Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University

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The purpose of this investigation was to examine faculty attitudes towards the role of college athletics and the academic competency of student-athletes at a NCAA Division-I Institution. By analyzing faculty attitudes, this study contributes to a better understanding of factors associated with how educators view athletics in higher education and how they develop their attitudes towards student-athletes from an academic perspective. Though prior research indicates quantitatively that faculty possess distinct views of these concepts, there was a gap between measured attitudes and known factors that contribute to these attitudes. By analyzing both quantitative and qualitative results, this investigation advanced the knowledge base of what factors, themes and trends exist in relation to faculty attitudes towards college athletics and the academic competency of student-athletes. Furthermore, by identifying relevant factors, this study may serve future practitioners by helping them hone techniques for successful and perceived change of the college experience for student-athletes in higher education.

Research has indicated that positive and negative attitudes toward intercollegiate athletics can contribute to the perceptions of both congruency and incongruency with the established university mission and values. Core values are considered to represent philosophical viewpoints and organizational priorities, further providing a sense of purpose to stakeholders. As such, established core values are expected to be applied and enacted in daily interactions in order to fulfill the mission and vision of an organization. Over time, however, the increase in negative attitudes attributed to athletic department behavior brings into question their perceived alignment with the university core values and brand. The potential existence of incompatibility and misalignment among internal constituents concerning core values has been linked to the starting point for conflicts within the organizational setting. Thus, attitudes toward athletic department behavioral congruency or incongruency with stated university core values is worthy of investigation in order to determine the consequential impact on the university brand. The purpose of this study was to investigate stakeholder attitudes toward athletic department behavioral congruency with the stated core values of Texas A&M University and assess the subsequent implications for the university brand. Personal interviews (N=13) were conducted with individuals from each of six university internal and external stakeholder groups: current students, alumni, faculty/staff members, community members, athletic department personnel, and athletic department boosters. Findings revealed four primary themes: 1) 'Excellence' Equals Winning, 2) For Public Relations Purposes Only, 3) Separation and Isolation of the Athletic Department, and 4) Lack of Leadership from the Top-Down. Implications communicated the necessity of a consistent and accurate representation of the Texas A&M brand at all university levels. Further, the implementation of a unique, potentially more effective model for core value congruency and brand management was presented. Finally, the necessity of promotion and implementation of the core values from university and athletic department leadership was recommended for core value effectiveness and brand consistency.

Thesis (Ed.D.)--Boston University / PLEASE NOTE: Boston University Libraries did not receive an Authorization To Manage form for this thesis or dissertation. It is therefore not openly accessible, though it may be available by request. If you are the author or principal advisor of this work and would like to request open access for it, please contact us at open-help@bu.edu. Thank you. / The purpose of this study was to investigate expectations of collegiate head coaches about sport psychology consulting. There were two null hypotheses in this study: first, there will be no difference in expectations of sport psychology consulting between male and female collegiate head coaches of NCAA Division I, II, and III athletic programs; second, there will be no difference in expectations of sport psychology consulting between head coaches of male and female athletic programs at Division I, II, and III level. Items from the Expectations About Spmt Psychology Consulting (EASPC) questionnaire (Martinet al, 2001) were revised to reflect a head coaches' perspective. The revised instrument, Coaches' Expectations About Sport Psychology Consulting (CESPC) questionnaire, was administered to 404 collegiate head coaches (244 male coaches and 160 female coaches) of both male and female team sports (248 female teams and 156 male teams) from NCAA Division I, II, and III athletic teams. Results of a 2 (Gender of the Sport) X 3 (NCAA Level of Competition) MANOVA indicated a significant main effect for gender of the sport. Univariate ANOVAs indicated a significant effect for personal commitment. In addition, results of the 2 (Gender of the Coach) X 3 (NCAA Level of Competition) MANOV A indicated a significant main effect for gender of the head coach. Univariate ANOV As indicated a significant effect for personal commitment. Subsequent univariate A VOV As also revealed a significant interaction between the level of sport (e.g. , CAA Division I, Division II, and Division III) and gender with respect to SPC expertise. Results indicated that the CESPC instrument might be a valuable tool for determining head coaches ' expectations about sport psychology consulting. Interpretations of the results for each hypothesis are included and implications for sport psychology consultants are discussed based on these findings. Finally, study limitations are identified and suggestions for future research are made. / 2031-01-01

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Mental health concerns among NCAA student-athletes have increased in the past decade. Prior research demonstrates the intense environment student-athletes reside in and the negative impact it can have on one’s mental health. However, little is known about the prevalence of mental health symptoms and the choices student-athletes make in regard to their mental health. We aimed to demonstrate the prevalence of adverse mental health outcomes in this population and the subsequent consequences it can have on collegiate student-athletes. Additionally, we examined how the demographic characteristics and behavior factors can affect their mental health, mental health stigma, and help-seeking behavior. Our sample consisted of 236 student-athletes participating in NCAA institutions across the country, with a target audience of Horizon League competing institutions. We utilized descriptive statistics, linear regression, and ordinal regression to examine the prevalence of each predictor and outcome variable. The following scales were utilized to assess various mental health outcomes: Kessler Psychological Distress Scale (K6), Psychological Well-Being Scale (PWB), UCLA Loneliness Scale, and the Connor-Davison Resilience Scale (CD-RISC2). Data show that a higher cumulative GPA was associated with lower mental distress and significantly more likely to have higher resilience. Additionally, athletes who were injured, were significantly more likely to experience mental distress compared to their non-injured peers. Furthermore, cisgender females reported significantly higher mental distress compared to their cisgender male counterparts. Student-athletes reporting an increase in public stigma revealed lower mental well-being and higher levels of mental distress. These findings indicate that participant characteristics do impact the adverse mental health outcomes student-athletes experience. The public and/or self-stigma one experiences can impact the overall well-being of the individual when it comes to mental health. We recommend that future studies examine how stigma can affect the choices of how student-athletes navigate their personal mental health. Future research should investigate new ways to combat the negative consequences of mental health challenges to improve the overall student-athlete experience.

There has been a great deal of research conducted which examines the development of student-athletes on college campuses. However, there has been limited investigation into how the institutional logics (i.e. the belief structures and related practices) within an athletic department may affect the manner in which athletic administrators and coaches perceive and approach the development of their student-athletes. The purpose of this study was to understand the institutional logics of an NCAA Division II athletic department and how those logics may affect student-athletes. In order to address the purpose and research questions of this study, I conducted a qualitative case study at a private university where I interviewed thirteen members of the university including eight members of the athletic department and five university faculty members and administrators. Additional data were obtained through various documents such as the university's mission statement and the NCAA Division II Handbook. It was found that the athletic department operates under certain institutional logics wherein they are expected to foster student-athlete development. These include the academic, physical, social, and spiritual aspects of their development. Additionally, the athletic department is expected to enhance the university by building community and promoting the mission and vision of the university. Finally, winning athletic competitions is an important expectation of members of the athletic department. Further exploration of the data reveals that certain aspects of these logics may conflict. Primarily, the participants acknowledged that they were expected to foster the development of their athletes in other aspects beyond athletics; yet their primary job performance evaluations were based on wins and losses. Additionally, the logic of enhancing the university may also contend with the academic development of the student-athletes. This is significant because research has suggested that conflicting institutional logics within an organization may lead to confusion as to which logics are paramount. Though the specific findings of this research may be contextually bound, this provides insight into how the institutional logics of an organization may influence the actions of its members and key stakeholders who are influenced by the processes within that organization.

Thesis (M.Ed.)--Montana State University--Bozeman, 2005. / Typescript. Chairperson, Graduate Committee: Betsy Palmer. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 56-59).

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