The development of sport policy research (2000-2020): A systematic review Yi Ouyang, Ping-Chao Lee, Ling-Mei Ko
National Taichung University of Education, Southern Taiwan University of Science and Technology
Abstract
Since the 1990s, sport policy research has gradually attracted increasing academic attention as a reflection of contemporary society at a particular time. This thesis conducts a systematic review and yields 100 policy articles related to elite sports, physical education, and sport for all, spanning a period of 20 years. According to Houlihan (2014), the meanings of theory in sport are categorized into four types: macro-scale theories as an overall perspective, meso-level theories explaining the phenomenon within societies, awareness of specific problems, and two or more variables with a proposition. Nearly half the research on the topic aims at meso-level analyses of organizations. Governance theory, the Sports Policy Factors Leading to International Sporting Success (SPLISS) model, the advocacy coalition framework (ACF), and network-related theories all play a pivotal role in focusing on policy backgrounds and dynamic relationships within organizations. Few studies highlight the policy texts themselves, or discourse about them, and, thereby, are grouped into the fifth type. Greater attention has been brought to policy formation and implementation rather than policy evaluation. Moreover, the austerity measures in elite sport, the outsourcing in physical education, and the aiming at minority groups also demonstrate the significant diversification in the recent research. Finally, the sport policy research will be completed more thoroughly if the research source includes more databases, paper studies, and in-depth interviews aiming at specific issues in the future.
Keywords: systematic review, sport policy, elite sport, physical education, sport for all
