Seeking connection and coherence in sport pedagogy: minding gaps and contemplating a core

Abstract

Three decades after Daryl Siedentop announced sport pedagogy to be the forgotten sport science, the seven articles in this special issue collectively present sport pedagogy as an emergent field of research and practice. Each contribution presents one or more foci that invite attention to what and how we conduct our research, the political backcloth of research, the issues and challenges that accompany research programmes and where attention must be afforded to ensure an optimistic future for the field of sport pedagogy. As a field we must look beyond as well as within. Just as it is important to revisit what we consider to be the core of our discipline, it is also valuable to look beyond and across our discipline to ensure vibrant and progressive research.

Keywords:

• Physical education
• Sport pedagogy
• Research programmes
• Research approaches
• Neoliberalism

A final comment

I commend the contributors to this special issue for remaining true to their given titles. Collectively these papers present selective but salient considerations for how sport pedagogy could advance as a field. While each article has presented a coherent and important perspective, there is a mutual invitation to readers to reflect on the many and varied issues raised herein. The optimism and the critical appraisal this special issue has presented are both progressive and heartening. I appreciate the opportunity to offer a limited response.