An Analysis of the Academic Achievement and Athletic Participation in Selected Georgia High Schools


Book Description

With budget cuts being required in school systems around the country, many schools are struggling to justify the continued funding of athletic programs. Many students in the United States are faced with the formal education process ending after high school without the students having had the opportunity to become involved in extracurricular activities that may provide them with skills beneficial in meeting their future goals. Bandura's social learning theory served as a theoretical framework for the study. Through participation in school athletics, students can learn and apply skills that are relevant to learning across disciplines: social skills, work ethic, self-confidence, and internal locus of control. Thus, the purpose of this quantitative, causal-comparative study was to determine whether there was a difference in the cumulative GPA of students who participated in interscholastic athletics versus students who did not participate in interscholastic athletics. Archival data were retrieved for students (n=2,483) enrolled in three selected high schools in Georgia. A two-factor (3x2) ANOVA was used to test the significance of the effects of athletic participation (three levels) and of the possible moderating effect of gender on students' cumulative GPA. Results of the study indicated that students who participated in extracurricular sports did not have higher cumulative GPA scores than their peers who did not participate in sports F(2, 2436) =.645, p =.525, and gender F(2, 2436) =.444, p =.641 was irrelevant to the relationship between athletic participation and academic performance. These findings should be considered as leaders weigh the options of programming extracurricular activities including athletics and have to address gender equity and budget limitation concerns.




The Effect of Athletic Participation on the Academic Achievement of High School Students


Book Description

Athletic participation is a major component of the high school experience for many students across the country, yet in difficult economic times athletic funding is often the first area reduced when education budgets need to be balanced. These cuts are usually performed without data on or inquiry into the relationship between athletic participation and academic achievement. If a relationship could be proven, advocates of athletics would have a stronger argument for the preservation of funding. This study utilized a quantitative, causal-comparative design to examine the relationship between athletic participation and academic achievement. Grade point averages of students who participated in high school athletics three years in a row were compared with those of students who did not participate for three years in a row. The study focused on the growth rate, or change in grade point average over the three years, in order to make a stronger argument that differences in achievement between the two groups could be attributed to participation (or lack of participation). On average, the achievement of athletes was significantly higher than that of non-participants during the first year, but athletes lost some of this advantage over the course of the study, meaning that they experienced negative growth. Non-participants did experience positive growth that was statistically significant, however the effect size was small, meaning that the practical significance is minimal. Based on the results of the study, it is difficult to make the argument that athletics are linked to improved academic achievement. While athletic participation can still be considered part of the overall education of students with numerous benefits such as the development of leadership and teamwork skills, these benefits do not seem to translate to the classroom. Because the practical significance is low, there are no recommendations based on the results of this study in relation to funding or policy changes, although school districts may want to consider making the funding of activities proven to have a direct link to improved academic achievement their top priority. Future research in this area should continue to focus on growth rate rather than overall performance and attempt to first duplicate these results at additional sites. The rate of participation (number of sports played) should also be introduced to the conversation as it may affect results. Future studies may also wish to investigate why the rate of academic growth was so low for all students.




The Effect of Athletic Participation on Academic Achievement for High School Seniors in Eastern Tennessee


Book Description

This causal-comparative study with a narrative component investigated the effect athletic participation on the academic achievement of senior student-athletes and non-athletes who attended three public high schools in Eastern Tennessee. The impetus for the study was the conflicting research as it relates to the impact athletics participation had on academic success at the college and high school levels. Through student athlete and non-athlete comparisons of ACT scores and GPAs, the researcher found athletic participation did not affect academic achievement for high school seniors who graduated in 2009 from the three target high schools when compared to non-athletes. However, statistically significant and extremely significant differences were found when the ACT scores and GPAs of the male and female student- athletes were compared. Data was also collected from the target high schools' teaching staffs. The Likert scale survey items and open-ended responses from the target high schools' teachers revealed the following regarding the academic achievement of senior student-athletes: the effect of athletic participation was positive, school systems directly affect the academic achievement of senior student- athletes, parental involvement directly affects academic achievement, athletic participation and academic achievement was important in the target school community, and the effect of athletic participation on the AYP measurement was positive.







The Effect of Athletic Participation on Academic Achievement of Middle School Students


Book Description

"The purpose of this study was to determine the relationship between athletic participation and academic achievement with consideration of gender, ethnicity, participation and test scores at the middle school level."--Abstract.




The Effects of Male High School Students’ Participation in Athletic Sports on Academic Achievement


Book Description

With the rapid and steady growth of athletic participation, it is important that student athletes excel in the classroom and on the playing field. However, as the pressures of being a high school athlete grow, educators must seek better ways of supporting student athletes and help them understand the importance of their education. The purpose of the study was to determine if male students who participated in athletics had higher academic achievement mean scores than male students who did not participate in athletics. The study focused on measuring the cumulative grade point averages (GPAs), Algebra I end-of-course (EOC) test scores, and English II end-of-course (EOC) test scores for all male students. A causal-comparative research design was used to examine the differences in the academic performance of the male students who participated in high school athletics and those who did not participate. The research study was conducted using existing data from three high schools in Mississippi for 234 male high school students. There were 118 non-athletes and 116 athletes. Findings from the study revealed there were no statistically significant differences in cumulative GPAs, Algebra I EOC mean test scores, and English II EOC mean test scores for athletes and non-athletes. However, there was a statistically significant difference between African American male students and White male students for the mean scores of the cumulative GPAs and English II EOC test scores. The findings of the study revealed academic achievement was not affected by athletic participation. Recommendations for future research include conducting focused research on African American males and other minority groups and the implementation of high school academic support programs for student athletes.







Athletic Participation, Substance Use, Academic Performance, and Subjective Well-being


Book Description

Exercise has the potential for many positive effects in various facets of human existence. Benefits include improved physical health as well as improvements in cognition and subjective well-being. Exercise related to athletic participation, however, offers both supportive and confounding variables to these benefits that appear to change over time as student athletes move through high school and college. These confounding variables are most represented in the literature as academic achievement and substance use and are most often studied in college aged individuals where there is a strong positive relationship between athletic participation and substance use, specifically alcohol use. There have been mixed findings on the relationship between student-athlete status and academic achievement. The current study examines the interrelationships of athletic participation, academic achievement, substance use, peer values, and subjective well-being throughout students' high school years to determine the magnitude of potential risks and benefits for high school student athletes. Results indicate that factors besides athletic participation are more influential in student academic achievement and substance use.




The Relationship Between Participation in Athletics and Academic Performance of Male African American High School Students


Book Description

The findings of this research indicate that participation in high school athletic programs does have a significant influence on the academic performance of African American males. Results of this study further indicate that athletic participation proved to have a substantial impact on the completion of high school and the cumulative GPAs of African American male students and can significantly influence the academic success of African American males. This study also highlights that SES further impacts the academic achievement of African American males. The findings of this study show that athletic participation should be considered a viable means of engaging African American males and moving them toward high school completion and postsecondary readiness. .