From academic silos to interdisciplinary engagement: Understanding and advancing research and evaluation in Sport for Development

Bauer, K; Schulenkorf, N; Siefken, K

From academic silos to interdisciplinary engagement: Understanding and advancing research and evaluation in Sport for Development

Bauer, K Schulenkorf, N

Siefken, K

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Publisher:: Vera Solutions
Publication Type:: Journal Article
Citation:: Journal of Sport for Development, 2024, 12, (2), pp. 59-75
Issue Date:: 2024-11-06

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Field	Value	Language
dc.contributor.author	Bauer, K
dc.contributor.author	Schulenkorf, N https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7235-5340
dc.contributor.author	Siefken, K
dc.date.accessioned	2024-11-11T00:16:10Z
dc.date.available	2024-11-11T00:16:10Z
dc.date.issued	2024-11-06
dc.identifier.citation	Journal of Sport for Development, 2024, 12, (2), pp. 59-75
dc.identifier.issn	2330-0574
dc.identifier.issn	2330-0574
dc.identifier.uri	http://hdl.handle.net/10453/181828
dc.description.abstract	Over the last 20 years, the growing recognition of sport as an enabler of sustainable development has allowed Sport for Development (SFD) to emerge as a dynamic research field featuring contributions from a wide range of scholarly disciplines. Within this research, evaluation has played a prominent role, especially against the background of omnipresent demands to ‘prove impact’ and legitimize the field. Despite the growth of scholarly activity, the field remains largely scattered with limited interdisciplinary engagement. This article presents an overview of the conceptualization and implementation of SFD research and evaluation, encompassing study types and methodological approaches. Findings were generated from a scoping review of publications on research and evaluation activities in the SFD field, guided by the newly proposed Evaluation Research Framework. They highlight that the field is suffering from terminological imprecisions that lead to vague and often undifferentiated debates about methodologies and approaches. Moreover, there remains a limited progression of theoretical advancements in SFD, with purposeful engagement across disciplines and innovative developments still being underutilized. We conclude that if SFD scholars remain within their disciplinary silos and do not move towards a common interdisciplinary research understanding, the field will continue to suffer from confusing theorization processes with limited prospects for further academic advancement and practical development.
dc.language	en
dc.publisher	Vera Solutions
dc.relation.ispartof	Journal of Sport for Development
dc.rights	info:eu-repo/semantics/openAccess
dc.subject	1117 Public Health and Health Services, 1303 Specialist Studies in Education
dc.subject.classification	4201 Allied health and rehabilitation science
dc.subject.classification	4207 Sports science and exercise
dc.title	From academic silos to interdisciplinary engagement: Understanding and advancing research and evaluation in Sport for Development
dc.type	Journal Article
utslib.citation.volume	12
utslib.for	1117 Public Health and Health Services
utslib.for	1303 Specialist Studies in Education
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business
pubs.organisational-group	University of Technology Sydney/Faculty of Business/Management Discipline
utslib.copyright.status	open_access	*
pubs.consider-herdc	true
dc.date.updated	2024-11-11T00:16:09Z
pubs.issue	2
pubs.publication-status	Published
pubs.volume	12
utslib.citation.issue	2

Abstract:

Over the last 20 years, the growing recognition of sport as an enabler of sustainable development has allowed Sport for Development (SFD) to emerge as a dynamic research field featuring contributions from a wide range of scholarly disciplines. Within this research, evaluation has played a prominent role, especially against the background of omnipresent demands to ‘prove impact’ and legitimize the field. Despite the growth of scholarly activity, the field remains largely scattered with limited interdisciplinary engagement. This article presents an overview of the conceptualization and implementation of SFD research and evaluation, encompassing study types and methodological approaches. Findings were generated from a scoping review of publications on research and evaluation activities in the SFD field, guided by the newly proposed Evaluation Research Framework. They highlight that the field is suffering from terminological imprecisions that lead to vague and often undifferentiated debates about methodologies and approaches. Moreover, there remains a limited progression of theoretical advancements in SFD, with purposeful engagement across disciplines and innovative developments still being underutilized. We conclude that if SFD scholars remain within their disciplinary silos and do not move towards a common interdisciplinary research understanding, the field will continue to suffer from confusing theorization processes with limited prospects for further academic advancement and practical development.

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http://hdl.handle.net/10453/181828