Type of Document	Dissertation
Author	Lyons, Aundrea L
URN	etd-07092007-132253
Title	An Assessment of Social and Academic Integration Among Track and Field Student-Athletes of the Atlantic Coast Conference
Degree	Doctor of Philosophy
Department	Sport Management, Recreation Management, and Physical Education, Department of
Advisory Committee	Advisor Name Title Jerome Quarterman Committee Chair B. Cecile Reynaud Committee Member Joy Gaston Gayles Committee Member Michael Mondello Committee Member Susan Losh Committee Member
Keywords	Higher Education Guidance and Counseling Commitment Intercollegiate Athletics Persistence
Date of Defense	2007-06-27
Availability	unrestricted
Abstract ABSTRACT Investigations on retention and graduation often focus on the overall issue of student persistence. Research has identified two variables that consistently predict persistence: the student’s ability to integrate academically and socially, and the student’s commitment to degree attainment. There has not been an abundance of supporting research on the subject dealing solely with student-athlete’s integration and institutional and degree commitment. Therefore, there were two major purposes of this research. The first purpose was to examine the social and academic integration experiences of track and field student-athletes. The second purpose was to determine whether social and academic integration experiences will influence student-athlete’s institutional and goal commitment to member institutions of the National Collegiate Athletic Association Atlantic Coast Conference. A survey instrument developed by Pascarella and Terenzini (1980), originally designed to measure the integration and institutional and goal commitment constructs of Tinto’s model of student departure, was administered to track and field student-athletes enrolled in member institutions of the Atlantic Coast Conference (ACC). Three-way Analysis of variance tests revealed significant mean differences in social integration and academic integration when measured by race. However, no significant mean differences emerged in social integration and academic integration experiences when measured by gender and classification. Additionally, no significant differences emerged in institutional and goal commitment when measured by gender, race, and classification. Finally, hierarchical multiple regression revealed social integration and academic integration significantly influenced institutional and goal commitment when controlling for background characteristics. Therefore, the results of this study suggest that persistence efforts are applicable to student-athletes. Although student-athletes have a unique academic structure and face the intense athletic demands of competing at a National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) Division IA level, it is important to foster social and academic integration experiences. Moreover, the benefits of positive student-athlete integration experiences will result in a positive interaction between institutional and goal commitment among student-athletes.
Files	Filename       Size       Approximate Download Time (Hours:Minutes:Seconds)     28.8 Modem   56K Modem   ISDN (64 Kb)   ISDN (128 Kb)   Higher-speed Access    ALL_Dissertation.pdf 1.26 Mb 00:05:49 00:02:59 00:02:37 00:01:18 00:00:06