Dr Giampiero Tarantino PhD

• PhD in Inclusive Physical Education, University College Dublin, 2022
• MSc in Sport Sciences and Adapted Physical Activity, University of Pisa, 2016
• BSc in Sport Sciences, University of Pisa, 2014

Dr Giampiero Tarantino is an Assistant Professor in Sport Pedagogy and Coaching Sciences at the University of Birmingham's School of Sport, Exercise and Rehabilitation Sciences. He also holds a guest research affiliation at the Institute of Sport and Biomechanics, University of Southern Denmark. He is also a member of DRIVEN, the Danish Centre for Motivation and Behaviour Science.

Dr Tarantino completed his PhD in Inclusive Physical Education at University College Dublin (2018–2022), supported by a Government of Ireland Postgraduate Scholarship. He holds an MSc in Sport Science and Adapted Physical Activity and a BSc in Sport Science and Health Performance, both from the University of Pisa. His academic training combines expertise in physical education, sport science, and inclusive pedagogy.

Prior to joining Birmingham, Dr Tarantino worked as a Postdoctoral Researcher at the University of Southern Denmark, where he contributed to a large-scale randomised controlled trial examining the impact of research-informed physical education on pupils' mental and physical outcomes. During this role, he co-supervised PhD students and lectured on the master's module "Psychology of Sports and Physical Activity." His broader experience includes positions as a Research Fellow and Supervisor at Trinity College Dublin, where he led the school-based project on "Adolescents' Digital Maturity and Wellbeing," and roles as an Occasional Lecturer and Dissertation Supervisor at both TCD and University College Dublin. Dr Tarantino has also taught physical education in Italian secondary and primary schools and worked as a Strength and Conditioning coach.

BSc in Sport, PE and Coaching Science

Dr Tarantino welcomes doctoral supervision inquiries from students with interests in sport pedagogy, youth health promotion, and inclusive education. He has extensive experience supervising PhD students at both the University of Southern Denmark and Trinity College Dublin and is committed to providing rigorous methodological training and supportive mentorship.

Areas of supervision interest

Dr Tarantino is interested in supervising doctoral research in the following areas:

• School-based physical activity and physical education interventions, including evaluation of programme effectiveness, intervention fidelity, and scalability.
• Inclusive physical education and the experiences, participation, and outcomes of children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities.
• Adolescent mental and physical health outcomes, including the relationships between physical fitness, physical activity engagement, and digital use.
• Motivation and behaviour change in physical activity and sport contexts, drawing on self-determination theory.
• Advanced quantitative methods in sport and health research.
• Teacher education and professional development in physical education and inclusive practice

Previous Doctoral Supervision

Dr Tarantino has co-supervised PhD students across multiple institutions, with research topics including:

• The impact of research-informed physical education on students' fitness profiles, physical activity behaviour, and mental health outcomes.
• Adolescents' digital maturity and its relationship to health, wellbeing, and learning outcomes.

Current Research 

FIT FIRST

Dr Tarantino is actively involved in the FIT FIRST project at the University of Southern Denmark, a large-scale cluster randomised controlled trial investigating the impact of research-informed physical education on pupils' cardiorespiratory fitness, physical activity levels, and mental health outcomes. This longitudinal study employs advanced statistical methods, including latent transition analysis and multilevel modelling, to examine changes in physical fitness profiles and their associations with psychological well-being. As a co-supervisor of PhD students within the project, Dr Tarantino contributes to study design, data analysis, and manuscript development, with a focus on understanding intervention fidelity and mechanisms of behaviour change in school-based settings.

DIGINEQ

Dr Tarantino is also involved in the DIGINEQ study.  This ERC-funded DIGINEQ project aims to use an innovative 24-hour time-use methodology and mobile app data to monitor digital engagement and well-being in real time. The project explores how changes in digital habits from childhood through late adolescence influence socioeconomic disparities, as well as assess whether digital self-efficacy programmes can promote healthier engagement. 

Previous Research 

Adolescents' Digital Maturity and Wellbeing

During his appointment as Research Fellow at Trinity College Dublin (2022–2023), Dr Tarantino led the school-based project "Adolescents' Digital Maturity and Wellbeing," which investigated the impact of digital technology engagement on adolescents' health outcomes and learning experiences. This project combined quantitative survey methods with qualitative data collection to develop a comprehensive understanding of how digital maturity relates to psychological well-being, physical activity behaviour, and academic performance. Dr Tarantino supervised PhD students and contributed to the development of evidence-based recommendations for schools and policymakers.

Doctoral Research: Inclusive Physical Education

Dr Tarantino's PhD research (University College Dublin, 2018–2022) focused on the inclusion of children with special educational needs and disabilities in physical education and team sport activities. His doctoral work examined pedagogical approaches, environmental factors, and teacher competencies that facilitate meaningful participation and social integration of students with disabilities in mainstream physical education settings. This research contributed to advancing understanding of inclusive practice and informing teacher training initiatives.

Research Themes and Interests 

Dr Tarantino's research is primarily concerned with:

-       School-based physical activity interventions and their effects on adolescent physical and mental health outcomes.

-       Inclusive physical education practices and the experiences of children with special educational needs and disabilities.

-       Advanced statistical methods in sport and health research, including latent profile and transition analysis, cluster randomised controlled trial design, and multilevel modelling.

-       Physical fitness profiling and the relationship between cardiorespiratory fitness and psychological well-being.

-       Motivation and behavioural change in physical activity and sport contexts.

-       Implementation science and intervention fidelity in school-based health promotion.

-       Evidence synthesis and the translation of research findings into school practice

Dr Tarantino is committed to conducting rigorous, applied research that bridges the gap between academic evidence and real-world practice in sport pedagogy and youth health promotion.