Rate My Professor Narelle Eather

Professor Narelle Eather serves as Professor and Discipline Lead in Health and Physical Education within the School of Education at the University of Newcastle, part of the College of Human and Social Futures. She earned her PhD from the University of Newcastle, Master of Education in Physical Education from the University of New England, and undergraduate degree in Human Movement and Health Education from the University of Sydney. Before entering academia, Eather worked as a PDHPE teacher, sport organizer, and pastoral care leader in the NSW Department of Education and Communities from 1997 to 2008. She has lectured at the University of Newcastle for over 15 years, coordinating health and physical education courses in primary and secondary teacher education programs. Her administrative roles include Deputy Head of School from 2018 to 2021, Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Education (Secondary) from 2017 to 2021, and ongoing Program Convenor for the Bachelor of Teaching (Health and Physical Education) (Hons). Currently, she is Theme Lead for Community Research at the Centre for Active Living and Learning.

Eather's research centers on promoting physical activity, physical fitness, and sports skills among children, adolescents, and young adults via theoretically driven interventions in school and community settings. Her work includes programs such as Fit-4-Fun for primary school children, DADEE (Dads And Daughters Exercising and Empowered) for family physical activity, MASTER coaching to enhance children's health through sport, and high-intensity interval training (HIIT) protocols for adolescents and office workers. She has secured over $11 million in research grants and published extensively in international peer-reviewed journals. Key publications include 'Integrating High-Intensity Interval Training (HIIT) into the School Setting: Benefits, Criticisms, and Recommendations' (2024), 'Evaluating the impact of a coach development intervention for improving coaching practices in junior football (soccer): The “MASTER” pilot study' (2023), and 'The Evolution of Football Coaching in Australia: An Historical Overview and Research Review of Coach Accreditation, Education, and Development' (2022). Eather has received accolades such as Mid-Career Researcher of the Year (2022), Early-Career Researcher of the Year (2017), Dean's Award for Teaching Excellence (2016), and Women in Research Fellowship (2018), all from the University of Newcastle. She supervises postgraduate research students and contributes to teacher training and community health initiatives.