Mrs Steph Doehler

Professional biography

Steph’s research contributions are predicated on the critical analysis within sports communication, focusing particularly on both traditional media framing and social-media framing. Research undertaken has explored this through the lenses of gender, athlete activism, and athlete mental health.

She also has interests in the social construction of athletes, and the concept of heroism in sport.

Steph predominantly uses qualitative designs within her research.

In 2023, she was selected to receive an Emerging Scholar Award presented by the international Sport & Society Network to acknowledge her outstanding contributions to the discipline as an early-career researcher.  

Steph provides extensive expertise in the sport and fitness fields having taught on a wide range of topics, particularly those related to the sociology of sport. She also has taught sport psychology, and professional practice in sport modules at undergraduate level.

Steph currently tutors on E117: Introduction to Sport and Fitness, and E314: Contemporary Issues in Sport and Exercise.

She has previously co-chaired E313: Exploring psychology aspects of athletic development, and acted as a critical reader on its replacement, E312: Athletic Development: A Psychological Perspective.

To find out more about the Sport and Fitness qualifications available at The Open University please click here.

Steph has disseminated her knowledge through various outlets, including at several international conferences. She has published in peer-reviewed publications and has several journal papers and book chapters currently in press.  

Steph has also written for Open Learn, and idrottsforum.org to disseminate her knowledge.

She has been invited to speak as a guest lecturer at several HEIs, presenting to a range of undergraduate and postgraduate students.

Within the Open University, Steph is the Convenor for the Sport and Fitness Research Cluster where she contributes to a programme of events designed to improve and maintain the research Cluster which reflect the overall priorities and strategic research plan within the School of Education, Childhood, Youth, and Sport.

Prior to moving to the Open University full time Steph worked with several external organisations on various projects/pieces of work, including:

• Led a £50,000 Sport England funded research project which used the voice of Looked After Children to understand the barriers, motivations and benefits affecting the engagement of young people in the care system from participating in sport-based social action.
   
• Project managed the development of volunteer training for the 2018 Sainsbury’s Active Kids Holiday Clubs, in collaboration with ukactive.
   
• Collaborated with global fitness company Les Mills to support schools and a new generation of children, parents and carers to be physically active, by creating a new wave of Les Mills BORN TO MOVE™ Activators and developing an online training course to upskill the delivery of BORN TO MOVE™ virtual classes.