[ Qualifications ]
[ Principal Interests ] [ Research
Supervision ]
[ Biographical
Note ] [ Current
and Recent Research ] [ Publications ]
Qualifications
- BEd (Hons) Physical Education (Jordanhill College; Scottish School of Physical Education)
- MSc Sports Science (Loughborough
University, School of Sport & Exercise Sciences)
- PhD Exercise Physiology (Loughborough University, School of Sport & Exercise Sciences)
Principal
Interests
I am interested
in the application of sports science within physical
education. Areas include:
- motivational
climate
- approaches
to games teaching
- decision
making in games
- constructivism
and talent development
- coach
education
- learning
and weightlifting
- stress
in trainee teachers
- environment and performance
Research
Supervision
Doctoral students - Principal supervision:
- Stewart Ollis: Successfully completed
October 2007, graduated 2008, 'Constructivist Expertise:
a critical ecological and micro developmental perspective
on developing talent'.
- Christine Nash: Graduated July
2008, 'Relative practice as a tool for developing
sport coaching expertise'.
- Shirley Gray: Graduated July 2008,
'Team invasion games within the Scottish PE curriculum:
Rhetoric, reality and implications for practice'.
- Neil Potts: Successfully completed
November 2008, graduating 2009, 'An investigation
into the influence of learning strategy on the acquisition
of the Olympic weightlifting clean'.
- Danielle Bryant: ESRC funded (commenced
September 2007), 'Teacher stress, learned optimism
and coping strategies'.
- Andrew Horrell: EdD, anticipate completion 2010.
- Geoff Platt (part-time, external
student): 'Strength training as an intervention for
children with DCD', anticipate 2010 completion.
- Shaun Phillips: Funded by a College
Postgraduate Research studentship, commenced September
2008, in the area of 'environment, hydration, endurance & cognition'.
Doctoral
students - Second supervision in my current position:
- Rosemary Mulholland: Successfully
completed November 2008, graduating 2009, 'Stress
in trainee teachers'.
- Mike Jess: 'Complexity theory and
curriculum development', anticipate late 2009 submission.
- Steve Banks: ESRC funded, 'Contextual
interference and learning to kayak', commenced September
2008.
- Mark Sanderson: Funded PhD studentship,
in partnership with the Scottish Institute of Sport,
in the area of applied sport physiology of strength
and conditioning, commenced January 2009.
Previous
doctoral supervisory experience includes second supervision
of 3 successfully completed doctoral students and
one successfully completed MPhil student.
Biographical
Note
Dr John
Sproule is the Course Leader for PGDE
Physical Education at the University of Edinburgh.
He also lectures on the Masters'
programme in Strength and Conditioning (Paediatric
Factors in Sport), the Applied
Sports Science undergraduate degree (environmental
physiology) including medical students on the intercalated
degree, and the BEd
Physical Education programme.
John taught Physical Education in comprehensive schools
in England and Scotland for many years before completing
a taught Masters degree in Sports Science at Loughborough
University, funded by the 'All Saints Educational
Trust'. Following this he lectured Physical Education
full-time at Nanyang Technological University (Singapore)
as part of a project involving The British Council,
Loughborough University and The Singaporean Ministry
of Education (1986-95). During this time John completed
a PhD (aided by sponsorship from Nike Ltd & Quaker
Oats Ltd) with Loughborough University as a part-time
external student. He then spent two years as a Senior
Lecturer in Physical Education at University College
Chichester, followed by two years as Principal Lecturer
and Programme Leader in Physical Education at De
Montfort University (Bedford). In 2001 he took up
his appointment at the University of Edinburgh. Examples
of his consultancy activity include work in coach
education for the International Division of the English
Sports Council in the West Indies, evaluation research
for the Australian Sports Commission, world cup preparation
for the Scottish rugby squad, advisor for the Excel
project, and work in the field of international
education.
Current
and Recent Research
I am currently engaged in several areas of personal academic interest:
- Motivational climate, teaching approach and talent development
- Stress and learned optimism in trainee PE teachers
- Entropy, economy and co-ordination
- Contextual interference
- Whole body vibration training
- Hydration, children and environmental stress
Conference Presentations:
- Sproule,
J., Ollis, S. and Gray, S. A constructivist model
highlighting the integrated, synergetic and co-constructive
nature of talent development in games Fourth
International Teaching Games for Understanding
Conference, May, Vancouver, Canada
- Sproule,
J. Effects of motivational climate in Singaporean
PE lessons on intrinsic motivation and physical
activity intervention. AIESEP World Congress,
Finland.
- Sproule,
J. & Simpson, A. AMS symptoms are associated
with decreased physical activity during high
altitude residence in free living individuals.
Royal College of Physicians, Edinburgh.
- Sproule,
J. 2nd International Conference on Teaching Sport & Physical
Education for Understanding. Age, field dependence/independence & decision
making in soccer. Melbourne, Australia.
Publications
Selected
Publications:
Sproule, J., Ollis, S., Gray, S., Thorburn, M., Allison, P. and Horton, P., 2009
'Promoting perseverance and challenge in physical education: the missing ingredient
for improved games teaching'. Sport, Education and Society (in press).
Nash, C., Sproule, J. and Horton, P., 2009 'Excellence in coaching: the art and
skill of elite practitioners'. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport (in
press).
Gray, S., Sproule, J. and Morgan, K., 2009 'Teaching Team Invasion Games and Motivational Climate'. European Physical Education Review, Vol. 15(1), pp. 1-23.
Nash, C., Sproule, J. and Horton, P., 2008 'Sports Coaches Perceived Role Frames and Philosophies of Sport Coaches'.
International Journal of Sports Science and Coaching, Vol. 3(4), pp. 535-550.
Sproule, J., Wang, J., Morgan, K., McNeill, M. and McMorris, T., 2007 'Effects of motivational climate in Singaporean Physical Education Lessons on Intrinsic Motivation and Physical Activity Intention'. Personality and Individual Differences, Vol. 43, pp. 1037-1049.
 More
on the School's Publications Database
|
