Abstract
The current study explores how academic success is defined and perceived by student-athletes and athletic academic support staff professionals, specifically learning specialists and academic advisors. Using qualitative methods, one-on-one interviews were conducted with participants from six “Power 5” programs to establish overarching themes. Academic advisors identified academic achievement and personal development as academic success. Learning specialists identified academic success as maximizing individual potential. Student-athletes identified meeting grade-based standards and work ethic resulting in reaching personal goals as academic success for themselves. Student-athletes also perceived that their advisor would identify eligibility and effort as academic success, and that their learning specialist would view academic success as building academic skills and work ethic.
Highlights
The current study explores how academic success is defined and perceived by studentathletes and athletic academic support staff professionals--learning specialists and academic advisors
I think always when we look at we look at maximizing ability and potential for each student
This study looks to change the perception that talking about academic achievement is only “lip service” and that talking about education only relates to eligibility (Beamon, 2008)
Summary
The current study explores how academic success is defined and perceived by studentathletes and athletic academic support staff professionals--learning specialists and academic advisors. Student-athletes identified meeting grade-based standards and work ethic resulting in reaching personal goals as academic success; they perceived their advisor identifying eligibility and effort as academic success, and their learning specialist w view academic success as building academic skills and work ethic. Success among academic advisors, learning specialists, and at-risk student athletes involves attaining academic goals for maintaining eligibility and graduation, achieving personal development goals of growth, maturity, and increased work ethic. The perceptions of academic success and learning outcomes desired by academic advisors, learning specialists, and student-athletes may vary, resulting in a need to better understand these groups and their relationship with one another in order to best serve the student-athletes. The goal of this study is to highlight the views of academic success from non-quantitative standards in hopes of finding ways to celebrate success at every level for every type of student
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