Recontextualising physical education in nature with green and blue spaces: Benefits to health, wellbeing and planetary outcomes among children and adolescents

About the Project

Childhood and adolescence are critical times to promote sustainable physical activity behaviours for disease prevention and lifelong impact. The importance of ‘focusing on preventing sickness, not just treating it’ is highlighted as one of the ‘three shifts’ in the NHS 10 Year Health Plan to help build a health service fit for the future. The health benefits of physical activity may be amplified when in natural environments, i.e., green and blue spaces, and extended to positive planetary health outcomes, including human-nature connections and pro-environmental behaviours. Despite the well-documented physical and mental health benefits of engaging in regular physical activity as well as nature exposure, there are concerns that many children and adolescents are physically inactive, engaging in sedentary behaviours and spending time indoors rather than outdoors in nature. Further, the distinct metabolic profiles (e.g. compromised blood glucose (sugar) control during puberty), behavioural profiles (e.g. physical inactivity patterns in and out of school) and social issues (e.g. social media, mobile phone use, body norms, and safety/risk in public spaces, poor mental health and wellbeing) affecting children and adolescents means that research involving this population is required to inform tailored recommendations. As such, this age group is a key target population for nature-based physical activity interventions.

Physical Education (P.E) classes in a school environment have the potential to provide a forum through which all children and adolescents are provided with the motivation, confidence and physical competence to lead and value a physically active life. As the vast majority of children and adolescents attend school, P.E has reach to act as an avenue for meaningful, nature-based activity and learning across children and adolescents with varied demographic characteristics. Despite calls to move away from a heavily socialised, teacher-directed, sports centric, games- based curriculum with a view to meet the needs of 21st century children and adolescents, this has yet to be achieved. As such, the impact of current P.E curriculum design and practice on lifelong physical activity and engagement beyond the school gates and the potential for inclusion of nature-based physical activity could have important implications for the health of future generations. Physical Education teacher socialisation, beliefs and impact on practice has been well researched; however, behaviour change relating to curriculum and pedagogical choices is less explored.

With many children and adolescents being classified as ‘physically inactive’ and climate change placing uncertainties on their futures, research on the co-benefits of nature-based physical activity for physical and mental health and pro-environmental behaviours in this population is highly topical. This PhD will work with P.E teachers, children and adolescents to: 1) understand how nature-based physical activity within a P.E and wider school context impacts on health and nature-connections/pro-environmental behaviours (using current interventions, e.g., Forest School sessions, P.E. classes such as orienteering/field-based sport) and 2) explore the facilitators and barriers to changing delivery of P.E in school settings to meet the needs of 21st century learners holistically to help to prepare them for life beyond formal education and promote long term physical activity and health.

The research will cover a range of highly topical disciplines (e.g., health, pedagogy, behaviour change, climate change/sustainability) and utilise a mixed-methods approach to culminate in real-world application and impact in the field. The specific nature and research methods of each stage is open for discussion and will emerge as the research progresses. The successful applicant will work with a multi-disciplinary team of leading academics and external stakeholders to build an excellent knowledge and skill base for a future career within the field. Additional expected outcomes include outputs in academic journals, conference presentations, stakeholder-related activities (e.g., lay summaries, school assemblies) and building partnerships with stakeholders.

Please note that the research outlined can be undertaken as a PhD (typically 3 years if studying full-time) or, alternatively, as a smaller project in the form of a Masters by Research (typically 1 year if studying full-time).

The institution

The Institute for Sport and Physical Activity Research (ISPAR) at the University of Bedfordshire capitalises on local, national and international opportunities for collaborative interdisciplinary cross-boundary research and innovation in health and wellbeing. In Bedford, we have academic roots in physical education that go back to 1903. These traditions frame our current provision from which we deliver rich learning experiences and internationally recognised research. The successful candidate will join our lively community of postgraduate researchers, comprising of a wealth of interests particularly in applied health, sport, and, physical activity. Further details of ISPAR can be found here: https://www.beds.ac.uk/ispar/.

REF2021 Results

Research in ISPAR was entered into the Unit of Assessment 24 - Sport and Exercise Sciences, Leisure and Tourism, with 89% of research outputs and 75% of research impact graded as world leading/internationally excellent.

Supervisory team

Successful candidates will be supported by the following multi-disciplinary team of leading academics: Dr. Michelle Flemons (Michelle.Flemons@beds.ac.uk), Dr. Julia Zakrzewski-Fruer (Julia.Fruer@beds.ac.uk), and Professor Angel Chater (Angel.Chater@beds.ac.uk). Staff profiles are here: https://www.beds.ac.uk/ispar/about/staff/.

Funding Notes

This is a self-funded opportunity. Information on research degree fees and scholarships can be found here: https://www.beds.ac.uk/rgs/fees-and-scholarships/. Candidates will be provided with dedicated researcher training and supervision, alongside research consumables and dissemination activities where possible.

Enquiries

• Dr. Michelle Flemons; Michelle.Flemons@beds.ac.uk
• Dr. Julia Fruer; Julia.Fruer@beds.ac.uk

Application Deadline

Applications all year round. Please see the University of Bedfordshire Research Graduate School webpage for March and October intake deadlines: https://www.beds.ac.uk/rgs/apply/