Academic achievement motivation in African American college football players: An investigation of educational expectations and values

National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA) graduation rates for African American males participating in Division I intercollegiate athletic programs are an issue of much discussion and debate. Recent NCAA statistics show that less than half of African American male student-athletes graduate from college within six years of their initial enrollment. A variety of explanations have been offered to account for the lack of educational attainment in this population of students. A lack of prior preparation for college, feelings of alienation within the academic environment, high demands of sports participation and low levels of motivation have all been suggested as contributors to the problem.;This dissertation focused specifically on achievement motivation and its possible role in explaining the academic achievement and attainment of African American male student-athletes. The research is grounded in expectancy-value theories of achievement motivation (Atkinson, 1957; Eccles et al, 1983), which maintain that variations in achievement patterns are related to individual differences in achievement expectations and values. The purpose of this dissertation was to explore the educational expectations and values of a segment of the African American male student-athlete population---college football players. The research questions for the present study were: (1) What are the educational expectations for success and valuing beliefs of African American college football players? (2) How do these student-athletes form their educational perceptions and beliefs? (3) What is the relationship of students' expectations and values to their academic achievement?;The participants were 20 African American male college football players from a Division I athletic program in the Southeast. The sample included both student-athletes who had fared well academically, and those who had struggled in the college classroom. Interview questions focused on participants' educational expectations and values and how those perceptions and beliefs were formed.;Participants in the present study were found to highly value educational outcomes such as doing well in school and graduating. Regardless of their current level of academic performance, most of the participants had high expectations that they would graduate and go on to lead successful lives. Parental involvement, past educational experiences, expectations of others, relationships with peers and sports participation were all found to be important in how participants formed their educational perceptions and beliefs. The results also suggest that a positive relationship exists between expectations, values and academic achievement. The findings of this study have important implications for improving the academic performance and graduation rates of African American male student-athletes.