Mark Edwards

Mark’s background is within the social sciences (social policy / sociology). He has a first class BA (hons) (Liv), MSc (Lboro), MA (Dunelm), and a PhD in social policy (Dunelm)., Mark has been working in the School for Policy Studies (Centre for Exercise, Nutrition, and Health Sciences) since November 2011, initially as a cross-project fieldworker (on the TeamPlay and Pre-School initiatives), and since April 2012 as Project Coordinator for the Action 3:30 intervention. Mark’s PhD research (funded through a Durham Doctoral Fellowship) evaluated the impact of School Sport Partnerships in primary schools in the North East of England. Adopting a critical realist evaluation methodology, the in-depth analysis examined the contexts and mechanisms (CMO configurations) in which SSPs operate, and the impact this has. Through allowing teaching staff to voice their opinions of the programme's impacts, the evaluation provides a unique assessment of the initiative. Mark is currently Project Coordinator on the Medical Research Council (MRC)-funded Action 3:30 initiative. Action 3:30 is a randomized control trial that explores the use of after-school physical activity sessions as a way of helping Year 5 and 6 children become more active. The project will train two Teaching Assistants from ten schools to level 2 on the Qualification and Credit Framework (QCF) to deliver after school physical activity sessions for Year 5 and 6 children. For more details on Action 3:30 please visit:

Research Interests

Qualitative research methods; policy evaluation; physical activity and healthy eating interventions (specifically in relation to primary/pre-primary aged children), and the application of critical realist evaluation methodologies to activity-based interventions.

Publications

Edwards, M and Hillyard, S. (2012) Improvisation, Ethical Heuristics and the Dialogical Reality of Ethics in the Field, in Love, K (ed.) Ethics in Social Research. Emerald: In press. Edwards, M. (2010) Political Studies Association (PSA) Sport and Politics Study Group: Conference Report. Leisure Studies Association Newsletter 86: pp. 80-81 Edwards, M. (2009) Researching Leisure, Sport and Tourism: Book Review, Sport and Society 12(2): pp. 267-268.