Dr Melanie McKee

General Information

Teaching Responsibilities

• Programme co-ordinator, BSc Physical Education & Sport
• Advisor of Studies for year 2 direct entry students on BSc Physical Education & Sport degree
• Module co-ordinator: Sport Development – Introduction; Practical Studies 3; Physical Education 3; Active Schools; and Dissertation

External Interests / Community Service

• Co-founder, former Chair (2023) and current member of the Ireland & UK Physical Literacy Forum (IUKPLF), Aug 2023
• Member of the Association for PE (Northern Ireland region) interim committee, Jan 2016 – present
• Member (international adviser) of the Canadian Physical Literacy Consensus Statement Steering Group, Jan 2015 – present
• Member of the Northern Ireland Active Schools Working Group, Sept 2014 – Sept 2015
• Vice-chair, trustee and co-founder of International Physical Literacy Association (IPLA), Aug 2014 – Dec 2015
• Vice-chair of International Physical Literacy Steering Group, Aug 2013 – July 2014
• UK representative for the International Association of PE & Sport for Girls and Women (IAPESGW), Apr 2013 – Apr 2014
• Chair of workshop on ‘Assessment of Physical literacy”, International Physical Literacy Conference, University of Bedfordshire, Feb 2011
• Chair of Northern Ireland Physical Literacy Forum, Aug 2008 – Aug 2010
• Chair of Home Countries Physical Literacy Forum, Aug 2008 – Aug 2010
• Co-ordinator of Activ8, Sport Northern Ireland’s Olympic Legacy Programme for children involving coaches and teachers, Jan 2009 – Aug 2010
• Member of the Sports Coach UK Coaching Children Curriculum Implementation Group, Sept 2008 – Apr 2010
• Member of the Office of First Minister and Deputy First Minister for Northern Ireland (OFMDFMNI) Play and Leisure Policy for Northern Ireland Implementation Group, Jan 2009 – Feb 2010

Research Interests

• Physical literacy
• Physical education

Background & Qualifications

• Background
• 2010 – Present: Senior Lecturer, Department of Health and PE, Stranmillis University College, Belfast
• 2008 – 2010: Physical Literacy Development Officer, Sport Northern Ireland, Belfast
• 2003 – 2008: Primary teacher, Knockmore Primary School, Lisburn
• Qualifications
• EdD (Doctorate of Education), Cardiff University, Wales, 2016-2023
• PGCE (Primary), University of Ulster, Coleraine, 2002-2003
• BSc (Sport, Exercise & Leisure), University of Ulster, Jordanstown, 1999-2002
• LLB (Law), Queen’s University, Belfast, 1995-1998, also awarded the following:
• Stanley Austin Memorial Prize – best essay in international law
• William Staunton Memorial Prize – proficiency in criminal law
• Northern Ireland Medico-Legal Society Prize – proficiency in medical law and ethics

Research & Scholarship

Journal Articles

Tremblay M. S., Costas-Bradstreet C., Barnes J. D., Bartlett B., Dampier D., Lalonde C., Leidl R., Longmuir P., McKee M., Patton R., Way R., & Yessis J. (2018) Canada’s Physical Literacy Consensus Statement: process and outcome. BMC Public Health 18 (Suppl 2):1034. Available at: https://bmcpublichealth.biomedcentral.com/track/pdf/10.1186/s12889-018-5903-x

Canada’s Physical Literacy Consensus Statement (2015) – a clarification document aspiring to facilitate alignment and consistency in policy, research and practice within and between multiple sectors in the physical literacy community including health, education and sport (Online). Available at: https://www.participaction.com/sites/default/files/downloads/Participaction-CanadianPhysicalLiteracy-Consensus_0.pdf

McKee, M., Breslin, G., Haughey, T. and Donnelly, P. (2013) Research in Assessing Physical Literacy in Northern Ireland, International Council of Sport Science & Physical Education (ICSSPE) Bulletin, Journal of Sport Science and Physical Education, 65, pp.284-289 (Online). Available at: https://www.icsspe.org/sites/default/files/bulletin65_0.pdf

McKee, M., Breslin, G., Haughey, T. and Donnelly, P. (2013) Physical Literacy Co-ordinators & Active School Partnerships in Northern Ireland, International Council of Sport Science & Physical Education (ICSSPE) Bulletin, Journal of Sport Science and Physical Education, 65, pp.300-306 (Online). Available at: https://www.icsspe.org/sites/default/files/bulletin65_0.pdf

Haughey, T., Breslin, G., Toole, S., McKee, M. and Donnelly, P. (2013) Developing Physical Literacy through Coaches – A Northern Ireland Perspective, International Council of Sport Science & Physical Education (ICSSPE) Bulletin, Journal of Sport Science and Physical Education, 65, pp.253-257 (Online). Available at: https://www.icsspe.org/sites/default/files/bulletin65_0.pdf

Baseline survey of timetabled PE in post-primary schools in Northern Ireland (2010), Sport Northern Ireland (Online). Available at: http://www.sportni.net/sportni/wp-content/uploads/2013/07/PostPrimaryPESurvey2010FullReport.pdf

McKee, M., & Jennings, C. (2010) Physical education in primary schools in Northern Ireland, Primary PE Matters, Association for Physical Education, Vol.5, No.3, pp. xiii-xvi (Online). Available at: http://www.afpe.org.uk/physical-education/physical-education-matters-2/

Baseline survey of timetabled PE in primary schools in Northern Ireland (2009), Sport Northern Ireland (Online). Available at: http://www.sportni.net/sportni/wp-content/uploads/2014/06/REPORTPRIMARYPESURVEY.pdf

Resources

Collaborated with the Canada Sport For Life Team and Sport Ireland on the Understanding Physical Literacy: A Canadian Perspective information booklet (October 2024). Available at: https://sportforlife.ca/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Understanding-PL-a-Canadian-Perspective_EN_WEB_20241118.pdf

Commissioned by Sport Ireland and Sport Northern Ireland to write the Understanding Physical Literacy information booklet (March 2024). Available at: https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2024-03/understanding-physical-literacy-booklet_final_spread.pdf

Update in-person version of Workshop 1 – Understanding Physical Literacy (in-person delivery): tutor notes, personal reflection journal; and physical literacy information booklet for Sport Ireland Coaching (June 2022)

Understanding Physical Literacy online module; tutor notes; participant reflection journal; and physical literacy factsheet for Coaching Ireland (November 2020)

Understanding Physical Literacy module; tutor notes; participant reflection journal; and physical literacy factsheet for Coaching Ireland (October 2018)

Active Eatwell Foundation Stage, Key Stage One and Key Stage Two teacher resource manuals for Sport Northern Ireland and the Food Standards Agency (2012) (Online). Available at: http://www.activ8ni.net/activ8-eatwell.html

Other Publications

Expert Advisor to Sport Northern Ireland and Sport Ireland regarding the creation of the All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement (2022). Available at: https://www.sportireland.ie/sites/default/files/media/document/2022-10/Physical%20Literacy%20Statement.pdf .

Promoting physical activity through connected learning (2010), Linked – Connected Learning, The Partnership Management Board (Online). Available at: http://www.nicurriculum.org.uk/docs/linked/linked10_feb10.pdf

Peer Reviewer

Peer reviewed PE-related article for AfPE’s Physical Education & Sport Pedagogy journal (May 2023)

Member of the Expert Panel for the Delphi Poll in the All-Island Physical Literacy Research Project (August 2020)

International peer reviewer for Canada’s Sport for Life – Developing Physical Literacy resource (January 2019). Available at: https://sportforlife.ca/portfolio-view/developing-physical-literacy-building-a-new-normal-for-all-canadians/

Conference proceedings and papers

Guest speaker: Ireland’s All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, Sport Ireland Professional Development Event, Dublin, Ireland, October 2024

Guest speaker: Ireland’s All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, Sport Ireland Professional Development Event, Dublin, Ireland, March 2024.

Guest speaker: Understanding Physical Literacy, European EduPASS Youth Sport Coaches Training School, Dublin, Ireland, Oct 2023 

Key note presentation: Ireland’s All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, International Physical Literacy Conference, New York, USA,  May 2023

Panel presentation: Developing Physical Literacy Consensus Statements, International Physical Literacy Conference, New York, USA,  May 2023

Panel presentation: Defining Physical Literacy, International Physical Literacy Conference, New York, USA,  May 2023

Guest speaker: Ireland’s All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, Sport Northern Ireland Network Event, Cookstown, Northern Ireland, March 2023

Guest speaker: Ireland’s All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, Sport Ireland Professional Development Event, Dublin, Ireland, February 2023

Guest speaker: Ireland’s All-Island Physical Literacy Consensus Statement, Sport Northern Ireland Professional Development Event, Belfast, Northern Ireland, February 2023

Physical Literacy Journeys, Sport Ireland National Development Officer Conference, Dublin, Ireland, June 2022

Key note presentation: Physical Literacy for All, Special Olympics Ireland, Annual Conference, Dublin, March 2019

Key note presentation: Defining Physical Literacy, Developing Children’s Physical Literacy seminar, Naas, Kildare, December 2016

Two panel presentations: ‘The International Physical Literacy Association’ and ‘Physical Literacy Development in Northern Ireland’, and member of Physical Literacy Advisory Panel for Q&A session, International Physical Literacy Conference, Vancouver, Canada, June 2015

Key note presentation: Physical Literacy: The value of body experiences to human development, II Summit on Sport & Human Development, Sao Paolo, Brazil, Nov 2014

Developing children’s physical literacy, Department of Sport & PE, Linnaeus University, Vaxjo, Sweden, April 2014

PE provision in primary and post-primary schools in Northern Ireland, International Association for PE and Sport for Girls and Women World Congress, Havana, Cuba, April 2013

Developing children’s physical literacy, Department of Sport & PE, University of Malta, April 2012

Physical education and physical literacy, International Physical Literacy Conference, University of Bedfordshire, England, 2011

Physical literacy, Coaching Ireland Conference, Dublin, Ireland, 2010

Developing physical literacy, International Association for PE and Sport for Girls and Women World Congress, Stellenbosch, South Africa, 2009

Developing physical literacy through multi-skills clubs, Sports Coach UK Conference, Glasgow, Scotland, 2009