Katie Dray

I am a principal lecturer and course director for the BSc Sport Coaching and Development Course.

I first joined CCCU in 2003 as an undergraduate student and completed my BSc in Sport & Exercise Science with Psychology and then a PHD here exploring post event cognition in athletes. After a brief couple of years completing teaching and researching contracts at the University of Kent, Kingston University and Brunel University, I returned as a full time member of staff in 2014 to begin teaching the new coaching degree. In 2020 I took over as the course director for the degree.

I'm an active netball coach in my spare time, coaching school groups, county academies and have had experience coaching within a super league franchise. I enjoy sharing my coaching experiences with students to give them a realistic picture of the complexities of coaching in practice.

My teaching focus is on modules specifically focused for the coaching students, including modules that explore contemporary discussions in coaching practice (like doping; emotional labour; and gender discrimination) as well as modules that look at building our coaching tool box like learning how to demonstrate or communicate effectively with different audiences. I encourage students from all levels of study to work together to enhance our students community and drive our placement practices so students can get important work based learning experiences.

I have also taught a number of other modules in the Sport & Exercise Sciences such as research methods and sport psychology at both undergraduate and postgraduate level. I have also supervised postgraduate research in the areas of coach education and development and the role of social support in injury. I have acted as an external examiner for a number of institutions and am a senior fellow of the higher education academy.

My research interest lie largely in the coach as a performer in their own right, including issues such as how they learn effectively and the emotional impact of coaching activities. I have also worked on a range of research projects that encompass a broad spectrum of psychological features of involvement in sport from both a athlete and coach perspective.

Research Projects

Informal and non-formal learning in sport coach education. Researcher(s): Dr Katie Dray, Professor Mike Weed. [Project report]
The state of research in teaching and learning in sport and exercise science: A scoping review. Researcher(s): atherine E Burgess, Eddie Bradley, Katie Dray, Sarah Powell, Oliver Runswick
Exploring the use of e-portfolios in higher education coaching programs. Researcher(s): Katie Dray; Kristy Howells

Research Supervisor

Effective coaching interventions to improve communication, collaboration and confidence in people with a developmental disability. Researcher(s): Mr Joshua Russell. Supervisor(s): Dr Katie Dray, Dr Kristy Howells. [Postgraduate Research Project]
Exploring the effects of perceived social support and stress on recovery from skin barrier disruption.. Researcher(s): Mr Matthew Cunliffe. Supervisor(s): Dr Katie Dray, Dr Mark Uphill. [Postgraduate Research Project]

I am currently a CASES accredited Sport & Exercise Scientist (pedagogy) and Chartered Psychologist with the BPS. I am also a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy and I work with a number of organisations externally to support the development of Learning and Teaching in Sport & Exercise including the CASES HE endorsement group and the CASES committee for Learning and Teaching Enhancement. I also work closely with a number of local projects aimed at getting more women and girls into coaching.

BASES best kept secret – pedagogy accreditation Burgess, K., Dray, K., Powell, S., Sadler, I., Timmis, M., (2025): BASES. [Journal article]
Co-creation in the pursuit of engagement in the flipped classroom model Dray, K., Neal, C., (2025): Change Agent's Network (CAN). [Journal article]
The state of research in teaching and learning of sport and exercise science: A scoping review Dray, K., Burgess, K., Bradley, E., Powell, S., Runswick, O., (2025): Elsevier. [Journal article]
Building belonging: Integrating cross-cohort peer learning into practical coaching sessions Dray, K., Higher Education in Sport Conference. [Conference paper]
Building learning community through multi-cohort practical sessions: A case study from sport coaching Dray, K., Medway Learning and Teaching Conference 2024. [Conference paper]
Flipping the rules! Partnering with students to promote engagement with the flipped classroom Dray, K., Change Agents Network Conference 2024. [Conference or workshop item]
She Can Coach: Getting more girls into coaching Dray, K., CCCU Secondary PE Conference 2024. [Conference paper]
Students as co-creators: Improving engagement with the flipped classroom Dray, K., (2024): BASES. [Journal article]
#BalanceforBetter within sport Howells, K., Gubby, L., Dray, K., Mills, H., (2019). CCCU website: Media Department. [Research report]
#Greatcoaching within sport Howells, K., Gubby, L., Dray, K., Mills, H., (2019). Expert Comments. [Technical report]
Developing a ‘students as partners’ approach in the student research journey. Dray, K., BASES Head of Department Forum. [Conference paper]
Developing a ‘students as partners’? approach in the ? student research journey? Dray, K., BASES Head of Department Forum. [Conference paper]
Exploring the use of e-portfolios in higher education coaching programs Dray, K., Howells, K., (2019): Human Kinetics. [Journal article]
Reflections on student engagement in decision making: Partners in learning. Dray, K., Southam, M., Browne, J., Gibson, J., RAISE. [Conference poster]
Students as partners in learning: Exploring strategies to promote student decision making Dray, K., Southam, M., Mounteney, L., RAISE Annual Conference 2017. [Conference poster]
Adventures in coach learning: considering new approaches Dray, K., Foad, A., Secker, M., Weed, M., (2018): UK Coaching. [Journal article]
We need more female role models in sport to inspire the next generation Howells, K., Gubby, L., Dray, K., Mills, H., (2018): Canterbury Christ Church University. [Journal article]
“I could have gone off much harder”. Post-race counterfactual thinking in indoor rowers. Dray, K., Uphill, M., Mills, H., Southam, M., Division of Sport and Exercise Psychology Annual Conference. [Conference poster]
Moving from the playing field and into the dugout: Exploring the contributions of the 2013 DSEP conference to our understanding of the psychology and sport coaching relationship Dray, K., (2014): The British Psychological Society. [Journal article]
The thrill of defeat and the agony of victory: towards an understanding and transformation of athletes’ emotional experience Uphill, M., Dray, K.: Taylor & Francis. [Journal article]
Reflecting on reflections: the role of ‘what might have been’ Dray, K., Uphill, M., (2012): British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences. [Journal article]
The agony and ecstasy of what might have been Dray, K., European College of Sport Sciences. [Conference paper]
A survey of athletes' counterfactual thinking: precursors, prevalence and consequences Dray, K., Uphill, M., (2009): British Psychological Society. [Journal article]
Counterfactuals: Contexts and consequences Dray, K., Uphill, M., International Society for Sport Psychology World Congress. [Conference paper]
Focus groups and young peoples' views of the Olympic and Paralympic Games Mansfield, L., Chatziefstathiou, D., Curtis, H., Dray, K., Fiore, J., Weed, M., Communicating Experiences: 3rd International Conference for Qualitative Research in Sport and Exercise. [Conference paper]
Giving yourself a good beating: appraisal, attribution, rumination, and counterfactual thinking Uphill, M., Dray, K., (2009). [Journal article]

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katie.dray@canterbury.ac.uk

01227922761

Thorne (THs03), Canterbury

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School of Sciences, Psychology, Arts and Humanities, Computing, Engineering and Sport

Dr Katie Dray

Research Projects

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