Lecturer in Secondary PE ITT
I am a Lecturer in BSc (Hons) Physical Education with QTS and Associate Researcher in the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Research Institute.
I completed my PhD in Sport and Exercise Sciences at the University in 2024 under the supervision of Dr Steven Anderson, Dr Sandra Leyland and Professor Jonathan Ling. My PhD explored the barriers to, and recommendations for, the implementation of Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU), a game-based pedagogy which was underpinned by Occupational Socialisation Theory. During the thesis, a Continuing Professional Development course was conducted to train and evaluate the success of PE teachers delivering a TGfU approach as part of a scheme of work.
I have gained teaching experience working in the West Yorkshire area as a swimming teacher, in schools and with the University of Huddersfield.
During the time I was completing my doctoral degree, I was awarded a PGCE in the Lifelong Learning Sector from the University of Huddersfield and achieved Fellow of the HEA.
My role in the Helen McArdle Nursing and Care Institute focuses on research into health inequalities for marginalised groups in our society and involves collaborations with the NHS, local authorities, charities and other academic institutions. Currently, I am conducting research into weight stigma and childhood obesity in collaboration with the University of Cambridge. In addition, I am leading a research project with the NHS North East and Cumbria and South Yorkshire ICBs exploring the perspectives of carers and people with learning disabilities experiencing the menopause. I have also been involved in a project exploring Weight Friendly Workplaces with Sunderland City Council and I have worked with a CIO in NE England to explore the lived experiences of people living with a disability. I have previously conducted an evaluation research project of a local provider working in the community to overcome health and wellbeing inequalities of older people.
I am committed to raising awareness of equality, diversity and inclusion, and as the Co-Chair of the Staff Enable Network, I have had the privilege of supporting and advancing disability and long-term health conditions practices at the University. I have been a guest speaker at events such as International Women’s Day and have presented my research at regional, national and international conferences.
Teaching and supervision
I have taught modules on a number of undergraduate and postgraduate courses. This is centred predominantly around the delivery of theoretical and practical PE-subject knowledge and equality, diversity and inclusion in schools.
I have experience of supervising dissertation students across several courses, and I am also a module leader and Personal Academic Tutor on BSc (Hons) Physical Education with QTS.
Research interests for potential research students
- Physical education primary and/or secondary
- Teacher education
- Sociology
- Obesity and weight stigma
- Critical pedagogies
- Health inequalities
- Equality, diversity and inclusion – healthcare, education and/or sport
Research
I am passionate about physical education and overcoming inequalities in healthcare, education and sport.
My current projects:
- Utilising the perspectives of disabled lecturers in HE with their student teacher trainees through the lens of critical pedagogies
- Using critical pedagogies to employ primary student teacher trainees as active agents in deconstructing their lack of confidence in teaching PE
- A collaborative study with the National and Kapodistrian University of Athens to examine the executive terms of the office of the past and present Chairs of the Executive Board for the Teaching Games for Understanding Special Interest Group (TGfU SIG)
- Co-authoring a journal article with the University of Porto and University of Castilla-La Mancha on the application of hybridised model-based pedagogies in PE
- Contributing to a journal article in collaboration with the University of Porto, regarding pre-service teachers’ use of game-based approaches, underpinned by Occupational Socialisation Theory
- Examining stigma and childhood obesity in collaboration with the NHS and the University of Cambridge
- Working with NHS NE and Cumbria and South Yorkshire ICBs to investigate the effects of the menopause transition for people with learning difficulties
- Identifying the barriers and recommendations of implementing a game-based approach in primary and secondary PE in England
My recently completed projects:
- Co-editor and co-author of 'Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding' book published by Routledge
- UKRI Funded collaborative research with Active Families NE to evaluate their Well Bean machine project in the Sunderland and Gateshead areas
- Led a scoping review with ERIC Knows CIO to explore the lived experiences of people with a disability
- Partnership with Sunderland City Council and members of the Workplace Health Alliance to investigate the barriers to healthy eating in workplaces
- Co-author to a chapter on TGfU directed teaching of netball in schools in England, published by Routledge in ‘Game-based Approaches in Physical Education-International Applications’
Publications
Article
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa and Gutierrez, David (2023) An International Consensus on Terminology Game-Based Vs Game-Centred. Physical Education Matters, 18 (2). pp. 59-61.
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Griffin, Linda, Pill, Shane, Gutierrez, David, Ovens, Alan and Koekoek, Jeroen (2022) Celebrating 40 Years of Teaching Games For Understanding. Physical Education Matters, 17 (1). pp. 18-20.
Book Section
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa and Anderson, Steven (2025) Netball: Adapted Teaching Games for Understanding (England). In: Game-based Approaches in Physical Education: International Applications. Routledge. ISBN 9781032723303
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Brown, Alexandra and Anderson, Steven (2024) Case Study 9: Students as Co-Creators in Facilitating Strategies to Enhance Competence in Teaching Primary PE. In: Handbook of Teaching & Learning in Higher Education Sport: Student Engagement and Critical Pedagogies Edition. National Teaching Repository, pp. 41-45.
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa and Griffin, Linda (2023) Introduction: A History of Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding from Mauldon and Redfern to Bunker and Thorpe, Until Now. In: Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding. Routledge, New York, USA, pp. 1-11. ISBN 9781032287294
Pill, Shane and Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa (2023) Teaching Games for Understanding and Athlete-Centred Coaching. In: Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding. Routledge, New York, USA, pp. 134-142. ISBN 9781032287294
Reports, briefing/ working papers
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Jones, Robyn, Graham, Yitka and Taylor, Gerry (2025) Executive Report for Sunderland City Council: ‘Weight Friendly Workplaces’. Project Report. University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Graham, Yitka and Bains, Ella (2025) Scoping Report for Eric Knows CIO. Project Report. University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa and Graham, Yitka (2024) Executive Report for Active Families NE CIC. Project Report. University of Sunderland, Sunderland, UK. (Unpublished)
Conference or Workshop Item
Lee, Amanda and Gallagher, Niamh (2025) The Power of Community – Exploring the Impact of Staff Networks at the University of Sunderland. In: National Staff Network Day Conference,, 14th May 2025, University of Sunderland.. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Anderson, Steven and Brown, Alexandra (2025) Privilege and power in the PE teacher stereotype – a critical exploration of ableist constructs within PE Initial Teacher Training. In: 50th Leisure Studies Association Annual Conference, 08-10 Jul 2025, York St John University, York, UK. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Jones, Robyn, Graham, Yitka and Taylor, Gerry (2025) Weight-friendly Workplaces in Sunderland: “Healthy food environments”. In: 32nd European Congress on Obesity, 11-14 May 2025, Malaga, Spain. (Unpublished)
Dania, Aspasia and Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa (2024) Teaching Games for Understanding: Past, Present and Future Opportunities and Challenges. In: 8th International Conference on Game-Based Teaching and Coaching, 08-10 Dec 2024, Auckland, New Zealand. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Anderson, Steven, Leyland, Sandra and Ling, Jonathan (2023) Pre-service teachers’ influences, beliefs, and barriers to implementing Teaching Games for Understanding in England. In: TGfU SIG 40th Anniversary Conference, TGfU SIG, 2023, Online.
Dania, Aspasia, Koekoek, Jeroen, Griffin, Linda, Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Pill, Shane, Suzuki, Naoki, Varela, Nahuel, König, Stefan, Kearney, Philip, Sgrò, Francesco, Lee, Han Joo, Farias, Claudio and Arias-Estero, José L. (2023) A Global Litmus Test of Games Based Teaching and Coaching. In: AIESEP International Conference, 4-7 Jul 2023, Santiago de Chile. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Anderson, Steven, Leyland, Sandra and Ling, Jonathan (2022) Barriers to Teaching Games for Understanding: Teachers’ Engagement and Implementation in England. In: TGfU SIG 40th Anniversary Conference, TGfU SIG, 2023, Online. (Submitted)
Anderson, Steven and Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa (2021) PE Teachers' Engagement with Teaching Games for Understanding and Perceived Barriers to Implementation. In: International Online Conference on Sports Science and Education, 21 Oct 2021, Pakistan. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Anderson, Steven, Leyland, Sandra and Ling, Jonathan (2021) PE teachers’ perspectives and identification of the barriers to implementing TGfU in England using Occupational Socialisation. In: 7th International Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) Conference, 7 Jun 2021, Pre-Conference Virtual Symposium. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Anderson, Steven, Leyland, Sandra and Ling, Jonathan (2018) Barriers and Facilitators underpinning PE teachers’ perspectives of the Teaching Games for Understanding approach using Occupational Socialisation. In: North East Postgraduate Conference 2018, 09 Nov 2018, Newcastle Civic Centre, Newcastle-Upon-Tyne. (Unpublished)
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa, Anderson, Steven, Leyland, Sandra and Ling, Jonathan (2018) Occupational Socialisation Theory: Identification of the barriers and facilitators that underpin physical education teachers' perspectives of the Teaching Games for Understanding approach. In: BASES (British Association of Sport and Exercise Sciences) Student Conference 2018, Apr 2018, Northumbria University. (Unpublished)
Book
Pill, Shane, Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa and Griffin, Linda (2023) Teaching Games and Sport for Understanding. Routledge, New York, USA. ISBN 9781032287294
Thesis
Gambles, Ellen-Alyssa (2024) Teaching Games for Understanding: Teachers’ Socialisation, Perceptions and Interpretations. Doctoral thesis, The University of Sunderland.
- Pedagogical models in physical education – specifically game-based approaches
- Teacher education
- Sociology
- Obesity and weight stigma
- Critical pedagogies
- Overcoming health and wellbeing inequalities
- Equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) specifically disability in healthcare, education and sport
Professional Accreditations:
- Fellow, Higher Education Academy
- Fellow, Institute of Swimming
Professional Affiliations:
- Member, Association for Physical Education
- Member, Association Internationale des Écoles Supérieures d’Éducation Physique (AIESEP)
- Member, British Sociological Society
- Member, Society for Education and Training
- Member, Critical Pedagogies in Sport
- Member, Association for the Study of Obesity (ASO)
- Member, Leisure Studies Association
Professional Activities:
- Treasurer and Communications Co-ordinator, Teaching Games for Understanding (TGfU) Special Interest Group (SIG) Executive Board.
As part of my role, I regularly host international webinars with guest speakers. I also proposed, organised and managed the TGfU SIG 40th Anniversary conference in 2023