Pedagogical Practices and Curriculum Considerations for a Study Away Course in Sport

• Published in: The Physical educator Vol. 75; no. 3; pp. 454 - 470
• Main Authors: Stinnett, Brad, Oregon, Evelyn
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Urbana Sagamore Publishing LLC 30-05-2018
• Subjects: Active learning; Behavioral Objectives; Careers; Classrooms; Cooperative learning; Core curriculum; Curriculum Design; Curriculum development; Experiential learning; Higher education; Learner Engagement; Learning Theories; Pedagogy; Planning; Professionals; Recreation; Sports management; Students; Study abroad; Teaching methods; Theory; Western Kentucky; United States > US
• ISSN: 0031-8981; 2160-1682
• DOI: 10.18666/TPE-2018-V75-I3-82n

As academic programs relative to sport continue to grow and evolve, college and university faculty are tasked with developing innovative curricula to enhance the overall experiences of their students. A viable option to facilitate this charge is complementing traditional courses with domestic study away opportunities. This article adds to the limited literature on domestic study away courses in sport by detailing pedagogical approaches and curriculum design strategies utilized in a faculty-led study away course within an academic program in sport. Several theories including constructivism, cooperative learning, discovery learning, and experiential learning made up the theoretical framework and were adopted for pedagogical and curriculum planning purposes. A variety of course assignments, assessments, and experiences were implemented and integrated with student-centered and active learning concepts. Practical implications from this paper include encouraging openness to new instructional methods, integrating active learning theories into study away activities, and the importance of well-designed course assignments and assessments. This paper establishes a foundation for future investigations on the topic and presents recommendations for further research.