The mission of the Department of Sports Science and Physical Education is to provide excellent research and teaching in Sports Science and Physical Education in order to promote and develop the health and well being of people.

To provide an enriched environment so students will receive excellent professional and academic preparation to become effective professionals in the field of Sports Science and Physical Education.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The unifying focus of this area is the study of teaching and learning, curriculum and design, and broader social issues that pertain to Physical Education. Through examining current issues in pedagogy, much of the work has addressed the professionalism of Physical Education teachers with the help of research-based intervention programmes. In addition, with Physical Education being one of the key learning areas in recent educational reform, this group has attempted to explore ways to enhance the students’ learning experiences in physical activity. Consequently, aiming to work in line with the ultimate educational goal of the "whole person development". In particular, two RGC funded research projects were shown to successfully improve Hong Kong students’"Physical", and "Character and Moral” development. More recently, our research area has broadened to the social and cultural sphere looking at familial relationships in relation to their perceptions and priorities around physical activity. Through international collaborations with prominent universities from North America, Australia and China, our group has developed and "East meets West" approach in receiving and informing latest issues in physical education pedagogy research, leading to publishing widely in local and international journals.

Health and Fitness Research

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The objective of the research laboratory is to enhance the knowledge and practice of exercise and fitness through quality research, so as to improve the quality of human life. The research focus is centered around physical fitness (both health-related and performance-related) and physical activity investigations. We also adopt various health advancement approaches, in the form research projects and health promotion programs, as well as educational (such as fitness seminars and disseminating information via webpage development), interventional (such as providing exercise programs for the community), and observational approaches (such as cross-sectional surveys on physical fitness of Hong Kong students and general population). Measurement issues in fitness and activity (such as the examination of validity and reliability of fitness testing protocols), and statistical models in exercise science research are another main themes of research.

Exercise Physiology and Sports Nutrition Research

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The Exercise Physiology Laboratory is located in the Kwok Sports Building. It houses state-of-the-art equipment for faculty and student research activities in applied exercise physiology and sports nutrition. The laboratory contains equipment necessary for metabolic, cardiovascular, and biochemical testing and analyses. They include: an aluminium tank for underwater weighing, spirometers, an on-line data acquisition system for evaluating respiratory gas exchange, a heavy duty, over-sized treadmill, mechanically braked and electrically braked cycle ergometers, automated blood chemistry analysers, telemetry heart-rate monitors, core temperature monitoring system, Actigraph accelerometer, MRX ELISA reader, and IBM compatible and Macintosh computers. Laboratory support is also provided by the University's Faculty of Medicine. Recent studies have focused on consumption of glycemic index meal on exercise performance, whole body energy metabolism and thermoregulation during exercise, and children obesity and sedentary lifestyle.

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
Motor behavior (motor learning, control, development, and psychology) is crucial to overall human development and physical activity. Much of the research conducted in this area is applied or basic and carries considerable appeal to educators and researchers in movement science, psychology, education, and pediatrics. For instance, how do children learn to control movements through physical practice or play? What are the underlying mechanisms of benefits for physical activity in childhood? What roles does enriched experience play in the developmental processes? A developmental approach can answer these questions that bear important theoretical and practical implications. Recently, we are investigating how elite athletes develop their game strategies and make decision via psychological and neuropsychological techniques. Conducting these projects is important to the training of our students and the visibility of the University.

Sports Biomechanics Research

RESEARCH OBJECTIVES
The aim of our sports biomechanics research is "to optimize health and performance, and prevent injury by understanding human movement", and "to bridge the gap between research of neuroskeletal muscles in human movement and their application in health promotion, ergonomics, industry, and clinical practice".

The Human Movement Laboratory (Sports Biomechanics Laboratory) is a well-equipped laboratory established in 1991. It is located at the 1st floor of the Kwok Sports Building. The laboratory occupies 3,000 square feet of research and meeting space. The staff includes biomechanists, research engineers, sports medicine professionals, graduate students, administrative officers, and undergraduate sports science students. The laboratory has research, graduate training, continuing education and consulting components. Research is conducted with departments from multiple faculties: Orthopedics and Traumatology Department, Engineering Department, and Sports Science and Physical Education Department.

Department of Sports Science and Physical Education, Faculty of Education, The Chinese University of Hong Kong

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