The aim of the group is to explore and understand participation and engagement in a variety of Physical Education cultures; specifically the group's interests revolve around the following interests:

  • Physical Education & Health Pedagogies
  • Enhancement of Initial Teacher Education
  • Inclusive strategies for effective teaching & learning
  • Motivation towards participation and engagement in physical education
  • Policy, Practice and Curriculum Development
  • Exploring the construction and communication of Pupil Voice
  • The social construction of Gender.

In seeking to understand these areas of Physical Education the group draws upon an eclectic range of theoretical and methodological perspectives across a range of disciplines including: socio-cultural and psychological theories underpinned by both qualitative and quantitative methodologies and methods.

Current Projects

2012: EDU Pump Priming Research Fund (£948.88): The quality of teacher-pupil relationships in Physical Education: A key factor for pupils' achievement, motivation and well-being. Principal Investigator: Victoria Warbuton; Co-Investigators: Lee Beaumont and Sophia Jowerr (Loughborough University)

Completed Projects

2011: University of East Anglia Teaching Fellowship (£4,650): Peer review and evaluation: enhancing reflective abilities of student teachers. 
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb, Co-investigators: David Aldous & Kathleen Lane.

2011: UEA Outreach Opportunity Recurring Grant (£2,900): The Role of E-mentoring by university students in raising academic and sporting aspirations of Gifted and Talented pupils within the context of Physical Education & Sport.
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb, Co-investigator: David Aldous. 

2010-2011: British Academy (£4,127): A longitudinal study of the influence of peer and teacher climates in Physical Education.
Principal Investigator: Victoria Warburton.

2010: UEA Outreach Opportunity Grant (£3,244): The role of 'buddy' mentors in raising academic aspirations of talented youngsters in Physical Education and Dance.
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb, Co-investigator: David Aldous.

2009: AimHigher Grant (£9,832): Provision for Talented Key Stage 4 pupils in Physical Education: a case study of schools in a Norfolk Excellence Cluster.
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb, Co-investigators: Jan Watson & Kathleen Lane. 

2008: Training & Development Agency Initial Teacher Training E-learning Policy Research Grant(£4,900): Using ICT and student teachers to work with disaffected and ‘at risk' pupils in challenging school context.
Principal Investigator: Terry Haydn, Co-investigator: Penny Lamb (Joint group project with the UEA Research in Pedagogy and Engagement with Learning Group).

2008: UEA Outreach Opportunity Fund (£3,400): Sports days for Boys: targeting under-achieving boys in Year 7 with the potential but without the support and/or inclination to aim for Higher Education.
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb, Co-investigator: Karen Sturges

2007: School Commissioned Grant (£2,100): stage 1 of an evaluation into the impact of Sports College Status on girls' disaffection in Physical Education.
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb.

2004: Training & Development Agency Initial Teacher Training Research & Development Award(£9350): Flexible approaches in developing ITT in Vocational Education: evaluation of current effective practice in school based training (joint project with the UEA Curriculum Development Group).
Principal Investigator: Penny Lamb, Co-investigator: Julia Musson.

Consultancy Activity

2012 - to date: FdSc Sport Coaching at Easton  and Otley College.
Academic Advisor: Victoria Warburton

2011 - to date: Physical Education Consultant for the University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Nile Egyptian Project (NES) (Lee Beaumont)

2011: University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Nile Egyptian Project (NES) (£242): Review of NES Physical Education Grade 2 and 3 Teaching Guides.
Reviewer: Lee Beaumont 

2011: University of Cambridge International Examinations (CIE) Nile Egyptian Project (NES) (£81): Review of NES Physical Education Grade 6 Teaching Guide (Unit 4 – Outdoor and Adventurous Learning).
Reviewer: Lee Beaumont 

2010: Revalidation of FdSc Sports Coaching at Easton College. 
Panel Member: Lee Beaumont

2010: Validation of FdSc Sport, Health and Exercise at University Campus Suffolk Gt Yarmouth. 
Panel Member: Lee Beaumont

2010: Validation of FdSc Sports Development and Coaching at University Campus Suffolk Bury St Edmunds.
Panel Member: Lee Beaumont

2009- to date: FdA Sport, Health and Exercise and BSc Applied Sport, Health and Exercise at City College Norwich.
Academic Adviser: Lee Beaumont

2008: Validation of FdA Football Development and Coaching at University Campus Suffolk Lowestoft.
Panel Member: Lee Beaumont

Book Reviews

2011: Snowboarding bodies in theory and practice, Holly Thorpe. Sport, Education and Society (in press, Sport, Education and Society). 
Reviewer D. Aldous.

2009: Gary Stidder and Sid Hayes, Equity and Inclusion in PE (second edition), Routledge. 
Reviewer P.A. Lamb.

Members of the Physical Education Pedagogy Group

Dr David Aldous (EDU): Research interests centre around understanding the ways people experience and provide meaning to their transitions within a range of physical education and sport cultures.

Mr Craig Avieson (EDU): Research interests lie in the area of Physical Education pedagogy, children's rights, voice and provision for children with English as an Additional Language.

Dr Lee Beaumont (EDU): Research interests lie in the area of Physical Education pedagogy, with a particular emphasis on health-related policy and practice within the physical education curriculum and the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles in young people.

Dr Penny Lamb (EDU): Research interests lie in the area of Initial Teacher Education in Physical Education and Physical Education pedagogy with particular emphasis on pupil voice and pupil engagement.

Ms Maria Papaefstathiou (EDU): is a doctoral student undertaking ethnographic research exploring the welfare and protection needs of pre-elite and elite level track and field athletes in Cyprus. Her research interests also cover the welfare experiences of young ballet dancers as well as primary level students participating in PE.

Dr Esther Priyadharshini (EDU): Research interests lie in the area Gender and Identity; Inclusion & schooling issues.

Dr Victoria Warburton (EDU): Research interests lie in the area of Sport and Exercise Psychology with a particular interest in developmental aspects of young people's motivation within and beyond the school curriculum.

Membership of Professional Bodies

British Sociological Association: David Aldous
Association for Physical Education: David Aldous, Lee Beaumont & Penny Lamb
British Association of Sport & Exercise Science: Victoria Warburton & Maria Papaefstathiou
International Sociology of Sport Association: Maria Papaefstathiou
Fellow of the Higher Education Academy: Lee Beaumont, Jan Watson & Victoria Warburton
International Association for Physical Education in Higher Education: Lee Beaumont

Doctoral Students

Maria Papaefstathiou: Supervised by Dr Victoria Warburton
Gary Penn: Supervised by Dr Penny Lamb
James Hupton: Supervised by Dr Victoria Warburton