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.

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.

Foundations Of Physiology And Health

This unit will introduce you to the physiological underpinnings of physical activity, disease and health and how messages related to each are translated into public policy. You will develop your knowledge and understanding within the area of fundamentals of exercise physiology. During the unit you will participate in lectures, seminars and labs to develop your theoretical and applied knowledge about physiology and policy. During lectures you will evaluate the scientific evidence related to young people, physical activity and health. During seminars, you will evaluate current policies and explore their perceived and actualised impact in schools and in youth sport. You will also apply exercise physiology concepts and principles and begin to locate these concepts in physical activity and health recommendation policies. You will be assessed in both the health and physiology components of this unit.

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

Foundations In Physical Education And Sport Pedagogy

This unit is designed to provide an introduction to pedagogy within both a Physical Education and Youth Sport context. This unit will be underpinned by current research relating to the Physical Education and Youth Sport context.  During the unit you will learn about the relationship between teaching, learning, subject matter and context through engagement in invasion games and participation in Outdoor Adventurous Activities (OAA).
You will develop your knowledge of basic teaching skills and styles. You will apply teaching skills and styles to deliver your own sessions.
You will learn how to reflect upon and evaluate the session you deliver.

Applied Exercise Practice

This unit aims to enable you to
teach and coach exercise techniques for different aspects of fitness that are included in an exercise session, including aerobic and resistance machines, free weights, free standing exercises and stretches.
Deliver an induction session in a fitness suite environment
Understand the relevance of health & safety in a fitness suite environment.
The unit explores the underlying principles and lays the foundations for the level 5  Advanced Applied Exercise Practice. 

The unit follows the Professional Standards set out by the Chartered Institute for Management of Sport & Physical Activity and allows students the opportunity to gain the Gym Instructor qualification. 

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.

Social Psychology Of Sport

This unit builds upon the foundations developed in the Level 4 Sport Psychology unit. The unit employs social-psychological theories, principles and concepts to understand behaviour in a variety of sport and physical activity contexts. Throughout the unit, the link between theory and practice is emphasised. The implications of the material for coaching, teaching, programme development and your own sport participation will be explored.

 The unit aims to enhance your knowledge and understanding based on relevant research in the following areas...

the social psychological factors influencing participation and performance in sport

group dynamics models and principles and their application to a variety of sport and activity contexts

the role of sport and physical activity in the psycho-social development of participants

the development and application of  strategies to promote positive experiences for participants

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

Pedagogies For Physical Literacy And Health

Given contemporary concerns about the physical inactivity and health of young people in the UK and internationally, this unit seeks to examine how physical activity, physical literacy and health can be promoted in physical education and sport settings.  The unit will be underpinned by current research in physical education and health.

The unit aims to provide you with:
An introduction to Physical Literacy, embodiment and a holistic approach to the development of physical literacy through physical education
An overview of different approaches to the delivery of health-based programmes in school physical education and youth sport settings
An understanding of the role initiatives such as Healthy Schools and the national measurement programmes play
An understanding of how self-determination theory can inform the development of health-based pedagogies to encourage individuals to value the physically active life

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.

Gender, Sexuality And Sport

This unit analyses the way that gender and sexuality shape sport, physical education and physical activity experiences today. It examines the social and cultural processes affecting the construction of gender and sexuality and the effect that these have on sport participation. It enables you to develop an in-depth understanding of multiple ways in which gender and sport interact, so that you are able to analyse: women as an underrepresented group in sport and physical activity; the production of gendered and sexualised identities in sport, and inclusion/exclusion.

This unit is informed by the research undertaken by the tutor (see core text) as well as that of other authors in the field

Using a problem-based learning approach, you will encounter a series of cases offering contemporary real life examples of varying ways in which gender and/or sexuality has affected or been affected by sport and physical activity organisation, policy, media and social structure.

Developing Physical Education And Sport Pedagogy

This unit is designed to develop your existing teaching skills by developing your understanding and application of learner-centred approaches through net games and striking and fielding games. This unit will be underpinned by current research relating to pedagogy and models based practice.  You will gain an appreciation of Teaching Games for Understanding and Sport Education models. You will plan, deliver and subsequently evaluate your own sessions incorporating Assessment in Learning.

Sport, Diversity And Social Justice: Race And Class

The central question that this unit aims to address is:

‘How is contemporary sport culture connected to various forms of socioeconomic and racial inequality and what is the scope and role of sport in promoting social justice?

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

Sport And The Media

The central question that this unit aims to address is:

How is sport represented and experienced on traditional and new media?

The syllabus is based on media theories and the sociology of mediated sport, and informed by contemporary research in these two areas.

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

Inclusive Physical Education And Sport Pedagogy

This unit examines the possibilities for equitable and inclusive physical education and sport for young people. The unit will be underpinned by current research relating to inclusive practice in physical education and youth sport.  You will be introduced to sociological concepts related to equity and inclusion and gain an insight into current government legislation, the NCPE and current policy/programmes and initiatives. Through a balance of practical workshops and seminars you will engage in a range of adapted activities and sports. You will be challenged to plan for and implement inclusive school based policies and activities.

Alongside the academic skills this unit will provide you with a wide range of transferable skills. These include lesson planning, working collectively with others and delivering practical activities with a core focus on enhancing your communication skills.

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.

Sport, Physical Activity And Disability

The central question that this unit aims to address is:

What are the contemporary issues facing people with disability in their participation in sport and physical activity?

The syllabus is based on key sociological theories and informed by recent research.

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 Sport Pedagogy

The unit builds upon your knowledge of pedagogy and aims to:
Critically examine contemporary critical and social justice issues in physical education and youth sport using a critical pedagogy approach
Critique sport and physical education futures from a ‘critical pedagogy approach’
Provide the opportunity for you to develop your experience and delivery of a variety of activities and challenge their philosophy, pedagogy and practice
Examine varying activities as a context for engaging in critical pedagogy

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.

Physical Activity And Health Interventions

This unit builds on your learning during level 4 to enhance your knowledge, skills and understanding of how to improve physical activity across the lifespan. The unit will develop your understanding of disease causation through an exploration of the physiological underpinnings of exercise and disease causation and the human body. This unit will enable students to understand the benefits of physical activity across the lifespan on multiple facets of health such as coronary heart disease, type 2 diabetes, cancer and obesity. You will be asked to write a scientific report based on current scientific research around disease causation and the benefits of physical activity for a public health policy maker.

In the second part of the unit you will examine research around health promotion initiatives put forward by a range of organisations, and the methods by which people can be motivated to become more physically active for health benefit. You will be required to devise a research informed health intervention programme for a population group of your choice

Physical Activity, Sedentary Behaviour And Health

What role does physical activity and sedentary behaviour have in the prevention and treatment of disease? This unit aims to provide you with a critical understanding of the effects physical activity and sedentary behaviour have on physical health. In the context of current scientific literature, the following is covered:

·         prevention and management of disease,

·         mechanisms underlying the beneficial effect of physical activity and reductions in sedentary behaviour on health

·         current and future research issues relevant to the study of the health and physical activity/sedentary behaviour relationship and critical analysis of published research

·         awareness of current government recommendations for health-related physical activity and sedentary behaviour

·         laboratory techniques relevant to the assessment of physical activity, sedentary behaviour and health.

Alongside the academic skills 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.

Dissertation For Sport Science And Physical Activity

This unit is a structured independent study which involves selecting a topic that is approved by an appropriate staff member of the School of Sport Science and Physical Activity who will subsequently become your supervisor. You will conduct an in-depth scientific study of that topic. The topic chosen should be one that is of interest to you and is also deemed to be an important topic within the field of Sport Science and Physical Activity. You will be expected to engage in considerable independent scholarly activity, building upon the initial topic and reading material discussed with your supervisor. The 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.