First Research Symposium at National Practitioners PE and Sport Conference

The YST’s Learning Academy consists of their extended workforce including course tutors (delivering YST training programmes), Athlete Mentors (ex and current professional/ Olympic athletes), Development Coaches (Mentors to local School Games Organisers and school sport partnerships) and Team Leaders (young leaders training to help other young people).

The concept of taking an academic conference-style research symposium to a conference for practitioners came from discussions between Carnegie School of Education’s Senior Consultant (and YST National Tutor) Paul Ogilvie and the Learning Academy Manager, Phil Wylie. The concept was not just to present the latest research but also to make sense of it on behalf of the practitioners. School of Education Colleagues Professor Jonathan Glazzard, Kate Bancroft, Claire Birkenshaw, and Colin Mitchell were asked to present their latest findings from their own empirical research as well as the latest publications from around the world. The topics presented were:

• The impact of social media use/misuse on staff and students within educational settings.
• Considerations necessary to allow LGBTQ+ pupils a sense of belonging in PE and school.
• PE Curriculum design and its impact on mental health of school children
• Contemporary research on mental health, Physical Education and School Sport

Each presenter was able to give a snapshot of their research followed by the opportunity for delegates to ask questions. The presenters brief was to present their evidence in a manner that would be easy to follow for teaching practitioners who work with young people every day in schools.

The research symposium was hugely successful with many delegates searching for more information and requesting more time to listen and ask questions of the presenters at the next conference.

Delegates will now be asked which areas of research they would like to hear about next to help improve their practice and ultimately improve the learning and school experiences for young people in our schools and colleges. This work has truly strengthened the partnership between the Youth Sport Trust and Leeds Beckett University, Carnegie School of Education.