Michigan State University Extension
Diversity and Pluralism - DP130068
12/95/
ERIC TITLE NUMBER: ED331880 AUTHOR: Lang, Eric L.; Rossi, Robert J.
TITLE: Understanding Academic Performance: 1987-88 National
Study of Intercollegiate Athletes.
YEAR PUBLISHED: 1991
NOTE: 38 p.; Paper presented at the Annual Meeting of the
American Educational Research Association (Chicago, IL,
April 3-7, 1991).
ABSTRACT: The influences of student-level and campus
factors on the academic performance of intercollegiate
athletes were studied. Approximately 80 full-time student
athletes were selected from each of 42 institutions in
Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Association
(NCAA). Data were drawn from the 1987-88 National Study of
Intercollegiate Athletes and were weighted to represent the
population of approximately 56,000 student athletes at NCAA
Division I schools nationwide. Three groups of students
were identified in terms of their academic performance:
those who performed well; those who performed at a moderate
level; and those who performed poorly. Predictor variables
were analyzed in eight areas: (1) time commitments; (2)
finances; (3) athletic staff; (4) academic preparedness;
(5) recruitment experiences; (6) housing; (7) course
completion; and (8) context of the campus sports program.
Analyses in each area also included four control variables:
race; sport; class; and socioeconomic status. Findings
provide a picture of the achievement of the student
athlete. Race and type of sport were found to be
significant predictors of academic performance; Scholastic
Aptitude Test scores were not. Time spent in sports was not
significantly related to the likelihood of being in the low
academic performance group. In addition, a higher level of
intercollegiate competition was related to the likelihood
of low academic performance. Implications for student
athletes are discussed. Twelve tables present study data.
(SLD)
KEY DESCRIPTORS: Administrators-; Background-; College
Athletics; Comparative-Analysis; Context-Effect; High
Achievement; Higher-Education; Low-Achievement; National
Surveys; Predictor-Variables; Racial-Differences; Student
Characteristics
KEY DESCRIPTORS: *Academic-Achievement; *Athletes-;
*College Students; *Intercollegiate-Cooperation;
*Performance-Factors
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