I am the Deputy Chair of Ethics for the Faculty and I act up as Chair during summer cover. I have contributed to the new animal ethics policy within the University. I have external and internal examined for Doctorate level students, as well as seeing my own students through to completion. I also supervise Master's by Research students. My research expertise is in the field of physical activity interventions, physical activity and mental health, physical education, physical development as well as public health and children's diet and nutrition (specifically fluid intake).
My doctorate worked focused on children's physical activity levels that occurred within the primar school setting and the contribution Physical Education lessons make to children's overall measured physical activity levels within the school day. It investigated children’s perceived level of physical activity and compared this with children’s physical activity measured by accelerometers. The majority of previous physical activity research has focused on secondary aged children and adults, with little on physical activity levels achieved by primary aged children within school time, or on the comparison between infants (6 – 7 year olds) and juniors (9 – 10 year olds). Data were collected within a case study setting in one school, over one school year. 20 children, 10 infants and 10 juniors wore Actigraph accelerometers to record physical activity intensity levels throughout the school day. A repeated measures 3 factor ANOVA was used to analyse the effects of factors including the following: type of day (PE days / Non PE days); year group (infants / juniors); parts of the day (curriculum time / morning break / lunchtime / afternoon break) and gender (male / female). P values of <0.05 were taken as the value for statistical significance ± one standard deviation. The findings revealed that children were more physically active on school days that included Physical Education lessons. Boys were more physically active at a moderate to vigorous level than girls. Junior boys were able to accumulate 60 minutes of moderate to vigorous physical activity within the school day on a day that included Physical Education lessons and in doing so reached the World Health Organisation's (WHO, 2010) recommendations for children’s physical activity within the school day. Children’s perceived physical activity levels matched their accelerometer recordings, in particular for junior boys during break time and for girls during Physical Education lessons.
My research interests include children's health, children's physical activity levels, physical eduaction, children's diet and nutrition specifically fluid and hydration. As well a teaching and learning within HE.
My research outputs are accessible here.
Most recently I published a book on Mastering Primary Physical Education, with colleagues from my team.
My thesis is accessible here .
