Contribution to research on intervention in sport and PE: The example of racket sports

Research on intervention in sport and PE has developed considerably in France, with increasing international resonance, as evidenced by the presence of empirical work carried out in a French-speaking context in recognized English-language journals in sport and education sciences. This research is characterized by a wide variety of theoretical and methodological approaches. They aim at enriching the knowledge on the activity of practitioners and at formalizing intervention possibilities or training/teaching devices (including in particular an evaluation of the effects of these devices on the activity of participants). This article aims to characterize research on intervention in sport and PE, by delimiting its positioning in relation to established scientific fields in sport and education sciences, and by illustrating the reflection in racket sports. This introductory analysis builds on the empirical work presented in this special issue, from which it draws three recommendations for practitioners and intervention: (1) to build a positive relationship with participants; (2) to design and analyze devices that encourage the interest and learning of participants; and (3) to understand the socio-historical foundations of the proposed activities. At the conclusion of this reflection, two perspectives for research on intervention are presented: (1) to analyze the relationships between the intervention of the coach/teacher and the proposed training/teaching devices; and (2) to deepen the analysis of intervention in sport and PE based on mixed methods.