Keywords

Engagement, student engagement, learner engagement, student athlete, college athlete, ncaa

Abstract

This study examined the engagement of male, college basketball players within the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA). The literature review shows a connection between engaging in educationally purposeful activities and student retention. Because some student athletes, male collegiate basketball players in particular, struggle to graduate at the same rate as their fellow student athletes, student engagement offers one lens to examine the educational experiences of basketball players. The National Survey of Student Engagement (NSSE) was used to collect levels of engagement along four identified variables. These four variables, part of Chickering and Gamson’s Seven Principles for Good Undergraduate Education, were relevant to the study as they were factors student athletes could control. These factors included: active learning, cooperation among students, interaction with faculty, and time on task. Student athlete responses were analyzed by three factors including NCAA athletic division, race, and highest level of parental education. This study found no significant difference in levels of engagement among the NCAA’s three athletic divisions. Additionally, no significant differences in engagement were found based on the highest level of education reached by the student athlete’s parents. Last, ethnic background presented only one significant difference within the active learning variable. The other three variables showed no significant difference based on race. The lack of statistical differences is iv meaningful as it signifies the strength of the basketball culture. The culture of this sport permeates all divisions of college basketball and transcends the background of its players. Thus, players who should display different levels of engagement based on institutional or background characteristics display similar levels of engagement

Notes

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Graduation Date

2012

Semester

Fall

Advisor

Cintron Delgado, Rosa

Degree

Doctor of Education (Ed.D.)

College

College of Education and Human Performance

Department

Educational and Human Sciences

Degree Program

Educational Leadership; Higher Education

Format

application/pdf

Identifier

CFE0004522

URL

http://purl.fcla.edu/fcla/etd/CFE0004522

Language

English

Release Date

December 2012

Length of Campus-only Access

None

Access Status

Doctoral Dissertation (Open Access)

Subjects

Dissertations, Academic -- Education, Education -- Dissertations, Academic

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