Professor Sue Capel
Professor Susan Capel is Head of the School of Sport and Education.
She qualified as a PE teacher and then gained a BEd (first class honours) from the University of Wales. She later gained an MSc from Loughborough University, an MBA from the Open University and a PhD from the University of Oregon.
She started her teaching career in Cardiff and also taught in Hong Kong. She then moved into higher education, joining Brunel in 2000. She was Head of the Department of Sport Sciences from 2000-2004, then became Head of the School of Sport and Education in 2005.
Susan’s research focuses both on physical education teacher education and on physical education in schools. She is particularly interested in how student teachers develop as teachers; what knowledge they need and develop and what influences this.
She has received funding from the Training and Development Agency for Schools to support some of this work. She is also interested in the transition of pupils from primary to secondary school and the impact on health, education and social factors of pupils’ participation in two hours physical education and sport each week. The Department for Education and Skills is funding this latter work.
Susan has many publications in journals. However, she also feels a responsibility to communicate with as wide an audience as possible and has done this both through articles in professional journals but also through editing/co-editing six textbooks designed to support student teachers in learning to teach.
One of these books, ‘Learning to Teach in the Secondary School: A Companion to School Experience’, (RoutledgeFalmer) is in its fourth edition since it was first published in 1995 and has sold over 60,000 copies.
Susan enjoyed a successful sports career but now enjoys swimming and walking where she only competes against herself. She also enjoys travelling.
