Faculty Profiles
Dr. Haichun Sun
Professor, physical education
Email: sun@usf.edu
Phone: 813-974-0119
Office Location: USF Tampa campus, PED 227
Dr. Sun is a Professor in Physical Education at the University of South Florida. She
received her master’s in Education from Shanghai University of Sports in 2001. Her
doctoral degree in Kinesiology was earned at University of Maryland—College Park while
working as the coordinator of the Curriculum and Instruction Laboratory. She joined
the faculty at USF in the fall of 2007.
Dr. Sun's research is focused on the interactive effect of situational and self-initiated
motivation in physical activity settings. She studies motivational sources for children
and adolescents and their impact on children and adolescents' physical activity behaviors.
Dr. Sun's research also includes children/adolescent physical activity program design
and evaluation as related to the physical, cognitive, and motivational domains.
The ultimate goal of Dr. Sun's research is to enhance children and adolescents' motivation
toward a healthy, physically active life style. Her recent research is focused on
understanding the mechanisms of children and adolescents' physical activity motivation
and behavioral change as influenced by different types of physical activity programs
or physical education curricula. Dr. Sun has published multiple manuscripts and book
chapters relative to her research interests. In addition, she has made 50 presentations
at national and international levels.
Dr. Sun’s teaching responsibilities include both the undergraduate and graduate levels at the University of South Florida. Undergraduate courses include: Class Management, Safety, Ethics, Law and Organization and Administration, and Middle School Instructional Design and Content. Graduate courses include: Analysis of Research on Teaching Physical Education, Learner Assessment in Physical Education, and Instructional Design and Content: Dance & Gymnastics.