Profile summary
My doctoral research focuses on embedding the perceptual-motor system under an ecological psychology account of human behaviour. Specifically, an experimental paradigm will be used to investigate the functional relationship between the perceptual system, and the human motor system in everyday physical tasks (walking, grasping etc.). In principle, it is believed that human behaviour occurs beyond traditional cartesian dualistic brain or body explanations, and rather, an embodied explanation showing the mutual coupling between the brain and body is more appropriate explanation. This approach will allow the research to focus in on causal nature of ‘invariant structures’ (as perceptual stimuli) in the optic array to functional engagement in every day activities, with potential application to target populations including those with significant mobility constraints.
Further to my doctoral research, I have further interests and ongoing projects in Sport Coaching Sciences pertaining to Constraints-Led Approaches and Non-Linear Pedagogy for skill acquisition. I am also a member of the Sport and Body Cultures (SBC) research group at Canterbury Christ Church University, with my specific focus on how Female Powerlifters construct and negotiate their perceptions of western femininity.
In addition to my research, I contribute towards teaching on:
Year 0 – Scientific Skills in Sport and Exercise 1
Level 4
Sport Coaching Pedagogy
Sport Coaching Practice (Module Leader)
Level 5
Research Methods Career Skills Development
Sport Coaching in Context
Level 6
Psychology of Sport Coaching
Sport Psychology
Level 7
MSc Labs
Beyond the institution I work with Gillingham Football Club with their Advanced Centre of Excellence, and Sheppey United FC as First Team Coach in Southern Counties Premier. I have also contributed CPD and research for a number of external clients including AFC Bournemouth, Emergence Coach Education and Oxford United.
You can read more about my research on Research Gate.
Publications and Media
Academic Journals
Franks, B., Jakeman, J., Roberts, W. (2019). Representing reality: Investigating the perception-action couplings of expert football goalkeepers under representative performance constraints. Studies in Perception and Action XV, 84-87.
White, A. J. and Franks, B. (2019). Film review: Concussion. International Review for the Sociology of Sport, 1-5.
Renshaw, I., Davids, K., Araújo, D., Lucas, A., Roberts, W.M., Newcombe, D.J. and Franks, B. (2018). Evaluating Weaknesses of Perceptual-Cognitive Training and Brain Training Methods in Sport: An Ecological Dynamics Critique. Frontiers in psychology, 9.
Roberts, W., Longhurst, S., Franks, B., Taylor, N., and Bush, A. (2017). Chaordic Learning Systems: Rethinking Pedagogy for the Digital. Higher Education Journal of Learning and Teaching 1(9).
Posters and Free Communication Sessions
Franks, B and Dorrell, L. (2019). Reclaiming the pit: Exploring female powerlifters negotiations of femininity in the gym space. – Free communication at British Sociological Association PGR and ECR symposium 05.08.2019, Oxford Brookes University, England.
Franks, B., Jakeman, J., Roberts, W. (2019). Representing reality: Investigating the perception-action couplings of expert football goalkeepers under representative performance constraints – Poster accepted to be presented at the International Conference for Perception and Action (ICPA) 06.07.2019, Groningen, Netherlands.
Franks, B., Jakeman, J., and Roberts, W. (2019). Investigating the representative nature of perceptual research experiments: (Re)understanding football goalkeepers expertise. – Poster accepted to be presented at Expertise and Skill Acquisition Network (ESAN) 02.05.2019, St. Marys University, Twickenham.
Franks, B., Jakeman, J., and Roberts, W. (2019). Locating the Quiet Eye: Gaze variability as an insight to expert goalkeeping performance – Free communications at BASES Student Conference 18.04.2019, Dundee, Scotland.
Franks, B. (2018). The Impact of Chronological Age on the Quiet Eye in Youth Development Phase Goalkeepers in a Professional Youth Academy – presented at Movement Skill and Acquisition Conference 07.04.2018 at Cork Institute of Technology, Cork, Ireland.
Franks, B., Newcombe, D., Roberts, W. (2017). The Quiet Eye as a determinant of expertise in Elite Soccer Goalkeepers - Methodological and Feasibility Considerations. Presented at the Second Scientific Conference on Motor Skill Acquisition 15.-17.11.2017 at Kisakallio Sports Institute, Finland.
Wider Media
Just Kickin' it podcast
The Talent Equation
Player Development Project - Context in Coaching
Player Development Project -Affordances