Exploration of Higher Education Delivery of Artistic Sport Curriculum in the UK and China

This study explored the challenges and opportunities within the realm of artistic sports courses in China, primarily focusing on vocational outcomes for students in Chinese universities and addresses potential implications for enhancement in the context of teaching and learning practices. Through the insights garnered from higher education experts, on-campus students, and social professionals related to artistic sports, this research considered the potential of UK practices to inform the development of Chinese courses, adopting a rigorous and methodical approach to research design, informed by Saunders et al.'s "Research Onion" model. It comprehensively explored philosophical underpinnings, theory development approaches, research choices, strategies, and techniques with procedures. In addition, the research incorporated an in-depth review of pedagogic theory and contemporary literature to establish context. A series of semi-structured interviews were conducted with participants from both China and the U.K. The primary analytical strategy employed was thematic analysis, enriched by a template analysis approach. This comprehensive methodology facilitated a deep exploration, interpretation, and analysis of the data, culminating in a detailed understanding of the current state and potential improvements of artistic sports courses in China. Key findings from the research illuminate a range of expanded employment opportunities in artistic sports. This includes roles in artistic sports therapy, artistic sports health consulting, careers in health and social care, traditional Chinese artistic sports, artistic sports creativity, academic research, and positions requiring entrepreneurial skills. Further findings encourage a series of research implications for enhancing the teaching and learning practices within artistic sports courses, which span five critical dimensions in higher education delivery: course design, course content and learning experience, course implementation, course assessment, and quality enhancement. Among the key implications, the study highlights the expansion of course objectives, the need for course content diversification to cater to broader vocational outcomes, effective communication and cooperation strategies to improve course implementation, and comprehensive, diverse assessment approaches, especially including the innovative use of student portfolios. It also emphasises the importance of enhancing quality by updating university policies, enhancing the lecturer team, and shifting teaching methods to more learner-centred approaches. The above findings presented in this study offer significant contributions to developing artistic sports education in China. By aligning course design with societal and industry demands and addressing the distinctive interests and abilities of students, the study also offers the potential opportunity to enhance the quality, relevance, and impact of higher education in the realm of artistic sports courses