Health and Physical Education Commons^™

The Effect Of Athletic Participation On Academic Achievement For Private High School Students, Jeff Johnson

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

Education's role in society is crucial for the sustainability of civilization (Ball, 2021). Education consists of people training people for the future and the betterment of humanity. Governments often prioritize education reform, and decision-makers and school leaders constantly look at ways to improve student gains (Ball, 2021). Further, improving the education system is an ongoing process that is an absolute necessity, and the intent behind this research was to contribute to that endeavor and promote progress.

The relationship between athletics and academic performance has been studied broadly in literature. However, there is a literary void and lack of delineated exploration …

Development Of The Life After Sports Transition (Last) Online Course For Collegiate Student-Athletes: Pretest-Posttest Study, Michael Stellefson, Trevor Bopp, Michael Odio, Min Qi Wang, Linxi Zhang

Journal of Athlete Development and Experience

Transitioning into athletic retirement can have negative impacts on college student-athletes’ psychological, social, emotional, and physical well-being, yet few educational programs exist to help augment college student-athlete preparation for embracing life after sports. The objective of this study was to develop and evaluate a new Life After Sports Transition (LAST) online course for college student athletes. A single group pretest-post-test study evaluated effects of the LAST course among a convenience sample of college student-athletes (n=10) attending a NCAA Division I university. Paired sample t-tests examined changes in athletic identity, psychological well-being, hope, and self-reflection/insight. Propensity score matching …

African American Student-Athletes: Factors Influencing Choice Of Graduate School, Tanner Feterl

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

Although support systems are in place for student-athletes, African Americans remain underrepresented in careers requiring a graduate education, including intercollegiate athletic departments (Okahana, Feaster, & Allum, 2016). The purpose of this qualitative, phenomenological study was to explore the factors influencing an NCAA Mid-major, Division I African American student-athletes’ choice of pursuing graduate school. Researchers identified themes utilizing Critical Race Theory (CRT) and Student Involvement Theory frameworks to explain the influencing factors. The participants consisted of nine African American sophomore, junior, and senior student-athletes who participated in different sports and were chosen using purpose sampling. Each participant took part in an …

Examining The Motivations And Benefits Of Student-Athletes Performing Community Service., Matthew Ryan Huml

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

With over 460,000 active student-athletes (NCAA, n.d.), the student sub-population is large enough to investigate potential options for institutions to increase their academic achievement. Additionally, participating in academic-related activities is especially important because of concerns about student-athletes spending more than the 20 hours per week the NCAA allows for working on their sport (Wolverton, 2008). Studies frequently highlight a lack of effort by student-athletes to adjust to academic opportunities and expectations within higher education (Adler & Adler, 1991; Lally & Kerr, 2005; Levine, Etchison, & Oppenheimer, 2014; Miller & Kerr, 2003). To combat this adjustment to higher education, community service …

What Is The Cost Of A Bad Hire?, Todd Dagenais

UCF Forum

My friends in the Human Resources world are noticing an alarming trend. Colleges and universities are pumping out thousands of highly qualified students eagerly awaiting their first paycheck in the workforce. Unfortunately, simply completing the necessary coursework and earning a high grade point average isn’t enough to make them a productive member of today’s fast-paced and complex global economy.

Academic Clustering Of Student-Athletes: A Case Study Of Football And Basketball Programs, Matthew Brett Rowland

Graduate Theses and Dissertations

This study explores the topic of academic clustering within the football and men's and women's basketball teams at the University of Arkansas. Given the prominence of collegiate sport in America, this paper examines a relatively understudied topic regarding student-athletes and education. Using a mixed methods approach, the topic of academic clustering is analyzed statistically, as well as through in-depth interviews with student-athletes and academic advisors in the athletic department. Statistical analysis shows significant over- and under-representation of student-athletes in certain University colleges (e.g., Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences, Walton College of Business, and College of Engineering), the presence of …

Factors Influencing Student-Athlete Choice Of Institution, Edward G. Howat

Electronic Theses and Dissertations

The purpose of this study was to determine the factors that influenced prospective student-athletes to attend East Tennessee State University. Using a qualitative research design, interviews were conducted with 36 freshman scholarship student-athletes. Participants represented student-athletes from each sport. A literature review covered the history of intercollegiate athletics, the history of recruiting student-athletes, the process of recruiting student-athletes, and the decline of public perception towards intercollegiate athletics. Results from the interviews were analyzed using inductive analysis. Patterns, themes, and categories of analysis emerged from the data. The data from the interviews were then unitized and categorized. The categorized units were …