As part of its STEM programming initiatives, Community Boating, Inc., the nation's oldest public sailing organization introduced an "Introduction to Microscopy" course merging principles of scientific investigation with analytical techniques using compound light microscopes. Boston's Charles River provided the environmental setting for…

This paper uses two complementary examples from an autoethnographic study of learning and sailing to explore some connections between informal lifelong learning activities, their objects (purposes) and the hybrid (digital and material) technologies on which they depend. The examples focus on an aspect of the craft of sailing and on understanding…

Background: In this paper, we explore physical education from a relational worldview. Theoretically guided by an ecological dynamics framework, this perspective calls us to conceptualise 'education' in its etymological roots -- ex-ducere -- meaning 'to lead' an individual 'out' into the world. In doing so, an educator would employ a 'softer'…

In several sporting events, the winner is chosen on the basis of a subjective score. These sports include gymnastics, ice skating, and diving. Unlike for other subjectively judged sports, diving competitions consist of multiple rounds in quick succession on the same apparatus. These multiple rounds lead to an extra layer of complexity in the data,…

This article explores, from a personal perspective, ageing and adventure in the context of the outdoor environment. Employing an autoethnographic sensibility, and drawing on fields of positive psychology, life course development, Outdoor and Adventurous Learning, and leisure studies, the paper discusses a range of motivations that contribute to my…

Superstitions, or repetitive actions an athlete believes to be powerful and influential to performance and success, are prevalent in all types of sport. Superstitions are often believed to be detrimental due to their controlling nature, as opposed to pre-performance routines, in which the athlete is in control. However, superstitions may serve to…

This paper explores the complex and changing nature of adventure as a form of cultural practice. Borrowing from Joseph Conrad's memoirs "The Mirror of The Sea" (1907), sea kayaking is contextualized here as a journey that takes place just as much between "landfall and departure" as it does between the paddler's ears (i.e., in…

Aquatic therapy has long been highlighted in the literature as a potentially powerful therapeutic intervention. This review will highlight basic definitions of aquatic therapy, review salient research, and identify specific diagnoses that may benefit from aquatic therapy. Online resources, blogs, and books that occupational therapists may find…

In an essay on the rationality of play, the author characterizes rationality by the three distinct demands it makes on the individual--demands for autonomy, solidarity, and integrity. He develops each of these as they apply to the sport of sailing, using the example of two deep-ocean expeditions to arrive at a concept of deep play he sees as one…

While constructivist theories of learning have been widely drawn on to understand and explain learning in games when using game-based approaches their use to inform pedagogy beyond games is limited. In particular, there has been little interest in applying constructivist perspectives on learning to sports in which technique is of prime importance.…

This paper offers a genealogical account of safeguarding in sport. Drawing specifically on Foucault's work, it examines the "politics of touch" in relation to the social and historical formation of child protection policy in sports coaching. While the analysis has some resonance with the context of coaching as a whole, for illustrative…

This article is based on an interview with a Norwegian physical education (PE) teacher on the social contact she had with pupils when teaching them PE. The article examines a two-dimensional aspect of a teaching situation relating to swimming instruction in PE, especially focusing on pupils' positive experiences of learning to swim and the…

As classrooms have increasingly become diverse and complex, developing culturally responsive pedagogies is a professional imperative for teachers. However, considerable international research suggests that meeting the needs of diverse pupil cohorts is challenging for many teachers. In this article, we highlight how curriculum and teaching…

The primary purpose of this study is to share what has been found to work well in professional practice based on a series of exploratory scholarly studies as well as information gathered informally from students and through specialized aquatic workshops, conferences and seminars. Research has shown that there is an existing population of at-risk…

This study evaluated the efficacy of a 14-week aquatic program on physical fitness and aquatic skills for children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and their siblings without a disability. Children with ASD (n = 15) and their siblings (n = 15), between 7 and 12 years (8.55 [plus or minus] 2.19 years) participated. In the first 14-week phase,…