Professor Susan Capel

Susan's background is in physical education teaching. She gained a BEd degree and taught in secondary schools in Wales and Hong Kong. Following completion of a PhD and a year lecturing in USA Susan returned to the UK to take up a post in higher education. She joined Brunel in 2000. She was Head of Department of Sport Sciences from 2000-2004 and has been Head of School since 2005. From 2001-2003 Susan was President of the Physical Education Association of the United Kingdom and in 2004 received the Ling Award from the Association. She is now an honoured member of the Association for Physical Education.

Susan's teaching has mainly been in secondary initial teacher education, both in physical education and in general professional studies.

Research Interests

Susan’s major research interest is in the development of student (and newly qualified) physical education teachers. There are two related themes to this work: (i) student teachers development over the course of their initial teacher education programme, particularly the development of their knowledge for teaching; and (ii) roles and responsibilities of partners in secondary physical education teacher education programmes in supporting student teachers' development. Both of these two main research areas are supported by external funding.

Research Centre

Publications

Journal Papers

(2011) Capel, S., Hayes, S., Katene, W. and Velija, P., The interaction of factors which influence secondary student physical education teachers knowledge and development as teachers, European Physical Education Review 17 (2) : 183- 202

(2011) Blair, R. and Capel, S., Primary physical education, coaches and continuing professional development, Sport, Education and Society 16 (4) : 485- 505

(2009) Capel, S., Hayes, S., Katene, W. and Velija, P., The development of knowledge for teaching physical education in secondary schools over the course of a PGCE year, European Journal of Teacher Education 32 (18) : 51- 62 Download publication

(2008) Hayes, S., Capel, S., Katene, W. and Cook, P., An examination of knowledge prioritisation in secondary physical education teacher education courses, Teaching and Teacher Education 24 (2) : 330- 342 Download publication

(2008) Blair, R. and Capel, S., Intended or unintended? Issues arising from the implementation of the UK Government’s 2003 Schools Workforce Remodelling Act, Perspectives in Education 26 (2) : 105- 121 Download publication

(2004) Capel, S., Zwozdiak-Myers, P. and Lawrence, J., Exchange of information about physical education to support the transition of pupils from primary and secondary school, Educational Research 46 (3) : 283- 300 Download publication

(2004) Gower, C. and Capel, S., Newly qualified physical education teachers' experiences of developing subject knowledge prior to, during and after a Postgraduate Certificate in Education course, Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy 9 (2) : 165- 183 Download publication

(2003) Capel, S., Zwozdiak-Myers, P. and Lawrence, J., A study of current practice in liaison between primary and secondary schools in physical education, European Physical Education Review 9 (2) : 115- 134 Download publication

(2001) Capel, S., Secondary students' development as teachers over the course of a PGCE year, Educational Research 43 (3) : 247- 261 Download publication

Books

(2013) Capel, S. and Breckon, P., A practical guide to teaching physical education in the secondary school. Routledge

(2013) Capel, S., Leask, M. and Turner, T., Learning to teach in the secondary school: A companion to school experience. Routledge

(2012) Capel, S. and Whitehead, M., Debates in physical education teaching. Routledge

(2010) Capel, S. and Whitehead, M., Learning to teach physical education in the secondary school: A companion to school experience. Routledge

(2009) Younie, S., Capel, S. and Leask, M., Supporting teaching and learning in schools: A companion for higher level teaching assistants. Routledge

(2009) Capel, S., Leask, M. and Turner, T., Readings for learning to teach in the secondary school: A companion to M level study. Routledge

(2004) Capel, S., Heilbronn, R., Leask, M. and Turner, T., Starting to teach in the secondary school: A companion for the newly qualified teacher. RoutledgeFalmer

(2000) Capel, S. and Piotrowski, S., Issues in physical education. RoutledgeFalmer