What is Interdisciplinary Sport and Exercise Science?
Interdisciplinary sport and exercise scientists attempt to
align theoretical principles with practical delivery in
an attempt to solve real problems for individuals and
groups within the sport and exercise environments. An
interdisciplinary approach has been defined as:
“more than one area of sport and exercise science working
together in an integrated and co-ordinated manner to
problem solve.” (Burwitz et al., 1994).
This problem-based approach is based upon realisation that:
- Performance
is based upon a set of functionally inter-linking
variables
- Knowledge
of how different variables inter-link is imperative and
under researched (and often in practice relies upon the
role of experiential knowledge).
The skills required for this approach include:
- Bridge
building
- the coming together of specialist knowledge from
different disciplines
- Restructuring
- methodologies, theories and practices from one
discipline are borrowed and transposed into another
discipline to restructure the approach to a problem
- Integration
- the application and combination of different
disciplines.
Typically, the sport and exercise scientists who apply for Accreditation
through the Interdisciplinary pathway define themselves as either 'Task
Specific' or an 'Interdisciplinary Co-ordinator'. Task Specific is defined
as a broad knowledge base from cross disciplines with an in-depth knowledge
in one area to allow a solution to a particular problem to be proposed
by integrating information from two or more disciplines. An Interdisciplinary
Co-ordinator is defined as an individual whose main role is the identification,
prioritisation and contextualisation of provision; problem solving using
the integrated knowledge from two or more experts from specific areas.
Burwitz,
L., Moore, P. M. and Wilkinson, D. M. (1994). Future Directions for
Performance-Related Research. An Interdisciplinary Approach. Journal of Sport Sciences, 12, 93-109.