FSH - School of Health and Human Performance header
School of Health & Human Performance

Dr
Sarahjane
Belton

Primary Department
School of Health & Human Performance
Role
Associate Professor in Physical Education
Phone number: 01 700
7393
Website
http://www.dcu.ie/shhp/y_path.shtml
Campus
Glasnevin Campus
Room Number
A245b

Academic biography

Sarahjane is an Associate Professor of Physical Education at the School of Health and Human Performance at DCU. She has held many roles in the School including Head of School (2019 - 2022), and Programme Chair for Physical Education (2008 - 2012, and 2016 - 2019). 

Sarahjane’s research focuses on education, health, and behaviour change, with a particular emphasis on how evidence-based interventions can support wellbeing across the lifespan. Her earlier work centred on childhood physical activity and health—encompassing physical activity and fitness, motivation and attitudes, physical competence, and health literacy. She has extensive experience in the design, implementation, and evaluation of physical and health literacy programmes from early childhood through adolescence, including leading the development of initiatives such as Y-PATH (Youth – Physical Activity Towards Health), Kids Active, and LifeLab.

Building on this, Sarahjane’s research now also extends to chronic illness rehabilitation, where she applies her expertise in education, health behaviour, and intervention design to support recovery and self-management among adults with long-term chronic conditions. Her interdisciplinary approach links physical activity, health promotion, and learning theory, with a continued focus on improving participation, empowerment, motivation, and health literacy.

She has collaborated widely with national agencies and interdisciplinary research teams, published textbooks and peer-reviewed papers, and presented her work at numerous national and international conferences.

Sarahjane graduated with a degree in Physical Education and Mathematics from the University of Limerick in 2001. Following a year teaching physical education at second level, she completed her PhD in Physical Activity at the University of Limerick in 2006. She lectured in Physical Education at St. Patrick’s College, Drumcondra (2006–2007), and has been a lecturer in the School of Health and Human Performance at Dublin City University since 2007, where she teaches and researches in the areas of physical education, health, and rehabilitation pedagogy.

Research interests

Sarahjane’s research area centres mainly on physical literacy, physical activity and sedentary behaviour; including physical activity, screen time, physical fitness, body composition and fundamental movement skill measurement, and intervention development and trial evaluation. Her work has been concerned with understanding factors associated with physical literacy and regular physical activity participation, including global elements such as well-being, physical elements such as cardiovascular fitness and body composition, but also psychological and psycho-social factors such as barriers and motivators for physical activity, self-esteem and self efficacy, attitudes, and levels of self-determination. She has lead on, and been involved in, the development, evaluation and dissemination of many national youth school based physical literacy interventions, has published numerous peer reviewed articles in this space, and has co-authored two school textbooks currently in use for teaching PE in Irish schools.
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