Dr Janine Coates

Janine completed her undergraduate studies in Psychology and Criminology at Sheffield Hallam University (2006) before completing her PhD at Liverpool John Moores University (2010). Her PhD examined inclusive physical education from the perspective of children and young people with special educational needs & disabilities (SEND) in mainstream and special schools.

Janine has previously worked at the University of Nottingham as a Research Fellow within the School of Medicine (2010-2011), and as a Lecturer in Psychology at Nottingham Trent University (2011-2016). She joined Loughborough in 2016. She teaches qualitative research methods at both undergraduate and post-graduate level, predominantly on the MSc Sport and Exercise Psychology and the BSc Sport, Coaching and Physical Education (SCAPE) programmes. Janine supervises doctoral researchers predominantly in the fields of inclusive physical education and sport, and outdoor learning (Forest School).

Janine’s research interests predominantly relate to the inclusion of children and young people from marginalised groups, predominantly those with SEND, in sport and physical education. In this area, Janine’s research focuses on the use and development of participatory research methods for engaging young people with disabilities in research. Recent projects have examined young people’s perceptions about the Paralympic Games, the impact of an inclusive sport and physical activity programme (Inclusion 2020) for young people with and without SEN, inclusion training during initial teacher education, and the experiences of parents with children on the parasport pathway.   

Janine is also interested in the learning, health and wellbeing impacts of Forest Schools for children and young people, where she has recently examined the learning impacts of Forest School for young children.

Janine has a strong passion for understanding and encouraging physical and social development opportunities for young children, and co-ordinated the development of the Early Movers website – a free resource for childcare practitioners and parents to develop their understanding of physical development in the early years with simple activity ideas to support physical development.

• Janine is a Fellow of the Higher Education Academy.
• She presents her work regularly at various international conferences (including as an invited Keynote), and has delivered research training to international research groups (e.g. Sport Empowers Disabled Youth research group, Netherlands (2020)).
• Janine is a regular peer-reviewer for a number of academic journals (e.g. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy; European Physical Education Review; Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly; Sport, Education and Society; Child Development; Journal of Attention Disorder).
• Janine regularly works with external organisations. Recently she has worked with YMCA, Youth Sport Trust, PACEY and Access Sport.
• Janine regularly contributes to television, radio and online media including BBC Tiny Happy People; The Conversation; and Daily Mail.

• Sharpe, L., Coates, J., & Mason, C. (2021). Participatory research with young people with special educational needs and disabilities: a reflective account. Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, 1-14.
• Sharpe, L., Coates, J., & Mason, C. (2021). Voice, vlogs and visibility: the experiences of young people with SEND engaging in the school games. Sport, Education and Society, 1-16.
• Coates. J.; Harris, J. & Waring, M. (2020). The effectiveness of a special school experience for improving preservice teachers’ efficacy to teach children with special educational needs and disabilities. British Educational Research Journal. Online ahead of print, DOI: 10.1002/berj.3605
• Pimlott-Wilson, H. & Coates, J. (2019). Rethinking learning? Challenging and accommodating neoliberal educational agenda in the integration of Forest School into mainstream educational settings. The Geographical Journal. 185(3), 268-278.
• Coates, J. & Pimlott‐Wilson, H. (2019). Learning while playing: Children's Forest School experiences in the UK. British Educational Research Journal, 45(1), 21-40.
• Coates, J. & Vickerman, P. (2016). Paralympic legacy: exploring the impact of the Games on the perceptions of young people with disabilities. Adapted Physical Activity Quarterly, 33(4), 338-357.
• Coates, J.; Daley, D. & Sayal, K. (2015). Parenting interventions for ADHD: A systematic literature review and meta-analysis, Journal of Attention Disorders, 19(10), 831-843