Body, Learning and Identity – University of Copenhagen

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DEP. OF EXERCISE > Research > Research groups > Body, Learning

Body, Learning and Identity

Research profileTil toppen

The research group conducts pedagogical and psychological research and developmental work with a focus on the body, learning and identity in sport and body routines with a specific focus on the application of this research. Body experiences have an influence on developing identity and affect learning and are seen as processes that takes place in a social context. 

The research field is widespread and focuses on concrete movement and athletic processes where processes of change are analyzed at different levels (individual, group or society) and in various institutional, organized and unorganized contexts, for example school classes, the university context, outdoor education, as well as in training, therapy or professional groups.

The group’s research centers on learning and identity processes in sport with a focus on the body and movement as a creative and developing element of human practice, communication and self-presentation in sport; sport as community of practice; interplay between body, experience and identity in various forms of sport settings, motivation and volition, stress and disease, sport and personality, development of methods in applied settings, for example coaching and team-building, development of IT in teaching or the development of performative arts methods and creativity.

Qualitative narrative methods, action - and applied research as well as statistical methods are utilized. The overall aim of the research area is to develop knowledge about sport, body and movement psychology, pedagogy and asthetics. The body’s special meaning for learning and identity is connected to cultural and humanistic perspectives in relation to late or post modern societies and to ontological, epistemological and social political questions about health, quality of life, gender, age or ethnicity. In the future the research group will, among other topics, focus on talent development and on research on the importance of the relational perspective to teaching and coaching.

Among other things, the research is centered on:

  • Learning and identity processes within sport with focus on the body as the pivotal point for sensuous and aesthetic learning processes
  • Movement and sport as social practice communities
  • Motivation, sports involvement and healthy lifestyle
  • Development of methods in specific fields of practice
  • Coaching, learning and development

A new area of research: Coaching

Coaching is a concept that is associated with the world of sport, and, in the last years has become one of the world’s quickest growing industries. Coaching is defined in this context as participation in and facilitation of a focus person’s learning and developmental process. Coaching has shown to be an excellent tool in the development of employees and organizations, as well as in individual’s personal and professional learning, development, stress reduction and health promotion.

Coaching is a rather new area and research and development are exceedingly in demand from customers, for example from business, and increasingly from sport, education and the health sector. The researchers that focus on this area are spread out over various institutes in Copenhagen. These efforts should be joined and coordinated at our department which at the same time can host a master degree in coaching. The future research perspectives lie in the areas of “Theoretical and philosophical foundations of coaching”, ”Case conceptualization”, ”Process studies” and ”Empirical evidence-based studies”.

Members of the research groupTil toppen

Link to ongoing research and PhD projects 

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