Leeds Beckett University - City Campus,
Woodhouse Lane,
LS1 3HE
Professor James McKenna
Professor of Sport
A professor of Physical Activity and Health, Jim studies behaviour change at a range of levels; individual, social and whole community. He is Director of the Active Lifestyles research centre in the School of Sport.
Jim's current work involves evaluation of some substantial physical activity interventions. These include projects in Calderdale (centred on Halifax), Leeds and Doncaster. Each of these projects has a distinctive 'style'; his work aims to complement the preferred style, using principles drawn from behaviour change science, implementation science, whole systems approaches and human-centred design.
Jim has been heavily involved in the development and refinement of the massively successful BattleBack Centre, delivered through Carnegie Great Outdoors, at Lilleshall national sports centre. This work in united by the idea that better programmes, delivered by better prepared staff will secure more active involvement of community groups.
Much of Jim's work on behaviour change is deeply relevant to curriculum areas, including physical activity and health and to coaching, sport development, physical education and overall school improvement. It has a strong resonance with today's peri-COVID context in Public Health. Recent work in Doncaster assessing how major sporting events can be 'used' to secure community benefits, have shown how this work aligns well with major concerns in Events, Tourism and Hospitality.
Jim also applies behaviour change concepts to teaching and learning, so is often involved in staff development activities.
Current Teaching
Most of Jim's teaching is linked to staff and PhD students, although he is always willing to undertake one-off lecturers with UG groups.
Research Interests
Jim's current work is highlighting the range of behaviour change strategies preferred by community agents as they seek to encourage more people into their programmes. The objective is to learn how to refine these strategies to address the decision-making effects of prolonged scarcity, so programmes become better in involving more people from their under-active target groups. This is a growing concern across whole communities. Our work is showing how these agents can successfully use socially-oriented and structurally-relevant influences to complement their usual reliance on self-regulation.
Ask Me About
- Doping
- Exercise and physical activity
- Physical education
- Sport
- Sport Psychology
