Diverse representation in the sport curricula: Exploring students’ perceptions, expectations, and engagement.

The rise of curricula activist campaigns requires intensified scrutinisation of representation in the curricula. Adopting a qualitative research approach, this study will conduct semi-structured interviews with sport students (including underrepresented BAME and female students) at the University of Northampton. Underpinned by representation and engagement theory, this qualitative research will explore students’ perceptions and expectations of diverse representation in the sport curricula. The perceived relationship between diverse representation and student engagement will also be investigated. In addition to providing new insights from the student perspective, the research will contribute practical, student informed recommendations to enhance diverse representation in the curricula.

This project conducted interviews with students studying sport programmes. It explored students perceptions of the curricula (e.g., whether they saw themselves in the content, what social issues were included). Based on this information, the study explored how the content impacted their engagement. Using the results, recommendations were developed to enhance the curricula and student engagement.