About

I joined the University in October 2015 having completed my PhD in Sport Psychology, MSc in Psychology of Sport and BSc in Sport and Exercise Science at Liverpool John Moores University, where I was also employed to coordinate a research project exploring graduate employability. My PhD explored the personal qualities of sport psychologists and how practitioners operate within elite and professional sport environments.

My ongoing research is focused on sport psychologist development, practitioner identity, and student-athlete well-being and my expertise lie within qualitative approaches to data collection. I am a Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy (SFHEA) and coordinate our taught postgraduate provision in Sport and Exercise Science. I teach across psychology and research methods modules, with module leadership responsibility at level seven.

Teaching responsibilities

• Level 6: Applied Sport Psychology, Independent Study for Sport and Exercise
• Level 7: Module Leader for Psychology of Exercise and Physical Activity, Current Concepts in Advanced Sport and Exercise Psychology, and Practitioner Development in Applied Sport and Exercise Science. Module Tutor for Applied Practice in Sport Psychology, Advanced Research Methods, and Independent Research in Sport and Exercise Science.
• Level 8: Module Tutor for 8SO500 Exploring Your World: Refining Practitioner Research

Professional interests

I sit on several working groups within the Chartered Association of Sport and Exercise Science (CASES) and work with external colleagues to support trainee sport scientists/psychologists.

Research interests

My research interests include the personal qualities of effective sport psychologists and the development of practitioners. This includes research exploring the supervision of trainee practitioners and practitioner identity, with additional research interests in student-athlete support and wellbeing. I support several doctoral research students on projects across sport and exercise psychology.

Membership of professional bodies

CASES Professional member

Qualifications

• PhD Sport Psychology – ‘Exploring the contribution of personal qualities to the effective delivery of sport psychology service provision’, Liverpool John Moores University (2015)
• MSc Psychology of Sport, Liverpool John Moores University (2009)
• BSc Sport and Exercise Science (Psychology), Liverpool John Moores University (2007)
• Senior Fellow of the Higher Education Academy

Recent conferences

Chandler, C. (2024). Student development as people and as practitioners: Insights from two teaching-based research projects. Higher Education Sport Pedagogy Conference 2024, Cambridge, UK.

Chandler, C., Taylor, N., Mitchell, J., & Mourton, S. (2024). Student experiences of outdoor adventure sport and their role in developing self-awareness and readiness for practice. University of Derby Learning and Teaching Conference 2024, Derby, UK.

Chandler, C., & Borrie, A. (2023). Personal and professional development in postgraduate students: Reflections from sport and exercise science. UKCGE Annual Conference 2023, Edinburgh, UK. Available: https://ukcge.ac.uk/events/ukcge-annual-conference-2023

Borrie, A., Miles, A., & Chandler, C. (2023). Academic mentoring rather than supervising – turning the doctoral supervisory model upside down. UKCGE Annual Conference 2023, Edinburgh, UK. Available: https://ukcge.ac.uk/events/ukcge-annual-conference-2023

Chandler, C. (2022). Digital assessment for personal development: Insight from a Level 7 module. University of Derby Learning and Teaching Conference 2022, Derby, UK.

Chandler, C., & Hooton, A. (2022). Using discussion-based teaching to enhance postgraduate student’s engagement. University of Derby Learning and Teaching Conference 2022, Derby, UK.

Recent publications

Chandler, C. (2025). The use of ePortfolios and video reflections to support personal and professional development within a postgraduate exercise and physical activity psychology module. In Formative Assessment and Feedback in Post-Digital Learning Environments: Disciplinary Case Studies in Higher Education

Bradley, E., Chandler, C., & Smith, M. F. (2024). Entrustable Professional Activities for competency development in the sport and exercise sciences. The Sport and Exercise Scientist, 79, 30-33.

Borrie, A., Chandler, C., Hooton, A., Miles, A., & Watson, P. (2023). The Applied Sport and Exercise Practitioner. Routledge.

Turner, M. J., Boatwright, D., Evans, A., Garip, G., Chandler, C., Chadha, N. J., & Wood, A. G. (2023). University makes me angry: Investigating stimulus-response (S-R) and cognitive mediation (C-M) emotion beliefs in undergraduate students. PLOS One, 19(2): e0294777

Burgess, K., Powell, S., Chandler, C., & Mason, L. (2023). Celebrating 30 years of BASES: How has education and teaching developed and what does the future hold? The Sport and Exercise Scientist, 78, p. 24-25.

Roscoe, C. M. J., Pringle, A., Chandler, C., Faghy, M. A., & Barratt, B. (2022). The role of physical activity in cancer recovery: An exercise practitioner’s perspective. International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19(6), 3600. DOI: 10.3390/ijerph19063600

Turner, M. J. et al. (2022). “I must do this!”: A latent profile analysis approach to understanding the role of 4 irrational beliefs and motivation regulation in mental and physical health. Journal of Sports Sciences, 40, 934-949.  DOI: 10.1080/02640414.2022.2042124

Verner, D., Chandler, C., & Clarke, P. (2021). Exploring the contribution of personal qualities to the personal and professional development of trainee sport psychology practitioners within the individuation process. Physical Culture and Sport. Studies and Research, 92, 43-54. DOI: 10.2478/pcssr-2021-0024

Tod, D., McEwan, H., Chandler, C., Eubank, M. & Lafferty, M. (2020). The gravitational pull of identity: professional growth in sport, exercise, and performance psychologists. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action,11(4), 233-242. DOI:10.1080/21520704.2020.1825024

Courses

• Doctorate in Professional Practice (Sport and Exercise) (online)