Editor-in-Chief Lecture
Author
Professor of Sport Management. Faculty of Physical Education and Sport Sciences, University of Guilan, Rasht, Iran
Abstract
In science, theory can serve as the foundation for teaching/education, research, and practice/action. Theory should be the basis of teaching and a means for graduates to apply theory to practice in the workplace. In particular, teaching at the postgraduate level must be theory-driven, or course subjects must be theorized and presented within a structured framework. Using theory in teaching, especially in postgraduate studies, raises new questions and issues regarding past research and the theorizing process. It allows students to go beyond a merely descriptive understanding of phenomena and gain a deeper insight into how, why, and when activities occur. Furthermore, it can help researchers develop better theories. Therefore, sports management students must master theory-based knowledge to think analytically and critically about the phenomena facing this field, and they must explore and explain the relationships between variables in sports management more thoroughly. Rather than simply telling students how to act and what the best practices are, they should be exposed to theory in various situations so they can describe, predict, and control events both inside and outside the sports organization; theory-based teaching makes this possible. Researchers recommend that management Ph.D students write theoretical papers to ensure that theorizing does not become a lost or unlearned art.
On the other hand, theory-based teaching and theoretical critique expand the student’s perspective on the phenomena they have experienced in the real world. Theory-driven teaching reveals the strengths and weaknesses inherent in a subject. Instructors of postgraduate courses should also incorporate their own research findings into their teaching. In this way, the application of theory can be more effective if it is integrated as a part of learning process. Naturally, this is a very common practice in postgraduate curricula, and it helps both students and professors engage in further theorizing within sports management. It also enhances the student’s ability to systematically analyze or frame challenging topics in sports management.
Examining the textbooks that are authored and recommended to students for educational purposes partially reflects how well their content is organized within an appropriate framework. It also indicates the extent to which these books contain the author’s coherent views derived from previous studies, field experiences, observations, and research. Although internship and practicum experiences in educational programs are designed to put knowledge and theory into practice, transferring and discussing the experiences from those programs in the classroom can make the framing of theoretical concepts more practical and applied. This is especially true given that sports management has a significant need for this approach.
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