Profile

Dr Sam Elkington

Position: Lecturer in Sport and Leisure Management

Contact details

• T: 01582 743082
• E: sam.elkington@beds.ac.uk

Qualifications

• PhD Leisure Psychology
• Postgraduate Certificate in Academic Practice (PGCAP)
• MA Sport and Leisure Management
• BA (Hons) Sport and Fitness Studies

Teaching Responsibilities

• Issues in Sport and Recreation (Level1)
• Research Methods (all levels)
• Leisure in Mind (Level 3)
• Sport Education (Level 3)
• MA Sport and Leisure Provision: Strategy and Research

Research Interests

• The investigation and operationalisation of leisure as a state of mind, with particular reference to Csikszentmihalyi’s ‘Flow’ theory.
• The investigation of leisure motivation and engagement and the leisure journey.
• Studying the phenomenology of leisure (methodology and practice).
• Leisure as place and space
• The study of staff/student engagement and motivation
• The dynamics of staff development; more specifically, formation and maintenance of the academic identity.

Recent Research Projects

• “BioLab” research HEFCE funded teaching and learning project into non-specialist teaching support in the area of Education and Sport January-July 2008

Recent External Roles

• Executive Committee Member, Leisure Studies Association (2009 -)
• Reviewer for Leisure Studies (2009-)

Recent Publications

• Elkington, S., Jones, I., and Lawrence, L. (eds.) Serious Leisure: extensions and applications. (2006) LSA publication No. 95. Eastbourne, UK: Leisure Studies Association.
• Elkington, S. (2006) ‘Exploring the nature of pre and post flow in serious leisure’. In S. Elkington, I. Jones, and L. Lawrence (eds.) Serious Leisure: extensions and applications. LSA publication No. 95. Eastbourne, UK: Leisure Studies Association: pp. 145-
• Elkington, S. (2008) The Need for Theoretical Originality when Taking the Flow of Leisure Seriously. In P. Gilchrist and B. Wheaton (eds.) Whatever Happened to the Leisure Society? Theory, Debate and Policy. LSA publications No. 102. Eastbourne, UK: Leisure Studies Association: pp. 135-164.
• Elkington, S. (2008) Capturing the Flow of Serious Leisure. In 12th Canadian Congress On Leisure Research: published conference proceedings. University of Concordia, Montreal, Canada. May 13-16th 2008

Recent Conference Presentations

• "The Need For Theoretical Originality When Taking the Flow of Leisure Seriously" presented at the annual LSA conference entitled "Whatever Happened To The Leisure Society? Theory, Debate and Policy" hosted by the University of Brighton July 2007
• "Capturing the Flow of Serious Leisure" presented at the 12th Canadian Congress On Leisure Research hosted by the University of Concordia, Montreal, Canada. May 13-16th 2008
• “Landscapes of Flow: Finding place in place” presented at Ontario Research Council on Leisure Symposium May 2009, Ottawa, Ontario
• “A Place for Place in Flow: the case of serious leisure”. Presentation and research workshop at University of Calgary May 2009.
• “When Leisure Flows: capturing the flow of serious leisure” presented at the annual LSA conference entitled “Leisure Experiences: participating, planning, and providing” hosted by Canterbury Christ Church University, July 7 – 9 2009.