think about the advantages and disadvantages of some of the most commonly used research tools by looking at how others have used them.

 As this is an introduction before you get the opportunity to study research design and methods in more depth, the aim is to give you the opportunity to look at a variety of examples to develop an informed understanding of different approaches.

The project that you produce will demonstrate the development and application of your subject knowledge through using the academic skills that you have gained in the other units of the course. This will give you the confidence to know that you will be able to develop your skills and in future participate in work of this kind on your degree studies.

Professional Practice Year (Sport Science And Physical Activity)

This unit aims to provide appropriate work experience based learning and experience in the responsibilities of the work place. This unit will allow students to develop their professional and transferable skills in the work place and will assess individuals reflection based on key models of reflective literature and examination of professional behaviours.