Dylan Blain

Academic Director Sport & Healthy Living
Dr Dylan Blain

Background

Dr Dylan Blain is Academic Director for Sport and Healthy living at the University of Wales Trinity Saint David (UWTSD) where he provides overall strategic leadership for a portfolio of undergraduate and postgraduate programmes across multiple campuses in South-West Wales. This leadership role oversees programmes including BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science, BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Therapy, BSc (Hons) Sport, Health and Physical Education, BSc (Hons) Nutrition, Physical Activity & Health, and MSc Sport & Exercise Nutrition. 

Dr Blain completed his PhD and undergraduate degree in Sport & Exercise Science at the University of Bath. He is a qualified secondary school Physical Education teacher with extensive experience of teaching in schools. He is a UEFA A Licence football coach and has worked at professional and semi-professional clubs. Academically, Dr Blain’s work focuses on promoting positive motivational trajectories via engaging programmes in sport and exercise contexts. 

Specialist Subjects

  • Motivation & Behaviour Change in Physical Activity:
  • Psychological factors influencing engagement in sport/exercise
  • Designing interventions to support lifelong activity habits
  • Physical Education & Physical Literacy:
  • Curriculum design for PE in schools
  • Development of physical literacy across age groups
  • Blended & Remote Learning in PE
  • Youth Sport Development :
  • Coaching and curriculum models for children and adolescents

Professional and/or Research Experience

Dr Blain completed his PhD at the University of Bath, and his research focusses on motivational processes in sport and exercise, behaviour change, and technology-enhanced pedagogy in physical education, sport and exercise. He plays a strategic role in the Welsh Institute of Physical Activity, Health & Sport (WIPAHS) as a Deputy Strategic Theme Lead in Behaviour Change, guiding applied research aimed at enhancing physical activity and public health. He also contributes to the Active Healthy Kids Wales group responsible for producing the report card on physical activity as part of the Global Alliance. He is an editorial board member for Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy the official Journal of the Association for Physical Education (AfPE).

Qualifications

  • Doctor of Philosophy (Health). Relationship among pupil motivation, physical literacy, physical activity and health-related well-being - University of Bath
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) - Physical Education - UWTSD
  • Postgraduate Certificate in Education (PGCE) / Qualified Teacher Status (QTS) – Secondary Physical Education. - University of Wales Institute Cardiff
  • BSc (Hons) Sport & Exercise Science - University of Bath.
  • FAW/UEFA ‘A’ & Elite Youth A Licence (Combined Course)

Languages Spoken

Welsh, English

Professional Membership or Roles

Deputy Strategic Theme Lead (Behaviour Change) - Welsh Institute of Physical Activity, Health and Sport
Editorial Board Member for Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy Journa
Associate Member of the Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Change (University of Bath
Associate Lecturer with the Coleg Cymraeg Cenedlaethol
Professional member with Chartered Association for Sports and Exercise Sciences (CASES/previously BASES)

Academic Teaching

External Recognition or Rewards

Fellowship with Higher Education Academy (HEA).

Link to Orcid Profile

ORCID Research profile

Professional Publications

  • Blain, D., Standage, M. & Curran, T. (2022). Physical education in a post-COVID world: A blended-gamified approach. European Physical Education Review, 28(3), 757–776.
  • Lang, J.J., Zhang, K., Agostinis-Sobrinho, C. Blain, D., et al. (2023). Top 10 International Priorities for Physical Fitness Research and Surveillance Among Children and Adolescents: A Twin-Panel Delphi Study. Sports Medicine, 53, 549–564.
  • Blain, D., Curran, T. & Standage, M. (2020). Psychological and behavioural correlates of early adolescents' physical literacy. Journal of Teaching in Physical Education. 40(1), 157-165.
  • Blain, D. & Bellamy, M. (2018). School Gym and physical activity. In Draper, N. & Stratton, G. (Eds.). Physical Activity: A multidisciplinary approach. Abingdon, Oxon: Routledge.
  • Goodyear, V.A., Blain, D., Quarmby, T. & Wainwright, N. (2016). Dylan: the use of 'mobile' 'apps' within a tactical inquiry approach. In Casey, A., Goodyear, V. A. & Armour, K. M. Digital Technologies and Learning in Physical Education: Pedagogical Cases.
  • Regular appearances on S4C Sgorio as pundit and commentator.

Available to Supervise Doctoral Students

Yes