Dawn gained her PhD from the University of Southampton, UK, in 1994 and has held positions in the UK, Australia and New Zealand. She is recognized internationally for her work in policy and curriculum development in Health and Physical Education. Much of Dawn's work has sought to strengthen links between research, policy and curriculum development, and professional learning activities, through collaborations with government agencies, curriculum authorities and teachers. Issues of equity and inclusion in physical education and sport remain key agendas in her research.

Dawn has supervised domestic and international masters and doctoral students to completions in the areas of Health and Physical Education curriculum, pedagogy and assessment; physical education teacher education; and coaching pedagogy. She actively supports research students to achieve academic publications and extend their professional networks. 

Dawn's publications include influential texts in the field of Health and Physical Education, many academic journal papers and professional publications. Her books reflect the scope of her research interests: Politics, policy and practice in Physical Education (1999, EandFN Spon, an imprint of Routledge); Gender and Physical Education: Contemporary issues and future directions (Routledge, 2002); Sport Education in Physical Education: Research based practice (Routledge, 2005); Assessment in Physical Education: A sociocultural perspective (Routledge, 2013); School Health Education in changing times: Curriculum, pedagogy and partnerships (Routledge, 2016). Dawn is one of the associate editors for the Routledge Handbook of Physical Education Pedagogies (Routledge, 2017) and a contributing author to the Routledge Education Policy collection, edited by Stephen Ball (2017).