Diane Culver

Diane Culver's  research with sport members and organizations aims to build learning capability. She is fellow of the Social Learning Lab. She has published in journals such as the Sport Psychologist (TSP), the Journal of Applied Sport Psychology and Qualitative Research in Sport, Exercise and Health, and is on the editorial board of the International Sport Coaching Journal, Sport Coaching Review and the Canadian Journal for Women in Coaching.

Professor Culver work experience includes coaching for the Canadian national ski team and the New Zealand Olympic ski team, and being a senior coaching consultant for the Coaching Association of Canada.

Professor Culver is accepting students for thesis supervision.

• LinkedIn

• Sport pedagogy and psychology
• Coach development
• Gender equity in sport
• Social learning theory and communities of practice
• Participatory action research

Diane Culver has an active research group, SoLID (Social Learning, Innovation, and Development in sport). Their three-year SSHRC-funded action research program is training social learning leaders for the Canadian sport system. As this project progresses, the laboratory is assessing how to develop facilitators for social learning spaces such as communities of practice. Another of their SSHRC-funded programs (Insight Development Grant) is exploring the use of design thinking to promote student-athlete mental health. The lab continues to conduct research on gender equity in sport leadership and on participation in disability sport.

Learn more about Diane Culver's laboratory.

Peer reviewed articles

• Culver, D. M., Duarte, T., & Rourke, S. (2024). Leading a safe sport community of practice for high performance coaches: A Role for Mental Performance Consultants. Journal of Sport Psychology in Action, 1-14.
• Kiliç, K., Culver, D. M., & Ince, M. L. (2024). A gymnastics coaches’ professional development program: exploring a needs-focused social learning space. Physical Education and Sport Pedagogy, (aop).
• Seguin, C. M., Culver, D. M., & Kraft, E. (2023). Knowledge translation and the untapped resource: Exploring the value of a community of practice for mental performance consultants. Professional Psychology: Research and Practice, 54(5), 342–351.
• Seguin, C. M., & Culver, D. M. (2022). Psychological and social needs: Athletes’ and Mental Performance Consultants’ perspectives on a gap in concussion protocols. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 18(1), 75-94.
• Culver, Diane M., Shaikh, Majidullah, Alexander, Danielle, & Fournier. Karine. (2022). Gender Equity in Disability Sport: A Rapid Scoping Review. Journal of Clinical Sport Psychology, 16(4), 383-405.
• Kraft, E., Culver, D.M., Din, C., & Cayer, I. (2021). Navigating the labyrinth of leadership in sport: A community of practice of femininity. Advancing Women in Leadership, 40, 13-22.
• Duarte, T., Culver, D.M., & Paquette, K. (2021). Assessing the Value Created in a Social Learning Intervention: Four Vignettes of Parasport coaches. International Sport Coaching Journal, 8(3), 348-361.
• Duarte, T., Culver, D.M., & Paquette, K. (2021). Framing a Social Learning Space for Wheelchair Curling. International Sport Coaching Journal, 8(2), 197-209.
• Kraft, E., Culver, D.M., Din, C., & Cayer, I. (2022). Increasing gender equity in sport organizations: assessing the impacts of a social learning initiative. Sport in Society, AOP, 1-15. pacts of a social learning initiative, Sport in Society, 25(10), 2009-2023.
• Kraft, E., & Culver, D.M., (2021): Using an action learning approach to support women social learning leaders’ development in sport. Action Learning Research and Practice, 18(1), 52-66.
• Kraft, E., Seguin, C., & Culver, D.M. (2020). Mental performance consultants: Exploring the impacts of reflection during initial practice development. Reflective Practice, 22(1), 32-46.
• Trudel, P. Milestetd, M., & Culver, D.M. (2020). What the Empirical Studies on Sport Coach Education Programs in Higher Education have to Reveal: A Review. International Sport Coaching Journal, 7(1), 61-73.
• Culver, D.M., Kraft, E., Din, C, & Cayer, I. (2019). The Alberta Women in Sport Leadership Project: A Social learning intervention for gender equity and leadership development. Women in Sport and Physical Activity Journal, 27(2), 110-117.
• Culver, D.M., Werthner, P. & Trudel, P. (2019). Coach developers as ‘facilitators of learning’ in a large-scale coach education programme: One actor in a complex system. International Sport Coaching Journal, 6(3), 296-306.

Book chapters

• Culver, D.M., Graper, S., & Boyd, J. (in press). Establishing an athlete-centered team culture through a shared leadership structure. In A. Stiliani, P. Olusoga, K. Dieffenbach, & G. Kentta (Eds.) International Case Studies for Supporting Sport Coaches. Routledge.
• Culver, D.M., Duarte, T., Kraft, E., & Werthner, P. (2024). The evolution, use, and utility of Wenger-Trayner’s social Learning theory in coach development. In S. Rynne and C. Mallett (Eds.) Routledge handbook of coach development. London: Routledge.
• Culver, D. M., Rourke, G. S., & Konoval, T.  (2023). Diversifying Coach Development. In C. Nash (Ed.) Developing Sports Coaches, (pp. 197-214). Routledge.
• Culver, D.M., & Duarte, T. (2022). Communities of practice and social learning spaces for sport coach learning: What and how. In C. Nash (Ed.) Practical sports coaching, (2nd ed., pp. 187-198). Routledge.
• Culver, D.M., Duarte, T., & Vinson, D. (2021). Communities of Practice: Common Misconceptions. In A. Whitehead & J. Coady (eds), Myths of sports coaching, (pp. 24-35). London, Sequoia.

Professional publication

• Culver, D.M., & Duarte, T. (2021). Maximizing Social Learning Spaces in Sport Organizations: A Story about Creating Value.

Research: Health Sciences professors receive multiple research grants