Is the combination of academics and athletics a hinderance/interference with students` studies (My viewpoint is NO IT DOES NOT)

Academics Together With Athletics

A Benefit or a Waste

I . Introduction

It has always been a popular preconception that being exceptional in sports meant being poor at academics . Media outfits and prevalent social norms have conditioned student populations in general to the notion that only the most exceptional students could be good at both football and algebra . This has consequently given rise to the dividing terms of jock ' and nerd ' for the rest of the student population who are only good at one or the other . The prejudices brought about by

such labeling have set each group at odds with the other since the beginnings of student politics . Yet where popular culture , fictional works , and public judgment have cast their unempirical opinions , this study sought to scientifically determine the validity of such opinions

This study asked the question of whether or not the ardent participation of students in athletic activities actually resulted to a decline in academic performance . Specifically , this study aimed to determine 1 the demographics of students within a particular area defined by the study , 2 ) the opinions of students within the defined area regarding the notion that athletic activity has a negative effect on academic performance and the academic performance of students who were engaged in academic activity as compared to students who were not in terms of 3 .a on campus indicators such as overall grade averages , 3 .b ) off campus indicators such as relevance of college course to current work with respect to having been athletic or non-athletic in college , and 3 .c experimental indicators such as comparison of academic performance between students who have just undergone rigorous physical activity and those who did not

The study took into consideration obvious differences between the sports played by either gender and made appropriate provisions to accommodate such differences . For the purposes of this study , athletic activities were determined to be generally practiced sporting

events that required considerable physical exertion and contact . Some examples of such activities in the context of this study were determined as football , basketball , wrestling and other similarly recognized activities

This study 's definition of athletic activity did not include other competitive activities that some groups could define as sport such as golf , cheerleading , dance , bowling , etc . The study sought to obtain a significant number of respondents that adequately represent all sectors of the student body especially the sectors of athletic and non-athletic students who were the focus of the research

The findings obtained by the study were significant to instructional professional opinion on the role of athletics in education administrative considerations with respect to programs on both academic and athletic involvement , and the evolution of student politics on the issue of student cliques built around group prejudice . Results of the study can guide professional teachers into a scientifically validated stand on supporting or rebuffing athletic activity as a factor to consider in academic achievement . Findings could help guidance research and other administrative considerations in making decisions with respect to strategies that involve both academic performance and athletic participation in line with the needs and vision of the institution Finally , results could weaken currently existing conflicts between student cliques that were caused by prejudices based on unscientifically founded presumptions

II . Review of Literature

Despite the unfounded popular assumption that athletic activities have a negative impact on academic achievement , literature showed that previous research seems to indicate the contrary . Silliker Quirk (1997 ) were able to determine that extracurricular activities do not interfere with academics . Contrary to common perception , their research was able to substantiate that participation in extracurricular activities actually enhanced the overall educational experience . Some of the results even showed that grade point averages were often higher among those who participate in extra-curricular activities than those who did not . The researchers attributed this phenomenon to the motivation and discipline required to excel in extra-curricular activities which may have trickled down to academics . However , this research was highly indiscriminate in its definition of extra-curricular activities which suggested that students primarily involved in athletics as their extra-curricular activity may not have been as adequately represented as to be able to derive acceptable conclusions about them in particular

Miller Kerr (2002 ) made a more targeted study on student athletes in particular . Their study compared several academic measures between athletes and non-athletes such as graduation rates and Scholastic Aptitude Test scores . Furthermore , the study analyzed how participation in athletics effected student-athletes` educational aspirations as well as how it impacted their social interactions . While the quantitative results showed no clear indication that either of the compared groups was significantly better than the other , further analysis showed that athletes did indeed draw on sports as a motivation for further educational aspiration . The results on graduation rates were similar to those of Ferris et al (2004 ) which determined no significant relationship between late graduation and participation in sporting events

Further support on the conclusions of Miller Kerr were seen from other studies such as Hdrtel Hanrahan (2003 ) while studying motivational patterns of athletes after they graduate , and by Aries et al (2004 while comparing the academic performance of athletes to non-athletes in selected Ivy League colleges . These studies confirmed that athletic activities could actually enhance academic experience . Aries et al were also able to establish that

athletes generally exceeded non-athletes in terms of sociability , all the while maintaining the same academic standards . One notable article that practically supported the findings of Miller Kerr was Layden (2003 , who wrote about the academic success of a former star quarterback from a major college football program . The student-athlete maintained a superior grade point average during his college years while at the same time leading his football team to great success . However this instance is highly incidental and cannot be used to generalize . In one of the latest articles published on the area , Thomas (2007 discussed the findings of a study conducted by the Brookings Institution regarding the common perception that strong athletic schools produce students with mediocre academic skills . The study discovered that academics did not suffer at public schools known for excellence in athletics . The study also showed that teams that dominate in team sports and usually produce championship caliber athletes had the same average math and reading scores as schools that do not have competitive athletic programs

Both Hart et al (2003 ) and O 'Connor (2006 ) established that sports could be an avenue to build leadership and interpersonal skills . An article from the Brown University Digest (2005 ) showed that athletics could also improve intrapersonal perception . The article showed how athletics had a positive effect in deterring female adolescents away from eating diss or the use of diet and weight-loss products . This article was backed up by Schwarz et al (2005 , who studied about eating attitudes body dissatisfaction , and perfectionism in female college athletes and found that athletes were indeed more prone to eating diss than non-athletes , owing that to athlete 's perfectionist nature which guided them into wanting to eat healthy in to look healthy

Related literature pointed out that participation in athletics bestowed several physical , mental and psychological benefits to students . These benefits were greatly related to academic performance . Furthermore several of the reviewed text established that athletes generally tended to perform normally in academics as non-athletes , with a few studies even going as far as to claim that participation in athletics improves academic performance . This research aimed to encompass a broader scope than previous studies in the sense of not being limited to a particular institution . It also wished to employ certain quantitative techniques that have not yet been used in previous studies to determine conclusions to similar hypotheses

III . Method

A . Sampling

There were two sampling areas identified by the study . Sampling area A was the on campus sampling area while sampling area B was the off campus sampling area . In sampling area A , the study was able to gather a sample of 30 athletes and 30 non-athletes through a purposive random sampling based on available campus databases . 30 samples were selected per group in to maintain prescribed statistical standards in conducting a scientific research . Aside from the students , their respective parents were also tapped as part of sampling area A . Table 1 describes the labeling performed on the different groups under sampling area A

In sampling area B , a wide range random sampling procedure involving both postal and electronic mail was conducted to select 100 respondents of no particular demographic criteria . This sample was continually monitored and prospective respondents that did not respond one week after being selected were replaced . The sampling continued until the desired number of 100 respondents was achieved

B . Measures

There are five (5 ) qualitative and two (3 ) quantitative measures taken for the purpose of the study . The five qualitative measures were obtained from opinion survey results which were treated by a computation of weighted means according to a likert scale . The qualitative measures sought to discover the opinions of the different groups in table 1 (A1 - A4 ) as well as that of the respondents in sampling area B regarding the effects of athletic participation to academic performance as detailed by an appropriate survey questionnaire per group

The quantitative measures included the number of respondents from sampling area B who were employed in a job appropriate to their undergraduate course compared to those who did not practice their chosen field after graduation . The second quantitative measure was the general averages of A-1 compared to those of A-2 . The third quantitative measure was the result of an evaluation made on split subgroups of A2 as based on the experimental aspect of the study

C . Design

The design of the study had descriptive , inferential , and experimental aspects . The descriptive aspect involved the collection , treatment , and interpretation of data gathered from the fielded survey form that were pertaining to the subjects ' perception on the effects of engaging in athletics activities to academic performance . This aspect of the design only provided a measure of the five different groups in the study Analysis of this aspect involves comparing the perception of one group to another with respect to the various concerns regarding the that were reflected in the fielded survey questionnaire

The inferential aspect of the study aimed to provide a concrete basis for supporting or rejecting the hypotheses of the study . This aspect involved the comparison between the responses to certain questions in the survey questionnaire that pertained to the current

academic standing of groups A1 and A2 . Another involvement of this aspect is the comparison of respondents in sampling area B that had been active athletes against respondents in the same group who were not athletically active during the years in school

The experimental aspect involved letting one part of A-2 undergo a controlled design that sought to make them experience the rigor of physical activity experienced by athletic individuals and taking their feedbacks regarding the experience

D . Procedure

1 . Sampling area A

Paired groups A-1 A-2 and A-3 A-4 were each given appropriate questionnaires to gather their opinion regarding the effects of athletic activity to academic achievement . Overall averages of respondents from A-1 and A-2 from the previous semester were gathered from their respective programs . Fifteen (15 ) randomly selected respondents from A-2 (henceforth designated as A-2a were made to undergo a physical training program for 2 hours using aerobic routines and exercise machines Afterwards , the respondents from A-2a were given a 15 minute shower and rest break followed by the administering of a pre-requisite diagnostic examination on their next mathematics subject which they took with the rest of A-2 who did not participate in the exercise program (henceforth designated as A-2b

2 . Sampling area B

Respondents were given appropriate questionnaires that they were to fill in and send back to the researcher . Respondents who were already graduates were segregated from the rest of the sample . Within this subgroup , comparisons between each respondent 's current occupation and their selected course were made with respect to their involvement (or non-involvement ) in athletic activities

IV . Results

Table 2 summarizes the findings of the different groups with regards to their opinion on the effects of athletic activity on academic performance . Table 3 shows the relationship between participation in athletics of respondents in sampling area B to their success in their chosen college field . Table 4 shows the comparison between the average scores of A1 and A2 while Table 5 shows the comparison between the diagnostic scores of A2a and A2b . Table 6 shows the responses of A2a to the follow up questionnaire after the experiment . Figure 1 shows the distribution of overall average scores of A1 and A2 during the previous semester . Figure 2 shows the distribution of scores between group A-2a and A-2b

V . Discussion

A . Findings

While athletes believed that playing sports did not affect their academic achievement negatively , non-athletes and their parents believed that playing sports had negative impacts on academic performance . While athletes believed that playing sports did have positive effects to their academic studies , their parents are relatively undecided on the matter Based on the comparison between overall average scores of athletes and non-athletes , there was no significant difference noted to indicate that one group was higher than the other . With respect to the results of diagnostic examinations given to A2a and A2b , it was found that those who committed to exercising received significantly higher marks than those who did not . Results of the comparison in the subgroups in sampling area B showed that current occupation was not dependent on the presence or absence of athletic activity in college

B . Implications

The results implied that the preconception discussed at the beginning of the study was present in non-athletes and their parents . The results also implied that athletes do not in any way perform poorer than non-athletes

C . Limitations

Limitations identified throughout the course of the study mainly include the inability to verify the truth behind respondent opinions in answering the survey questionnaire as well as the inability to conduct out of campus surveys outside the limitations of online and postal fielding

D . Recommendations for Future Research

This study recommends further research into comparisons on the effects of different types of sports according to level of contact , training schedules , and other variables

E . Conclusions

In conclusion , this study has established that athletic activity does not have any negative effects on academic achievement . Furthermore , this study was able to give evidence on the possible positive effects that athletic activities could have on academic performance

VI . References

Aries , E , McCarthy , D , Salovey ,

Banaji , M (2004 . A Comparison of Athletes and Non-Athletes at Highly Selective Colleges : Academic Performance and Personal Development . Research in Higher Education 45 (6 , 577-602 . Retrieved Saturday , May 19 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

Athletic program targets SA and dised eating (Cover story (2005 . DATA : The Brown University Digest of Addiction Theory Application , Retrieved Sunday , May 20 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

Ferris , E , Finster , M McDonald , D (2004 . Academic Fit of Student-Athletes : An Analysis of NCAA Division I-A Graduation Rates Research in Higher Education , 45 (6 , 555-575 . Retrieved Sunday , May 20 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

Foxx , R (2001 . Effects of Athletics in Work Values . ERIC Digest Retrieved June 30 , 2007 from the ERIC database

Geiger , M Howards , J (2005 .Qualitative Analysis on the Impact of Athletics to Middle Schools . ERIC Digest . Retrieved June 3 , 2007

Hart , L , Gary , J , Duhamel , C , Homefield , K ERIC Clearinghouse on Counseling and Student Services , G (2003 . Building Leadership Skills in Middle School Girls through Interscholastic Athletics . ERIC Digest Retrieved Tuesday , May 15 , 2007 from the ERIC database

Hdrtel , C Hanrahan , S (2003 . Success and failure : The same in sport as in work . Australian Journal of Psychology , 55 , 127-127 Retrieved Sunday , May 20 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

Jenkins , J (2006 . Student Perceptions of a Conceptual Physical Education Activity Course . Physical Educator . Vol 63 , Issue 4 Pages 210 - 212

Layden , T (2003 . A Beautiful Mind . Sports Illustrated , 99 (5 , 68-74

Miller ,

Kerr , G (2002 . The Athletic , Academic and Social Experiences of Intercollegiate Student-Athletes . Journal of Sport Behavior , 25 (4 , 346 . Retrieved Saturday , May 19 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

O 'Connor , I (2006 . Chaney 's pros far outweighed cons . USA Today retrieved Thursday , May 17 , 2007 from http /www .usatoday .com /sports /columnist /oconnor /2006-03-13-oconnor-chan ey_x .htm

Schwarz , H , Gairrett , R , Aruguete , M Gold , E (2005 . Eating Attitudes , Body Dissatisfaction , and Perfectionism in Female College Athletes . North American Journal of Psychology , 7 (3 , 345-352 . Retrieved Sunday , May 20 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

Silliker , S Quirk , J (1997 . The effect of extracurricular activity participation on the academic performance of male and female high school students . School Counselor , 44 (4 , 288 . Retrieved Sunday , May 20 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

Thomas , K (n .d . Academics , athletics on the same team . USA Today Retrieved Sunday , May 20 , 2007 from the Academic Search Premier database

VII . Tables

Table 1 : Labels for groups in sampling area A

Label Size

A-1 Athletes 30

A-2 Non-athletes 30

A-3 Parents of athletes 30

A-4 Parents of non-athletes 30 Table 2 : Opinions on the effect of athletic activity on academic performance

Question A1 A2 A3 A4 B

Playing sports interferes with academic activity HD A HD A D

Students who do not spend considerable time playing sports are more likely to gain higher scores in examinations HD HA D A A

Students who play sports are less likely to follow the career path indicated by their chosen course in college than those who do not play sports HD A HD A D

Sports enhances student motivation to study their academics A HD U D U

Sports invigorates students with more energy to help them study their lessons U HD U D U Table 3

Occupation in line w /course Occupation not in line w /course Athletic 17 25 42

Non-Athletic 18 23 41

Table 4 :Table 5

A1 A2 A2a A2b

84 .54 93 .62 60 64

63 .38 88 .15 26 10

87 .45 96 .63 45 39

91 .81 81 .43 61 58

64 .80 63 .58 46 22

83 .16 64 .42 27 26

96 .58 62 .55 20 8

77 .29 53 .17 17 66

56 .30 56 .11 42 64

76 .73 67 .67 28 2

80 .34 65 .23 28 22

63 .68 69 .40 13 20

59 .91 96 .09 25 47

76 .26 53 .11 53 33

90 .13 92 .81 43 43

50 .05 58 .91

99 .52 58 .72

94 .19 56 .88

62 .97 65 .41

51 .63 53 .95

60 .60 57 .39

53 .15 82 .53

79 .66 65 .10

91 .35 87 .51

57 .35 51 .53

65 .42 91 .30

97 .93 66 .75

75 .09 92 .64

85 .04 97 .45

86 .05 99 .54 Table 6

Question Yes No

Using exercise machines before taking the diagnostic exam helped me focus my thoughts 9 6

Exercising made me too tired to perform well in the exam 4 11

Exercising helped me calm down while taking the diagnostic exam 7 8 VIII . Figures ...