Paul Wright, an NIU Board of Trustees Professor in the Department of Kinesiology and Physical Education, is celebrating the recent publication of “Qualitative Research and Evaluation in Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy.”
Published by Jones & Bartlett Learning in conjunction with SHAPE America, and focusing on the unique nature of qualitative methods within kinesiology settings, the book guides graduate students and early career researchers through designing, conducting and reporting of qualitative research studies with specific references to the challenges and possibilities of the field.
Wright and co-editors Kevin Andrew Richards and Michael A. Hemphill begin with an overview of qualitative methods before advancing into planning for, collecting and analyzing qualitative data. The final sections highlight specific qualitative methods applications in physical education and activity before discussing future directions and emerging applications of qualitative research.
Wright recently answered questions from the College of Education’s Ed News.
What inspired you and your co-editors to write the book?
There are many excellent textbooks available on qualitative research and evaluation methods in the social sciences and some specifically about the educational context; however, none has been published that is tied specifically to the physical education and sport pedagogy field. My co-editors (Drs. Kevin Andrew Richards and Michael Hemphill) and I felt that a text written by and for researchers in this specific field would contextualize the information and make it more appealing and accessible to other researchers in our field.
What makes qualitative methods within kinesiology settings unique?
Sport, exercise and other physical activity settings are extremely dynamic. They are active, interactive, emotionally charged settings that provide glimpses into human nature, culture, social interactions and more. The subtle teaching and learning interactions (i.e., pedagogy) that occur in these active settings are distinct from other settings (e.g., classrooms) but well understood if you look to bodies of literature on physical education, sport psychology, sport sociology, etc. While many of the general methods (e.g., case study and observation) are the same, qualitative researchers in these settings apply them in precise ways given the dynamics of a program, the phenomena being examined, the relationship between researchers and participants, etc.
How did you and your co-editors gather the information you present, and what makes it different than previous knowledge on this area of research?
All three of us have used qualitative research and evaluation methods quite a bit in our careers. So, in planning the focus and contents of the book, we drew heavily from our own experience and we were authors on several of the chapters. However, we recognized the need to bring in additional voices and perspectives and to include individuals with more expertise on specific topics. So, we recruited an impressive lineup of contributing authors, including leaders in the field and early career trailblazers. This allowed us to facilitate the writing of a book that include yet extends beyond our understanding and experience.
Who should read this book – and why?
Current researchers and graduate students in fields related to physical education and sport pedagogy should consider reading this book. Of course, those who conduct qualitative research should be at the front of the line because they will find numerous examples and applications rooting in familiar settings that might inform their work. Those who conduct quantitative research may also be interested because it will help them to become better consumers of the diverse forms of research in the field and to appreciate the complexity of qualitative research.
What did you learn in writing the book, and how might that change your own practice?
We invited authors with extensive experience to address qualitative research topics and illustrate how they have been applied in physical activity settings. These rich, varied and concrete examples rooted in physical activity settings help bring these concepts to life. Personally, I learned more about the use of technology and social media in conducting research as well as the ethical challenges related to topics such as representation and power dynamics when conduction research with rather than on community members. Across the board, authors shared their own experiences, challenges and insights in a relatable way. An unintended outcome of this is that we have taken a snapshot in time of some of the most innovative and cutting edge research being conducted in our field by a collection of inspiring and passionate researchers. I know I have a much greater sense of the depth, breadth and quality of work being done in our field.
