The Influence of Athletic Participation on Differences in Academic Outcomes for High School Athletes in Montgomery, Alabam

Researchers have studied the influence of participation in athletics on academic performances at the high school level. Regardless of the research conducted, there is no consensus on whether participation in athletics affects academic outcomes. As a result, the current study focus was on examining any differences in educational outcomes based on involvement in athletics of high school athletes at one Alabama high school in Montgomery, Alabama. The purpose of this casual-comparative quantitative study was to gain insight and understanding about any differences in academic performance based on the high school junior sports participation at one Alabama high school. A review of the literature suggests that there is a significant difference in GPAs of high school junior student-athletes based on race, gender, athletic participation, non-athletic involvement, and types of high school sports. The unit of analysis in this study was the student population (N=80) attending one Alabama high school. The sample for this casual-comparative quantitative study was 80 high school student participants who met study sampling criteria: attend school at the selected Alabama high school, participate in the school-sponsored athletic program(s), and be in the 11th-grade. A 20-item Athletic Identity Measurement Scale (AIMS) correlated specific factors including athletic appearance, exercise importance, type of sports, physical activity, and support from others (Brewer et al., 1993). The 20-item questionnaire was used to collect responses from the junior male and female student-athletes in order to measure the differences in students' academic outcomes based on participating in competitive sports. Research hypotheses in this study were evaluated using descriptive analysis, matched t-test, independent t-test, and ANOVA. Factorial analyses were also used to categorize the participants' responses by using tables to offer formulated explanation and provide a discussion of the findings. The matched t-tests were utilized to examine any differences semester to semester in the academic performance of student-athletes' participation in high school athletics. The independent t-tests were employed to examine any differences based on gender and race in the academic performance of student-athletes' participation in high school athletics. The ANOVA was applied to examine any differences semester to semester in the academic performance of student-athletes while participating in other types of sports compared to junior basketball student-athletes. In addition, the ANOVA was used to examine any differences in student academic performance of student-athletes based on athletic identity and the level of athletic involvement semester to semester and by gender and race. The results of this study revealed no significant differences in academic performances between junior male, female, African-American, and White student-athletes. Also, the results showed no significant differences in academic performance of student-athletes based on athletic identity and the level of athletic involvement for both semesters and by gender and race. Finally, the results of the study uncovered no significant differences student-athletes GPA scores while participating in other types of sports compared to junior basketball student-athletes who will graduate in the class of 2017 from the one Alabama high school. The first recommendation for practice is to increase the focus distinct intervention strategies to improve the academic performance of junior male student-athletes' GPA scores after the second semester. Another recommendation for practice is to focus on academic intervention strategies for African-American student-athletes for the first and second semesters to examine any improvement in their academic performance. Finally, recommendation for future study is to examine whether the outcomes established in this study were stable over time or whether they varied from one year to another.