Nonlinear Pedagogy Hub

Dr Jia Yi Chow

Dean, Teacher Education & Undergraduate Programmes
Associate Professor, Physical Education & Sports Science

National Institute of Education

Dr Chow Jia Yi is an Associate Professor at the National Institute of Education, specialising in motor control, ecological dynamics, and nonlinear pedagogy in physical education.

His work focuses on coordination, sports expertise, and the design of representative learning environments. He currently serves on editorial boards of several international sport science journals and provides leadership in advancing teacher education at NIE.

Dr John Komar

Assistant Dean, Research Support, Office for Research
Associate Professor, Physical Education & Sports Science

National Institute of Education

Dr John Komar is an Associate Professor in Physical Education & Sports Science and Assistant Dean for Research Support at NIE.

Trained in motor control and learning, his work explores movement variability, ecological and dynamical systems approaches, active inference, and performance analysis in sport. His research bridges theory and applied practice, including data analytics and technology in sport and education.

Dr Kee Ying Hwa

Head, Physical Education & Sports Science
Associate Professor, Physical Education & Sports Science

National Institute of Education

Dr Kee Ying Hwa (Adrian) is Head of the Physical Education and Sports Science Academic Group at NIE.

A specialist in sport psychology, mindfulness, and motor behaviour fascinated by complex systems. He is an alumnus of the Santa Fe Institute's Complex Systems Summer School (Beijing, 2008), he brings a systems-thinking perspective to his work at the intersection of cognitive science, motor learning, and sports pedagogy. His research examines how mindfulness practices enhance motor control, learning efficiency, flow states, and performance in sport. He has explored this relationship in his paper "Mindfulness and its Relevance for Sports Coaches Adopting Nonlinear Pedagogy," which bridges contemplative practice with nonlinear pedagogy and offers insights into how awareness and present-moment attention can support coaches in optimizing skill acquisition and athletic performance.

Dr Irfan Ismail

Master Teacher (Physical Education)
Former Teaching Fellow, NIE (Physical Education & Sports Science)

Physical Education and Sports Teacher Academy (PESTA)

Dr Irfan Ismail is a Master Teacher in Physical Education at PESTA, and the first PE Master Teacher to progress through the MOE Teaching Track. With a background that includes a Doctorate in Education from NTU and a Master’s in Exercise and Sports Performance from the University of Sydney, his work focuses on the enactment of Nonlinear Pedagogy in schools setting and constraints-led teaching and learning.

A strong advocate of teachers as learning designers, he emphasises designing environments that enable exploration, interaction, and applied understanding. A former national futsal player and AFC B-licensed coach, he brings both academic depth and practical sporting experience to his educational practice.

Dr Miriam Lee

Sports Singapore

Dr Miriam Lee holds a BSc in Sport and Exercise Science from the University of Western Australia and a PhD from the National Institute of Education, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. Her research and professional expertise focus on nonlinear pedagogy and motor learning in children.

As a Senior Manager at Sport Singapore, she promotes the application of nonlinear pedagogy in coach education and early childhood movement programmes. Since joining the organisation in 2015, she has led key initiatives aimed at enhancing children’s physical literacy, including the development of the Nurture Kids programme and significant contributions to the Learning to Move, Moving to Learn resource guide. Dr Lee remains committed to advancing evidence-informed practices that support children’s movement competence and lifelong engagement in physical activity.

Dr Duarte Araújo

Professor of Psychology and Motor Behavior at Faculty Human Kinetics, U Lisbon (FMH-UL)
Head of Laboratory of Expertise in Sport (FMH-UL)
Director of CIPER - Interdisciplinary Centre for the study of Human Performance (FCT funded unit)
Vice-President of Scientific Council (FMH-UL)

University of Lisbon

Dr Duarte Araújo is a leading scholar in ecological dynamics and decision-making in sport. As Director of the Laboratory of Expertise in Sport at the University of Lisbon.

His research examines expert performance, affordances, team coordination, and variability in human movement. He has published extensively in international journals and supervises doctoral research across Europe and Australia. Prof. Araújo also served as President of the Portuguese Society of Sport Psychology and was a member of Portugal’s National Council of Sports, contributing to both scientific and applied perspectives in sport. Outside academia, he is a consultant for sport expertise and high-performance psychology.

Dr Chris Button

Former Dean, School of PE, Sport and Exercise Sciences

University of Otago, New Zealand

Dr Chris Button is a leading researcher in movement coordination, variability, and ecological dynamics, with applied work in skill learning, coaching, and water safety. Former Dean of the School of Physical Education, Sport and Exercise Sciences at Otago, he has advised national organisations including New Zealand’s Ministry of Health, Water Safety NZ, Netball NZ, NZ Football, and the Boston Celtics (NBA).

His research connects theory to practice, notably through co-authored texts such as Dynamics of Skill Acquisition, Complex Systems in Sport, and Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition. He is an executive member of the Australasian Skill Acquisition Network and Section Editor for the NZ Journal of Sport and Exercise Sciences.
Kia Ora!

Dr Keith Davids

Professor of Perceptual-Motor Learning

Sheffield Hallam University, UK

Dr Keith Davids is a world-leading researcher in ecological dynamics, skill acquisition, and sport expertise, with decades of work shaping how movement, learning, and coaching are understood in sport and physical education.

Dr Ian Renshaw

Adjunct Associate Professor, School of Exercise & Nutrition Sciences

Queensland University of Technology (Australia)

Dr Ian Renshaw is an internationally recognised leader in skill acquisition, coaching methodology and applied ecological dynamics. A founder member of The Constraints Collective, Ian has been a central figure in advancing the Constraints-Led Approach and Nonlinear Pedagogy in both research and practice for more than three decades. His work bridges the gap between academic theory and practical application, supporting coaches and organisations to design environments that accelerate learning, enhance decision making and unlock athlete potential.
Ian has worked extensively with national and international sport systems, including the England and Wales Cricket Board, New Zealand Sport, New Zealand Cricket, Cricket Australia, and the Canada Football women’s national team, providing applied research, professional development, and advisory support for coaches and high-performance programmes. He is also a mentor to coaches across the world, including within elite professional sport environments such as the NBA, helping practitioners evolve their craft and develop context-driven, athlete-centred coaching approaches.

An Adjunct Associate Professor at Queensland University of Technology, Ian has authored a substantial body of research examining the interactions between learning design, perception-action coupling, performance psychology and representative practice design. He has co-authored multiple influential books on Nonlinear Pedagogy and the Constraints-Led Approach, including Motor Learning in Practice and Nonlinear Pedagogy in Skill Acquisition. His current book, Dynamic Coaching: A Playbook for Cricket Coaches, provides a practical, systems-driven framework for helping coaches design more effective learning environments that transfer seamlessly to performance.
Ian’s career reflects a commitment to developing intelligent, adaptable athletes and reflective, evidence-informed coaches who understand that skill development is dynamic, relational and deeply human.

Dr Ludovic Seifert

Professor, UFR STAPS – University of Rouen Normandy CETAPS Laboratory
Mountain Guide & Climbing Leader

University of Rouen, Normandy

Dr Ludovic Seifert is a leading researcher in ecological dynamics, motor coordination, and perception-action coupling, based at the CETAPS Laboratory, University of Rouen Normandy. His work explores how athletes learn and adapt in complex environments, particularly in outdoor and adventure sports such as climbing and swimming. A mountain guide and President of the ASRUC Climbing Section, he brings unique insight into expertise development through real-world practice.

His current research, including the “NePTUNE” project supported by the French National Research Agency, integrates data science and artificial intelligence to enhance performance in high-level sport. Appointed a Senior Member of the Institut Universitaire de France, Prof. Seifert continues to advance interdisciplinary collaboration between scientists, coaches, and athletes — embracing research as an ongoing quest for knowledge and adventure.