Perception of college adjustment and institutional attachment among student-athletes of color at a predominantly white institution and its relation to academic motivation
Open Access
- Author:
- Challenger, Clewiston Dwaine
- Graduate Program:
- Counselor Education
- Degree:
- Doctor of Philosophy
- Document Type:
- Dissertation
- Date of Defense:
- May 22, 2017
- Committee Members:
- Jolynn Carney, Dissertation Advisor/Co-Advisor
Jolynn Carney, Committee Chair/Co-Chair
Rayne Audrey Sperling, Committee Member
Katie Kostohryz, Committee Member
Kyle Leonard Peck, Outside Member - Keywords:
- college adjustment
self-efficacy
academic motivation
academic buoyancy
student-athletes of color
sense of belonging - Abstract:
- The purpose of this study was to investigate the relation between college adjustment, self-efficacy, academic buoyancy and academic motivation among student-athletes of color at a predominantly White institution (PWI) that participate in Division I sports. Historically, institutions of higher education, founded by White male educators and businessmen, designed their schools primarily for White students. Students of color where not permitted to attend such institutions nor compete against them athletically. After the integration of schools, college administrators and coaches saw the opportunity to recruit student-athletes of color in an effort to create winning teams, fill stadium seats, and to generate revenue. Some PWI campuses were not as welcoming to student-athletes of color because they lacked diversity, some did not foster a welcoming racial or cultural atmosphere, and many were not as inclusive. Some athletes faced discrimination and racism on campus which may have been a factor in their academic motivation. This study examined the perception student-athletes of color have of their non-cognitive factors (i.e. college adjustment, self-efficacy, and academic buoyancy), athletic status, and race and how it influenced their motivation (i.e. intrinsic or extrinsic) toward academics. Twenty-eight Division I student-athletes of color at a large PWI public university participated in the study. Each athlete completed a 20-minute Likert-type survey that asked questions about their college experience, perception of adjustment, self-efficacy, academic buoyancy, and motivation toward academics. The results of the study found college adjustment, intrinsic motivation, and extrinsic motivation toward academics to relate among student-athletes of color. No significant relation was found between the three variables of self-efficacy, academic buoyancy and overall academic motivation as hypothesized by the researcher.