Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere
Biographic Data
| ID | 4871742 |
|---|---|
| NAME | Nancy Spencer-Cavaliere |
| GIVEN NAMES | Nancy |
| FAMILY NAME | Spencer-Cavaliere |
| SIGNATURE | SPENCER-CAVALIERE N |
| AFFILIATIONS | University of Alberta |
| ORCID | 0000-0002-7456-7101 |
| VERIFIED | Yes |
| TOTAL WORKS | 15 |
| TOTAL CITATIONS | 18 |
| AUTHOR COUNT | 15 |
| EDITOR COUNT | 0 |
| FIRST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2009 |
| LATEST PUBLICATION YEAR | 2026 |
| H-INDEX | 3 |
Nature-based learning as a support for child and family learning and health: A qualitative study of parental and instructor perspectives in a Canadian context
Nature can benefit learning through various mechanisms such as improved attention and mood and opportunities for physical activity. These mechanisms also support childhood health and development. Nature-based learning (NBL) is one strategy instructors can employ to harness these benefits in early childhood education. The purpose of this study was to explore parent/guardian and instructor perceptions of learning in NBL programs for young children.…
Peeling back the layers: Examining the trauma-informed programming experiences of staff in a sport for development and peace organization
I'll Show You: Reflections on Disabled Children's Points of View and the Use of Action Cameras in Inclusive, Critical, Qualitative Research
Disabled children are often excluded from research about their own lives due to researchers' reliance on inaccessible methods and ableist assumptions about their capabilities. Inclusive research approaches that prioritize accessibility, meaningful engagement, dignity, and ethics create space for research with and by disabled children. Accessible methods for data generation play a central role in inclusive research. For example, action cameras hav…
Forced migration, resettlement, and sport: Lessons from the Kabul-Edmonton soccer team
Forced migration is one of the most pressing crises of our lifetime. Of the millions forced to migrate, many come to know the brutality of state-managed migration that habitually denies asylum seekers and places substantive restrictions on refugees who have been resettled. Sociologists of sport and leisure have examined the sporting experiences of refugees through an intersectional lens, foregrounding how displacement and resettlement are differe…
Everyone’s just like, they’re fine, and when in reality, are we?’ Stories about recess from children experiencing disability
Recess can be a valuable and significant experience in children’s lives, providing opportunities for outdoor free play and engagement with peers; however, children experiencing disability often withdraw or are excluded during recess. The recess context has received little attention from an inclusion perspective and the voices of children experiencing disability remain marginalized in the literature. Guided by relational ethics, the purpose of thi…
‘Pushing the outdoor play agenda’: Exploring how practitioners conceptualise and operationalise nature play in a Canadian context
The purpose of this paper was to examine how practitioners think about and implement nature play in a Canadian context. Using data from interviews with 21 practitioners, we examined two overarching research questions: (1) How do practitioners conceptualise (think about and discuss) nature play? and (2) How do practitioners operationalise (i.e. plan and implement) nature play? The desire to examine how practitioners implement nature play opportuni…
What are you doing for your kids?’ Exploring messages and Canadian parents’ Decisions and perspectives in children’s sport and free play
The purpose of this study was to explore messages, formal (e.g. campaigns) and informal (e.g. parenting networks), heard by Canadian parents within children’s sport and free play and to understand their perceived role in parents’ experiences and decision making in these leisure contexts. Guided by interpretive description, twelve interviews were conducted with sport parents of children in middle childhood. The transcribed interviews were analysed…
So all kids can play? Looking beyond the rhetoric of an equal playing field
This paper explores the meaning and experiences of sport for young people living with lower incomes. Using data from interviews with 10 young people (aged 13–18) and six mothers, we engage with the work of Pierre Bourdieu to provide insight into the varied ways young people living with lower incomes were influenced by their social contexts. Narrative inquiry was used to further understand the meanings of sport for participants and the ways these …
A Part of and Apart from Sport: Practitioners’ Experiences Coaching in Segregated Youth Sport
Sport can present a site of exclusion for many youth who experience disability even when it has a focus on inclusion (Fitzgerald, 2009). While sport practitioners can play a critical role in creating inclusive environments, they frequently struggle to do so. As a consequence, the sport opportunities for young people who experience disability are often inadequate and inequitable. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of youth sp…
The Exclusionary Practices of Youth Sport
Youth who live with lower incomes are known to experience social exclusion in a range of social settings, including sport. Despite efforts to reduce financial constraints to participation, increasing opportunities in these ways has not led to increased involvement. There is a need to move beyond a discussion about barriers and explore the quality of young people’s engagement within sport. The present study consequently sought to understand the sp…
Ethic of care and the competitive Ultimate Frisbee playing experiences of young women
Some young women’s primary reasons for participating in sport (i.e. social interaction and friendship) may not match well with the structures embedded within traditional competitive sport (e.g. winning at all costs, aggression). In response, in this study, we explored if and in what ways these reasons align with an alternative sport – namely, Ultimate Frisbee. We examined how female adolescent players experienced, understood and engaged in Ultima…
I feel like this is a good place to be’: Children's experiences at a community recreation centre for children living with low socioeconomic status
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of children living with low socioeconomic status (SES) at a community recreation centre using the framework of place attachment [Scannell, L., and R. Gifford. 2010. “Defining Place Attachment: A Tripartite Organizing Framework.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 30 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006]. Seven children took part in semi-structured interviews and draw…
Non-refundable Tax Credits Are an Inequitable Policy Instrument for Promoting Physical Activity Among Canadian Children
Inclusion Understood From the Perspectives of Children With Disability
This study explored the perspectives of children with disabilities regarding the concept of inclusion in physical activity. Participants were children (two girls, nine boys, M age = 10 years, five months, age range: 8–12 years) with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, fine and gross motor delays, developmental coordination disorder, muscular dystrophy, nemaline myopathy, brachial plexus injury, and severe asthma. Children’s perspectives on in…
Is Recess an Achievement Context? An Application of Expectancy-Value Theory to Playground Choices
This study investigated the application of an expectancy-value model to children’s activity choices on the playground at recess. The purpose was to test the prediction that expectancies for success and subjective task values are related to decisions to engage in specific recess activities such as climbing, playing soccer, or skipping rope. Participants included 242 children in grades 1-4 from five schools. Participation in playground activities w…
The Exclusionary Practices of Youth Sport
Youth who live with lower incomes are known to experience social exclusion in a range of social settings, including sport. Despite efforts to reduce financial constraints to participation, increasing opportunities in these ways has not led to increased involvement. There is a need to move beyond a discussion about barriers and explore the quality of young people’s engagement within sport. The present study consequently sought to understand the sp…
I feel like this is a good place to be’: Children's experiences at a community recreation centre for children living with low socioeconomic status
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of children living with low socioeconomic status (SES) at a community recreation centre using the framework of place attachment [Scannell, L., and R. Gifford. 2010. “Defining Place Attachment: A Tripartite Organizing Framework.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 30 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006]. Seven children took part in semi-structured interviews and draw…
Non-refundable Tax Credits Are an Inequitable Policy Instrument for Promoting Physical Activity Among Canadian Children
What are you doing for your kids?’ Exploring messages and Canadian parents’ Decisions and perspectives in children’s sport and free play
The purpose of this study was to explore messages, formal (e.g. campaigns) and informal (e.g. parenting networks), heard by Canadian parents within children’s sport and free play and to understand their perceived role in parents’ experiences and decision making in these leisure contexts. Guided by interpretive description, twelve interviews were conducted with sport parents of children in middle childhood. The transcribed interviews were analysed…
A Part of and Apart from Sport: Practitioners’ Experiences Coaching in Segregated Youth Sport
Sport can present a site of exclusion for many youth who experience disability even when it has a focus on inclusion (Fitzgerald, 2009). While sport practitioners can play a critical role in creating inclusive environments, they frequently struggle to do so. As a consequence, the sport opportunities for young people who experience disability are often inadequate and inequitable. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of youth sp…
Forced migration, resettlement, and sport: Lessons from the Kabul-Edmonton soccer team
Forced migration is one of the most pressing crises of our lifetime. Of the millions forced to migrate, many come to know the brutality of state-managed migration that habitually denies asylum seekers and places substantive restrictions on refugees who have been resettled. Sociologists of sport and leisure have examined the sporting experiences of refugees through an intersectional lens, foregrounding how displacement and resettlement are differe…
Everyone’s just like, they’re fine, and when in reality, are we?’ Stories about recess from children experiencing disability
Recess can be a valuable and significant experience in children’s lives, providing opportunities for outdoor free play and engagement with peers; however, children experiencing disability often withdraw or are excluded during recess. The recess context has received little attention from an inclusion perspective and the voices of children experiencing disability remain marginalized in the literature. Guided by relational ethics, the purpose of thi…
Is Recess an Achievement Context? An Application of Expectancy-Value Theory to Playground Choices
This study investigated the application of an expectancy-value model to children’s activity choices on the playground at recess. The purpose was to test the prediction that expectancies for success and subjective task values are related to decisions to engage in specific recess activities such as climbing, playing soccer, or skipping rope. Participants included 242 children in grades 1-4 from five schools. Participation in playground activities w…
Inclusion Understood From the Perspectives of Children With Disability
This study explored the perspectives of children with disabilities regarding the concept of inclusion in physical activity. Participants were children (two girls, nine boys, M age = 10 years, five months, age range: 8–12 years) with disabilities, including cerebral palsy, fine and gross motor delays, developmental coordination disorder, muscular dystrophy, nemaline myopathy, brachial plexus injury, and severe asthma. Children’s perspectives on in…
Non-refundable Tax Credits Are an Inequitable Policy Instrument for Promoting Physical Activity Among Canadian Children
I feel like this is a good place to be’: Children's experiences at a community recreation centre for children living with low socioeconomic status
The purpose of this qualitative case study was to explore the experiences of children living with low socioeconomic status (SES) at a community recreation centre using the framework of place attachment [Scannell, L., and R. Gifford. 2010. “Defining Place Attachment: A Tripartite Organizing Framework.” Journal of Environmental Psychology 30 (1): 1–10. doi:10.1016/j.jenvp.2009.09.006]. Seven children took part in semi-structured interviews and draw…
The Exclusionary Practices of Youth Sport
Youth who live with lower incomes are known to experience social exclusion in a range of social settings, including sport. Despite efforts to reduce financial constraints to participation, increasing opportunities in these ways has not led to increased involvement. There is a need to move beyond a discussion about barriers and explore the quality of young people’s engagement within sport. The present study consequently sought to understand the sp…
Ethic of care and the competitive Ultimate Frisbee playing experiences of young women
Some young women’s primary reasons for participating in sport (i.e. social interaction and friendship) may not match well with the structures embedded within traditional competitive sport (e.g. winning at all costs, aggression). In response, in this study, we explored if and in what ways these reasons align with an alternative sport – namely, Ultimate Frisbee. We examined how female adolescent players experienced, understood and engaged in Ultima…
So all kids can play? Looking beyond the rhetoric of an equal playing field
This paper explores the meaning and experiences of sport for young people living with lower incomes. Using data from interviews with 10 young people (aged 13–18) and six mothers, we engage with the work of Pierre Bourdieu to provide insight into the varied ways young people living with lower incomes were influenced by their social contexts. Narrative inquiry was used to further understand the meanings of sport for participants and the ways these …
A Part of and Apart from Sport: Practitioners’ Experiences Coaching in Segregated Youth Sport
Sport can present a site of exclusion for many youth who experience disability even when it has a focus on inclusion (Fitzgerald, 2009). While sport practitioners can play a critical role in creating inclusive environments, they frequently struggle to do so. As a consequence, the sport opportunities for young people who experience disability are often inadequate and inequitable. The purpose of this study was to explore the experiences of youth sp…
‘Pushing the outdoor play agenda’: Exploring how practitioners conceptualise and operationalise nature play in a Canadian context
The purpose of this paper was to examine how practitioners think about and implement nature play in a Canadian context. Using data from interviews with 21 practitioners, we examined two overarching research questions: (1) How do practitioners conceptualise (think about and discuss) nature play? and (2) How do practitioners operationalise (i.e. plan and implement) nature play? The desire to examine how practitioners implement nature play opportuni…
What are you doing for your kids?’ Exploring messages and Canadian parents’ Decisions and perspectives in children’s sport and free play
The purpose of this study was to explore messages, formal (e.g. campaigns) and informal (e.g. parenting networks), heard by Canadian parents within children’s sport and free play and to understand their perceived role in parents’ experiences and decision making in these leisure contexts. Guided by interpretive description, twelve interviews were conducted with sport parents of children in middle childhood. The transcribed interviews were analysed…
Everyone’s just like, they’re fine, and when in reality, are we?’ Stories about recess from children experiencing disability
Recess can be a valuable and significant experience in children’s lives, providing opportunities for outdoor free play and engagement with peers; however, children experiencing disability often withdraw or are excluded during recess. The recess context has received little attention from an inclusion perspective and the voices of children experiencing disability remain marginalized in the literature. Guided by relational ethics, the purpose of thi…
I'll Show You: Reflections on Disabled Children's Points of View and the Use of Action Cameras in Inclusive, Critical, Qualitative Research
Disabled children are often excluded from research about their own lives due to researchers' reliance on inaccessible methods and ableist assumptions about their capabilities. Inclusive research approaches that prioritize accessibility, meaningful engagement, dignity, and ethics create space for research with and by disabled children. Accessible methods for data generation play a central role in inclusive research. For example, action cameras hav…
Forced migration, resettlement, and sport: Lessons from the Kabul-Edmonton soccer team
Forced migration is one of the most pressing crises of our lifetime. Of the millions forced to migrate, many come to know the brutality of state-managed migration that habitually denies asylum seekers and places substantive restrictions on refugees who have been resettled. Sociologists of sport and leisure have examined the sporting experiences of refugees through an intersectional lens, foregrounding how displacement and resettlement are differe…
Peeling back the layers: Examining the trauma-informed programming experiences of staff in a sport for development and peace organization
Nature-based learning as a support for child and family learning and health: A qualitative study of parental and instructor perspectives in a Canadian context
Nature can benefit learning through various mechanisms such as improved attention and mood and opportunities for physical activity. These mechanisms also support childhood health and development. Nature-based learning (NBL) is one strategy instructors can employ to harness these benefits in early childhood education. The purpose of this study was to explore parent/guardian and instructor perceptions of learning in NBL programs for young children.…
Psychology (11 works) · Social Psychology (9 works) · Sociology (9 works) · Political science (8 works) · Inclusion and Disability in Education and Sport (6 works) · Social Psychology (6 works) · Youth Development and Social Support (6 works) · Developmental psychology (5 works) · Gender Studies (5 works) · Physical Education and Pedagogy (5 works)