Professor Lorraine Cale

Lorraine Cale is an experienced physical educator and teacher educator with particular research and practical expertise in the promotion of health and physical activity in schools, specifically in and through physical education. Lorraine has published her work extensively in academic and professional journals and authored a number of texts as well as book chapters. She has also produced practical resources and designed and delivered professional development courses for physical education and health practitioners. 

Lorraine completed a BSc in Physical Education and Sports Science, a Post-Graduate Certificate in Education in Physical Education, and a PhD at Loughborough University. She further undertook an MSc in Physical Education at California State University (Pomona) in the United States and a Diploma in Public Health and Health Promotion at the University of Manchester.

Lorraine taught physical education both in the UK and overseas before taking up her first lecturing post in sport, health and exercise at Staffordshire University, and then returning to Loughborough as a Lecturer in physical education teacher education. Lorraine was subsequently promoted to Reader and Professor and served as the Associate Dean for Teaching in the School for a number of years and as the University’s Director of Teacher Education. In these roles, Lorraine led many new teaching and learning initiatives and projects, curriculum reviews and (re-)accreditations, successful Ofsted inspections, and supported the design and development of numerous new programmes at both undergraduate and postgraduate level.

Lorraine is an honoured member of the Association for Physical Education in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the aims and objectives of the Association and a National Teaching Fellow of Advance HE. 

Lorraine was previously a member of the School’s ‘Sport Business and Society’ as well as ‘Lifestyle for Health and Wellbeing’ Research Themes. Her research centres on the promotion of health and physical activity in young people and on the expression of health and the promotion of healthy, active lifestyles in schools both within and beyond the curriculum. This includes critiquing policy and practice in these areas with the goal of enhancing teaching and learning, the physical education and school environment, and ultimately young people’s physical activity and physical education participation and experiences. 

Lorraine has published over 50 academic papers and around 40 professional journal articles, authored 4 books, over 20 book chapters, and edited two books.  In addition, she has given a number of keynote and invited presentations at international physical education conferences and numerous invited presentations at national conferences.  

Lorraine’s research which focused on the teaching of health-related physical education (HRPE) in schools has led to key changes in HRPE policy, curricula, and practice globally, and to the expansion and enhancement of HRPE professional development. The research has furthermore informed UNESCO’s Quality Physical Education Guidelines for Policymakers which have resulted in the adoption of new PE polices in three developing countries (South Africa, Mexico and Zambia), as well as in Qatar. 

This research, which was submitted as an impact case study for REF2021, is featured in the University's Research Spotlight: Teaching children to be active.

Lorraine has been awarded research grants from bodies including the National Institute for Health Research, British Heart Foundation, National Assembly for Wales, Nuffield Foundation, Norwegian Research Council, Youth Sport Trust and the Amateur Swimming Association.  Examples of recently funded research include:

• ‘Stand Out in Class: restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sedentary behaviour - a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial’.  National Institute of Health Research Public Health Research Programme (2016 onwards)
• ‘Schools, learning and mental health: a study of school-level factors and processes’, a Norwegian Research Council funded project with Hedmark University College, Bergen University and the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (2015 onwards)
• Evaluation of ‘Get to the Start Line’, a Youth Sport Trust Programme, designed to address school-related stress and anxiety using physical activity and athlete mentors. Co-investigator. (2015-2016)
• ‘Move to Teach, Move to Learn’, a school-based programme to decrease sedentary time in primary school students.  NHS National Institute for Health Research Collaboration for Leadership in Applied Health Research and Care – East Midlands. Co-investigator. (2014 onwards).
• Supporting secondary schools in the effective promotion of physical activity.   The British Heart Foundation. Principal Investigator. (2010-2013).

Lorraine is the former invited Chair and an on-going member of the Expert Subject Advisory Group for Physical Education, initially established and funded by the Department for Education. The aim of the group is to advise and influence policy and practice and provide curriculum and subject specific knowledge and advice to schools and teacher training providers.

Lorraine has furthermore been actively involved in the work of the Association for Physical Education (afPE) for a number of years, being twice an Elected Board Member and now an Honoured Member in recognition of her outstanding contribution to the association’s aims and objectives.  Her current contribution involves involves advocacy work and advising the PE profession on health-related policy and practice. For instance, her work has informed and is heavily cited within afPE’s Health Position Paper (2015) and she also co-authored their Position Statement on Fitness Testing. 

As a former practitioner and teacher educator herself, Lorraine has also produced a number of practical resources and training courses for teachers as well as delivered professional development for physical education and health practitioners for many years.  In the past she has furthermore acted as an invited consultant in the area of health for key government strategies in England and Wales relating to Physical Education and School Sport.  More recently, she was also an invited contributor to a national Physical Literacy working group to develop a measure of physical literacy for testing as part of Sport England’s new Child Measurement Survey.

• Yang, J., Casey, A., & Cale, L. (2024). The influence of healthy lifestyle technologies on young people’s physical activity participation and health learning: a systematic review. Quest, 76, (1), 72–92. DOI: 10.1080/00336297.2023.2218038
• Harte, N.A.P., Alfrey, L., Spray, C. & Cale, L. (2023). The if, why and how of fitness testing in secondary school physical education in the United Kingdom. European Physical Education Review, 30(3), 475-492. DOI: 10.1177/1356336X231219937
• Cale, L. (2023). Physical Education: At the Centre of Physical Activity Promotion in Schools. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20(11), 6033. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20116033
• Wilson, N., Cale, L., Casey, A. (2023). “Instead of Being on a Screen You Can Be More out There and Enjoy Your Life”: Young People’s Understandings of Physical Activity for Health. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, 20, 5880. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph20105880
• Røset, L., Green, K., Cale, L., Sigurjonsson, T., Tjomsland, H. and Thurston, M. (2023) ‘Now we have gym, now we have to perform!’ Norwegian students’ perceptions of assessment and grading in physical education. European Educational Research Journal, 23(6), 879-901. DOI: 10.1177/14749041231175565
• Røset, L., Green, K., Cale, L., Sigurjónsson, T., Tjomsland, H., & Thurston, M. (2022). ‘Not to judge by the looks but you can tell by the looks!’ Physical capital as symbolic capital in the individualization of health among young Norwegians. Sport, Education and Society, 29(4), 437–450. DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2022.2159361
• Parris, Z., Cale., L., Harris, J., & Casey, A. (2022). Physical activity for health, COVID-19 and Social Media: What, where and why?  Movimento, [S. l.], v. 28, p. e28024, DOI: 10.22456/1982-8918.122533
• Chen, Y.-L.; Tolfrey, K.; Pearson, N.; Bingham, D.D.; Edwardson, C.; Cale, L.; Dunstan, D.; Barber, S.E.; Clemes, S.A. (2021). Stand Out in Class: Investigating the Potential Impact of a Sit-Stand Desk Intervention on Children’s Sitting and Physical Activity During Class Time and after School. Int. J. Environ. Res. Public Health, Apr 29;18(9):4759. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3390/ijerph18094759
• Watts, D.W. Cushion, C.J. & Cale, L. (2022). Exploring professional coach educators’ journeys and perceptions and understandings of learning. Sport, Education and Society, 27:5, 632-646, DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2021.1887115
• Watts, D., Cushion, C., & Cale, L. (2021). Exploring professional coach educators’ realities, challenges, and workplace relationships. Sport, Education and Society 28(3), 313–325. DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2021.2019696
• Cale, L. (2021). Physical education’s journey on the road to health. Sport, Education and Society, 26(5), 486-499.  DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2020.1740979
• Harris, J.; Cale, L.; Hooper, O. (2021). The promoting active lifestyles (PAL) project: A principle based approach to pedagogical change. The Curriculum Journal, 32: 87-102. DOI: 10.1002/curj.99.
• Harris, J., Cale, L., & Hooper, O. (2020). Prompting pedagogical change through promoting active lifestyles (PAL) paradoxes, International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health, Oct 29;17(21):7965. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph17217965
• Chalkley, A.E., Routen, A.C., Harris, J.P., Cale, L.A. Gorely, T. & Sherar, L.B. (2020).  An evaluation of the implementation of a UK school-based running programme. Children, Sep 25;7(10):151. DOI: 10.3390/children7100151.
• Cale, L., Harris, J., & Hooper, O. (2020). Get(ting) to the Start Line – the evaluation of an innovative intervention to address adolescents’ school-related stress and anxiety. European Physical Education Review, 26(3), 642–663. DOI:  10.1177/1356336X20902487
• Martins, J., Rodrigues, A., Marques, A., Cale, L., & Carreiro da Costa, F. (2020). Adolescents’ Experiences and Perspectives on Physical Activity and Friend Influences Over Time. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, Sep;92(3):399-410. DOI: 10.1080/02701367.2020.1739607.
• Chalkley, A.E., Routen, A.C., Harris, J.P., Cale, L.A. Trish Gorely, T.& Sherar, L.B. (2020). “I just like the feeling of it, outside being active”: Pupils’ experiences of a school-based running programme, a qualitative study. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 42, 48-58. DOI: 10.1123/jsep.2019-0037
• Clemes, S.A. Bingham, D.D., Pearson N., Chen, Y-L, Edwardson, C.L^., McEachan, R.R.C., Tolfrey, K., Cale, L., Richardson, G., Fray, M., Altunkaya, J., Bandelow, S., Jaicim, N.B., Salmon, J., Dunstan, D.W., & Barber, S.E. (2020). Stand Out in Class: Restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sitting time – findings from a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. International Journal of Behavioral Nutrition and Physical Activity, 17, 55. DOI: 10.1186/s12966-020-00958-z
• Clemes, S.A. Bingham, D.D., Pearson N., Chen, Y-L, Edwardson, C.L^., McEachan, R.R.C., Tolfrey, K., Cale, L., Richardson, G., Fray, M., Altunkaya, J., Bandelow, S., Jaicim, N.B. & Barber, S.E. (2020).  Stand Out in Class: Restructuring the classroom environment to reduce sedentary behaviour – a pilot cluster randomised controlled trial. Public Health Research, 8 (8). 1-126. DOI: 10.3310/phr08080.
• Chalkley, A.E., Routen, A.C., Harris, J.P.., Cale, L.A. Trish Gorely, T.& Sherar, L.B. (2018). Marathon Kids UK: Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of a school-based running programme. BMJ Open, 8:e022176. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2018-022176
• Chalkley, A.E., Routen, A.C., Harris, J.P. Cale, L.A., Gorely, T., Sherar, L.B. (2018). A retrospective qualitative evaluation of barriers and facilitators to the implementation of a school based running programme. BMC Public Health, 18:1189. DOI:  10.1186/s12889-018-6078-1
• Cale, L. & Harris, J. (2018). The role of knowledge and understanding in fostering physical literacy. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education, 37(3), 280-287. DOI: 10.1123/jtpe.2018-0134
• Routen, A.C., Biddle, S.J.H., Danielle H. Bodicoat, D.H., Cale, L., Clemes, S., Edwardson, C.L., Glazebrook, C., Harrington, D.M., Khunti, K., Pearson, N., Salmon, J. & Sherar, L.B. (2017). Study design and protocol for a mixed methods evaluation of an intervention to reduce and break-up sitting time in primary school classrooms in the UK: The CLASS PAL (Physically Active Learning) Programme. BMJ Open  2017;7:e019428. DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2017-019428.
• Cale, L. (2017). Teaching about Healthy Active Lifestyles.  In C.D. Ennis (ed) Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies. Oxon: Routledge, 399-411.
• Harris, J., Cale, L., Duncombe, R. & Musson, H. (2016). Young people’s knowledge and understanding of health, fitness and physical activity: issues, divides and dilemmas. Sport, Education and Society, 23(5), 407–420.  DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2016.1228047
• Cale, L., Harris, J. & Duncombe, R. (2016). Promoting physical activity in secondary schools: Growing expectations, 'same old' issues. European Physical Education Review, 22(4), 526-544. DOI: 10.1177/1356336X15623774
• Duncombe, R., Cale, L., & Harris, J. (2016). Strengthening ‘the foundations’ of the primary school curriculum. Education 3-13, 46(1), 76–88. DOI: 10.1080/03004279.2016.1185137
• Cale, L., Harris, J. & Chen, M.H. (2014). Monitoring health, activity and fitness in physical education: its current and future state of health. Sport Education and Society, 19(4), 376-397. DOI: 10.1080/13573322.2012.681298