An Assessment of the Scholar-Athlete Award Program and Academic Achievement Behavior among Student-Athletes at UW-Stout using the Theory of Planned Behavior.

Abstract

The following UW-Stout Scholar-Athlete Award program evaluation survey aimed to elicit Stout student-athletes’ awareness of and attitudes towards the Scholar-Athlete program. It sought to elucidate and quantify the psychosocial factors influencing Stout student-athletes’ academic achievement intentions using Azjen’s Theory of Planned Behavior (1991). Results suggested Stout student-athletes are overwhelmingly in favor of the program, perceive behavioral control over their G.P.A. and the ability to achieve the 3.5 cumulative G.P.A. requirement needed for Scholar-Athlete recognition should they work hard enough (self-efficacy). Stout athletes also reported the Scholar-Athlete program bolsters their motivation to excel academically. Conversely, results in the subjective norms domain were less encouraging, highlighted by the finding that Stout student-athletes currently view 2.7-2.8 as their cumulative G.P.A. norm. Extending this concerning notion, they reported their coaches only expect a 2.83 G.P.A. on average. However, when student-athletes were subsequently asked to predict their coaches, professors, and parents’ G.P.A. expectations should they be fully abreast of the Scholar-Athlete program, some encouraging findings emerged. For example, coaches’ expectations increased to 3.35 for men and 3.43 for women, reflecting the anticipated effect of continued implementation of the Scholar-Athlete Award program on subjective norms and a cornerstone of this evaluation’s findings.