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The Scholar Practitioner in Sport, Education, and Physical Culture
Topic Information
Dear Colleagues,
The scholar–practitioner has long been identified and discussed by academics working in disciplines that have strong practical and vocational crossovers. Disciplines with literature addressing the scholar–partitioner thus range widely and include conflict resolution (Kelman, 2000), counselling (Holloway, 1994) Social Work (Smith, 2006), nursing (Forsythe, 2017), complementary medicine (Birch, 2015), organizational studies (Coghlan, 2021), management (Tkachenko, 2016), leadership (Hampton 2010) education and special education (Linn and Hemmer, 2011), minority education (Covington, 2017), religious and spirituality studies (Gross, 2001; Wellman, 2006), international relations (Bertucci et al., 2014), human resources (Hughes, 2016), and yoga studies (Singleton and Larios, 2020). It is also worth noting that a plethora of generic articles and texts on the scholar–practitioner (see, for example, Hynes, 2021) inform the topic. However, with very few notable exceptions (in particular, Van Rheenen and DeOrnellas’ 2018 edited collection on scholars–practitioners in the US context), interrogations of the scholar–practitioner within sport and physical culture remain limited and underdeveloped in spite of a growing importance being placed on the increasingly close relationships between higher education institutions and these fields. As higher education becomes increasingly industry-facing, vocationally oriented, and focused on growing their civic missions, the scholar–practitioner becomes an important point of interface or suture between the knowledge and practice of these different worlds, having much to offer both. However, one of our concerns in this Special Edition is examining how we might move beyond the binaries of theory and practice. The practices and identities associated with scholars and practitioners are often lived, experienced, and represented as binaries. How can we evolve the scholar–practitioner relationship in constructive ways, and what might the implications of evolution be? Therefore, the purpose of the Special Edition is both to revisit and advance the concept of the scholar–practitioner by exploring a range of relationships and issues related to moving beyond the scholar–practitioner as a binary. Contributions can be in the form of a research article, a conceptual paper, or a review). We are especially interested in the following subtopics as they connect to the issue of binary relationships, but submissions can address other topics as well:
- Revisiting the value of the ‘sociological imagination’ for everyday life in a lived sense;
- Reflexivity as a mode of living engagement;
- Closing the space between (or integrating) theory and practice (and vice versa);
- Positioning the scholar–practitioner as a ‘way of knowing’ (as one involved in enlightened critical practice);
- Dismantling traditional boundaries within academic and practical thought;
- Making theory live (through a critical consciousness of its use);
- The challenges of being a scholar–practitioner.
References
Bertucci, E. Borges-Herrero, E., & Fuentes-Julio, C. (2014) Toward “best practices” in scholar–practitioner relations: insights from the field of inter-American affairs. International Studies Perspectives, 15(1), 54–72.
Birch, S. (2015) Understanding Qi in Clinical Practice--Perspectives from an Acupuncture Scholar-Practitioner. Journal of Chinese Medicine, (107).
Coghlan, D. (2021) Schein, Edgar H.: The Scholar-Practitioner as Clinical Researcher. Springer Books, 1527–1539.
Covington, M., Chavis, T., & Perry, A. (2017) A scholar-practitioner perspective to promoting minority success in STEM. Journal for Multicultural Education,11 (2), 149–159.
Forsythe, L. (2017) Doctor of Nursing Projects Versus Research: Developing the Clinical Scholar Practitioner. International Journal of Qualitative Methods, 16(1): 14–14.
Gross, R. M. (2001) Passion and peril: transgressing boundaries as a feminist scholar-practitioner. Method & Theory in the Study of Religion, 13(2), 224–241.
Hampton, K. (2010) Transforming school and society: Examining the theoretical foundations of scholar-practitioner leadership. Scholar-Practitioner Quarterly, 4(2), 185–193.
Holloway, E. L. (1994) A bridge of knowing: The scholar-practitioner of supervision. Counselling Psychology Quarterly, 7(1), 3–15.
Hughes, C. (Ed.). (2016) Bridging the Scholar-Practitioner Gap in Human Resources Development. IGI Global.
Hynes, G. (2021) Coghlan, David: The World of the Scholar Practitioner and Practical Knowing. Springer Books, 407–426.
Linn, D., & Hemmer, L. (2011) English language learner disproportionality in special education: Implications for the scholar-practitioner. Journal of Educational Research & Practice, 1(1), 70–80.
Kelman, H. C. (2000) The role of the scholar-practitioner in international conflict resolution. International Studies Perspectives, 1(3), 273–287.
Smith, K. K. (2006) On Becoming a Scholar-Practitioner. In Cnaan, R. A., Dichter, M. E., & Draine, J. (Eds.). (2008) A Century of Social Work and Social Welfare at Penn. University of Pennsylvania Press.
Singleton, M., & Larios, B. (2020) The scholar-practitioner of yoga in the western academy. In Routledge Handbook of Yoga and Meditation Studies. Abingdon: Taylor & Francis.
Tkachenko, O., Hahn, H. J., & Peterson, S. (2016) Theorizing the research-practice gap in the field of management: A review of key frameworks and models. In C. Hughes, (Ed.). Bridging the Scholar-Practitioner Gap in Human Resources Development, (101–119). IGI Global.
Van Rheenen, D., & DeOrnellas, J. M. (Eds.). (2018) Envisioning Scholar-practitioner Collaborations: Communities of Practice in Education and Sport. IAP.
Prof. Dr. David Brown
Prof. Dr. Robyn Jones
Topic Editors
Keywords
- scholar–practitioner
- sport
- education
- physical culture
- theory–practice
- identity
- reflexivity
Participating Journals
| Journal Name | Impact Factor | CiteScore | Launched Year | First Decision (median) | APC |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Education Sciences
|
3.0 | 4.0 | 2011 | 24.9 Days | CHF 1800 |
Societies
|
2.1 | 2.3 | 2011 | 32.6 Days | CHF 1400 |
Sports
|
2.7 | 5.2 | 2013 | 19.3 Days | CHF 1800 |
Sustainability
|
3.9 | 5.8 | 2009 | 18.8 Days | CHF 2400 |
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Published Papers (9 papers)
Planned Papers
The below list represents only planned manuscripts. Some of these manuscripts have not been received by the Editorial Office yet. Papers submitted to MDPI journals are subject to peer-review.
Title: Questions of Identity and Worth in Sport Psychology Scholar Practitioners
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: Abstract: In line with other academic disciplines, sport psychology academics working in Higher Education (HE) in the United Kingdom (UK) in lecturer and senior lecturer positions are typically required to hold a PhD in sport psychology or a related discipline. To work in applied practice with athletes, coaches, National Governing Bodies (NGBs), and sporting organisations, practitioners are required to acquire a qualification that affords registration with the Health and Care Professions Council (HCPC) through either a British Psychology Society (BPS) or British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences (BASES). Accordingly, scholar-practitioners, who have “a foot in both worlds” (Tenkasi & Hay, 2008), are required to have two related but distinct qualifications, each of which require considerable resources (i.e., time, finances, commitment) to achieve. Programmes that are accredited by the BPS (e.g., MSc Sport & Exercise Psychology) require HCPC registered practitioners to lead (and often deliver) the courses. However, the contractual obligations of these practitioners are often restricted to research and learning and teaching (L&T). Applied practice is typically performed outside the institution either on short term or private contracts and is expected to be in addition to the primary responsibilities of the academic. This chapter addresses the benefits to both the individual and the institution of employing individuals who identify as scholar-practitioners. It then addresses some of the dilemmas and conflicts that these individuals may encounter in their primary workplace which typically does not provide for applied practice (either in time or financial incentives). Real-world examples will be in the form of reflections from the author’s own experiences. I am an HCPC Practitioner Psychologist, registered following completion of the BPS Qualification in Sport and Exercise Psychology (QSEP), my practice is limited to minimal private work and supervision of trainee sport psychologists (BPS). I am also a Senior Lecturer in Sport and Exercise Psychology at Cardiff Metropolitan University and am the Programme Director of the MSc Sport Psychology. The role requires me to be HCPC registered as well as having a PhD in Sport Psychology.
Title: The shared sociological imagination: A scholar-practitioner tale from the boxe popolare field
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: In this proposale, I take into account the personal involvement in boxe popolare (people’s boxing), focusing on my academic profile as a tool to support the boxe popolare agenda. Over the past four years, boxing regularly with my teammates, I have been working out a ‘shared sociological imagination’; a fundamental aspect of my positioning as a scholar-practitioner. The paper addresses several topics, such as the researcher’s role in ethnography; reflexivity; the need, as social scientists, to think out of the box overcoming the theory/practice divide - an echoes of the Burawoy’s idea of ‘public sociology’ . Moving behind the scenes of my boxe popolare ethnography, I provide a ‘confessional tale’ in order to shed light on the importance of theoriszing, as a creative practice which in truth results extremely meaningful in everyday life, even in all those extremely carnal and sensuous social words - for example, boxing - that seem to undermine the intellectual activities. Developing the Wacquant’s notion of ‘habitus as topic and tool’, I consider sociological imagination a skill that can be cultivated even by those social agents who are not familiar with academia. I hence argue that one characterizing trait of the scholar-practitioner breed should consist in working out agency, both on an individual and on a collective level. Such an attempt can be seen as a potentially emancipatory strategy. It allows people with whom we conduct our research and practices to live with and though theory, transposing shared ideas, languages and meanings in novel mundane activities.
Title: Bordering, connecting and dispelling within sports coaching: Erasing the practitioner-scholar divide
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: The picture currently evidenced of sports coaching is one where practitioners and scholars operate not at different ends of a continuum, but rather on parallel lines of development; in essence, of talking past as opposed to each other. Through a critical re-reading of this practitioner-scholar divide, this paper takes issue with the existence of the separate identities featured, in addition to the argument that we merely need a ‘better’, rather straightforward, connection between theory and practice to ‘fix the problem’ (Jones, 2019). Alternatively, the case made highlights how the problematic ‘othering’ nature of a theory-practice division, and the resulting binary practitioner-scholar identities, has severely hampered development of the field. Similarly, even well-intentioned attempts at integration through use of terms such as ‘pracademic’ or ‘practical theorist’ are criticised in augmenting fragmented thinking through discursive practice. In terms of structure, we initially challenge existing ‘anti-intellectual’ claims within coaching, essentially by arguing for better appreciating the everyday, socio-pedagogic nature of the activity. In taking a lead from Gardiner (2000), we argue for research to better position itself at the “inherent contradictions, ambivalences and emancipatory tendencies” of coaching (p.19), in addition to giving greater credence to its corporal, ethical and affective features. In this respect, the ‘withering away’ and relegation of experience, of the inherent ‘code of coaching’ (so dear to coaches themselves), is protected against. Secondly, we promote the idea of encouraging coaches, coaching scholars and coach educators to consider the indivisibility of theory and practice through the use of sensitizing concepts, internalisation and authenticity to improve the ‘doing’ of the job. Of particular importance here is the development and utilisation of a critical consciousness of coaching; not only of understanding the activity (verstehen) but also in actively fashioning it through engagement with new ideas. This latter notion gives required credence, however loosely, to some guiding frame of reference, otherwise we become enmeshed in and blinded by the immediate. Such concepts can liberate one’s sociological imagination to explore why things are as they are and how they can possibly be done better. Hence, we agree with Madison’s sentiment that although “I would surely lose myself without performance, I cannot live well without theory” (1999, p.109). In dismantling the wall that has divided practitioners and scholars by not giving authority or indeed acceptance to such fixed positions, we alternatively advocate for the creation of a more authentic coaching life through living the theory that actively sustains it.
Title: Critical reflexivity and positionality on the scholar-practitioner continuum: researching women’s embodied subjectivities in sport
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: The sports world has many prejudices converted into common sense. Some relate to the idea of athletes being strong or pretty but endowed with little intelligence. There is another view, perhaps a little more accurate, around the reification of consciousness in the name of the automation and maximum outcome of the body. Both views are informed by Cartesian thinking, perpetuating the mind-body dichotomy. Such a dichotomy is spread in several other areas in our society, expressed as binaries. We meet a binary when doing research as well, disembodying the researcher as someone neutral, objective, and highly rational. Someone who, in synthesis, performs good mental work, but who must not let feelings intrude. On the contrary, we argue that we are embodied beings who are often not able to (and maybe should not) seek to become detached from previous experiences and knowledge when conducting research. Even though this can present itself as a challenge, we consider that a fluid-not-binary being encompasses their actions holistically and performs their tasks on a continuum. The purpose of this paper is to explore the reflexive process embedded in carrying out a PhD project committed to studying the production of the embodied subjectivities of a group of women high-level athletes in karate. The researcher in the field was not a high-level athlete, however, had several experiences competing at the amateur level in different countries, facing experiences to some extent similar to those of the elite athletes. She used her previous experience as a karateka, researcher, and woman to inform her research-doing, since the social issues faced by her motivated her research questions, and her lived queer feelings; feelings of discomfort and inadequacy to environments served as a sort of compass in understanding other karateka women’s feelings. She plunged into a process of self-reflection and counted on the guidance of the second author in organizing her learning in order to use it in her scholarship. That was, primarily, an experience of ‘practice’ of subjectivity examining others’ production of subjectivity, besides strengthening a positionality that had lacked self-confidence. Thus, we explore issues around the researcher-practitioner theoretical-practical continuum of research-doing, presenting a journey that became empowering.
Title: Martial Arts Scholar-Practitioners: Typologies, Transitions and the Field of Tension
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: Martial arts are concerned with continuous practice and refinement of techniques expressing specific pedagogical and philosophical principles, and many styles afford practitioners with decades of practice without official retirement. As the academic field of martial arts expands, one trend continues: The fact that scholarship is ordinarily undertaken by active learners and experienced (and sometimes veteran) practitioners of one or more fighting systems. These martial arts scholar-practitioners tend to be positioned according to specific typologies, from a more distant (and sometimes critical) scholar with less combat acumen to the experienced instructor who is keen to read and engage in collaborative research. This article introduces a taxonomy of eight martial arts scholar-practitioner typologies of the: 1) Supportive scholar; 2) former practitioner; 3) practitioner in stand-by; 4) immersed apprentice; 5) budding scholar-practitioner; 6) temporary practitioner-researcher; 7) experimental leader, and 8) inquisitive teacher. These typologies are examined in depth using the case of Capoeira, one of the most academically studied martial arts in the world – especially from an ethnographic perspective. Drawing on the German concept Spannungsfeld – the “field of tension” between science and practice – we reveal specific strengths and limitations of each of these typologies while also arguing for the common, predictable transition from one position to another across the course of a martial arts career or research project. Finally, we consider some practical solutions to mitigate the relative weaknesses and oversights from specific typologies, including the ability to work together in teams of scholar-practitioners from different perspectives in both academia and the art in question. We close with suggestions for empirical research to test and refine our visual, methodological model. Keywords: Capoeira; ethnography; martial arts; positionality; Spannungsfeld; taxonomy.
Title: Social Integration via Taekwondo Practice: through the Lens of the ‘Sociological Imagination’
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: As a South Korean instructor, I have been teaching Taekwondo abroad since 2006 as a practitioner and instructor to local people, migrant Koreans, migrants from Europe and North America, and also refugees from various countries. Mills (1959, 2000) emphasises the significance of the relationship between life and history in society in his book Sociological Imagination as follows: “The sociological imagination enables us to grasp history and biography and the relationships between the two in society (See p. 6).” In terms of his thoughts, I found the significance of the fact that the biography of my personal life and narratives as a Taekwondo practitioner and instructor is deeply related to the history within the society I belong to and further to the specific historicity of the global community. For instance, when I exercise my sociological imagination, I realise that my experiences are deeply related to important sociological issues such as migration for direct and indirect reasons such as war, hunger, political issues, globalisation, etc. that generate refugees and population movement, and also to the issue of Social Integration arose from the perspective of the host country. In particular, the insights of Mills’ Sociological Imagination encourage me to consider my personal experiences of Taekwondo are academically valuable. As a researcher who studies the social integration of ethnic minorities and also as a practitioner who teaches Taekwondo to help refugee and migrant practitioners integrate into the community and society, this encouragement gives significant motivation for the practice and the study. Furthermore, this paper will include the exploration of the reciprocal impact between my Taekwondo experiences and the academic journey through my MA and PhD. This paper aims to address the Social Integration of migrants including refugees as an important sociological topic, by connecting my experience and historicity based on Mills’ Sociological Imagination. For this purpose, I adopt autoethnography as a methodology following the discovery of Spencer (2010). In her paper, she concludes that using Sociological Imagination is the same as using autoethnography after exploring Mills’ Social Imagination and Denzin’s (1989, 1990, 1997, 2003) studies. Keywords: sociological imagination, migration, social integration, autoethnography.
Title: Bridging the Gap: Integrating Theory and Practice for Early Childhood Physical Education Teacher Education in Korea
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: Early childhood physical education plays a crucial role as it creates the first impression of physical activity and promotes lifelong participation. However, physical education for young children is challenging in Korea due to the lack of expertise among teachers. This study aims to explore effective teacher training strategies for normalizing physical education for young children in Korea. The study will involve conducting three Delphi surveys with a total of 20 experts, including scholars and practitioners in the field of early childhood physical education, to synthesize their opinions and derive effective teacher education strategies for early childhood physical education. The Delphi survey will enable the active utilization of the diverse expertise of scholars and practitioners to explore teacher education strategies for physical education in early childhood. The teaching strategies will be investigated and categorized into pre-service teacher education strategies and in-service teacher education strategies. Specific guidelines will be provided to include the goals, content, methods, evaluation, and environment of the physical education for young children. The teacher education strategies derived from this study will prioritize the integration of theory and practice and consider the health and growth of young children as the top priority. Additionally, the strategies will be based on the common opinions of scholars and practitioners and contain specific and realistic content that can be actively utilized in teacher education for physical education for young children.
Title: Exploring the Connection between Scholars and Practitioners for Revitalization of Traditional Culture Education: Focusing on Korean Court Dance Education
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: This study proposes education as a way to preserve the value of traditional culture. However, the analysis and preservation of traditional culture is being done within the national policy, but it is not considered at the practical level. The purpose of this study is to strengthen the connection between scholars and practitioners through the analysis of educational contents that can be used in the practical dimension of traditional culture. This is intended to present academic research on traditional culture as an educational content that teachers can utilize in the educational field. As the purpose of art education, the contents of education are analyzed through the concept of literacy. Because Korean court dance has meaning and symbolic system, it has social, historical, philosophical and artistic values. Based on the components of dance literacy, the contents of education will be explored. The research method is literature analysis, and the contents of education are to be derived by focusing on research on literature data, society, philosophy, and art of court dance. In order to revitalize traditional culture education, this study propose systematic educational contents for court dance in terms of physical, cognitive, and artistic aspects of dance literacy. Through this, the preservation of tradition can be activated as a practical value in education beyond academic value, and can be used as a cultural competency in modern society.
Title: Challenges and tensions in the practitioner-researcher continuum: Insights from research on meditative practices
Authors: anonymous
Affiliation: anonymous
Abstract: The study of meditative / contemplative practices, in particular mindfulness interventions, has been largely conducted from a quantitative perspective assessing the effectiveness and standardisation of these interventions across populations. Whilst qualitative research to understand the implications of sociocultural aspects in the teaching of mindfulness has increased recently, little has been published on the challenges and tensions that arise from overlapping positions: the common standpoint of being a meditation practitioner while investigating how meditative practices are delivered. In this paper, I adapt the “mindful inquiry” (Bentz and Shapiro 1998) approach to reflect on my own journey as a psychology student who became a meditation practitioner and then moved to a critical social scientific perspective to understand mindfulness and other meditative practices in context. My methodological approach foregrounds the role of researchers' subjectivity in knowledge production around the topic of mindfulness using the method of mindfulness meditation as informed by the concept of “mindful ethics” (González-López 2011). By reflecting on my different positions as a practitioner, a teacher and a researcher and observations from fieldwork in Mexico, my analysis reveals the power dynamics and tensions around using the dominant scientific discourse in the teaching of meditative practices. These insights also raise concerns about the sustainability of maintaining the practitioner-researcher continuum, emphasising the need of interdisciplinarity to advance scholarship on contemplative practices.
