Mentoring for Student Athletes 1

Mentoring for Student Athletes 1

Running head:Mentoring for Student Athletes

A Mentoring Program for Student Athletes

Of

Low- Socio Economic Status

A thesis submitted

By

Donald J. Benefield

To

LaGrangeCollege

In partial fulfillment of

The requirement for the

Degree of

MASTER OF EDUCATION

In

Curriculum and Instruction

LaGrange, Georgia

May 17, 2011

Abstract

This study researched the relationship between athletics, academic achievement and behavior in seventh grade economically disadvantaged students from a town in rural Georgia. When student athletes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds separate from athletics, academic achievement tends to drop and behavior problems increase. By engaging the students year round rather than just during the athletic season, this study sought to implement a mentoring program within the middle school setting in order to establish mediation between the students and teachers in the classroom and ensure success for the student/athlete. The evidence gathered from the instructional plan, peer review, grades,discipline referrals, questionnaire and reflective journal has indicated that the program showed significance in the area of grades and no significance in discipline referrals comparing current seventh grade student athletes withseventh grade student athletes from the previous year.

TABLE OF CONTENTS

Approval Pages...... i

Abstract...... ii

Table of Contents...... iii

List of Tables...... iv

Chapter 1: Introduction...... 1

Statement of Probelm...... 1

Significance of the Problem...... 1

Theoretical and conceptual Frameworks...... 2

Focus Questions...... 4

Overview of Methodology...... 5

Human Researcher...... 5

Chapter 2: Review of the Literature...... 6

At- Risk Students and the Positive Effects of Athletics…………………………..6 Mentoring Program and Its Effect on Negative Behaviors in Students…………...8

Chapter 3: Methodology...... 14

Research Design...... 14

Setting...... 14

Subjects and Participants...... 15

Procedures and Data Collection Methods...... 15

Validity, Reliability, Dependabilty and Bias...... 19

Analysis of Data...... 22

Chapter 4: Results...... 24

Chapter 5: Analysis and Discussion of Results...... 33

Analysis...... 36

Discussion...... 38

Implications...... 42

Impact on Student Learning...... 45

Reocmmendations for Future Research...... 45

References...... 48

Appendices...... 51

LIST OF TABLES

Tables

Table 3.1 Data Shell...... 16

Table 4.1 Independent t-test forGrades during Second Term with Program...... 28

Table 4.2 Independent t-test for Grades during Third Term with Program...... 28

Table 4.3 Independent t- test for Referrals...... 29

Mentoring for Student Athletes 1

CHAPTER ONE

INTRODUCTION

Statement of Problem

This study researched the relationship between athletics, academic achievement and behavior in seventh gradeeconomically disadvantaged students from a town in rural Georgia. The study focused primarily on fall sports that are offered at this particular school. The problem is that when student athletes from economically disadvantaged backgrounds separate from athletics, academic achievement tends to drop and behavior problems increase. According to Neuman (2008), "When compared with children that are not poor, children who grow up in poverty are at a greater risk for many negative outcomes" (p. 19). I have witnessed first hand the impact that sports has on the success of participants and the detrimental effect that lack of involvement has in many cases. During my fifteen years as a teacher and coach I have seen many cases of student/athletes from impoverished homes meet academic and behavior standards throughout the season only to finish the year with dismal grades and discipline records. The purpose of this study is to determine if a mentoring program for athletes can combat the problem of falling grades and rising behavior issues in economically disadvantaged student/athletes when the season is complete?

Significance of the Problem

Students who have people directly involved in their daily lives, holding them to a standard, are more likely to be successful than those who do not have support. When students are held in check in the classroom by being held to a daily standard for behavior and grades, they perform at a higher level than if they lack accountability on a daily basis. It is not uncommon to see students from disadvantaged backgrounds struggle with behavior problems in school and low grades. This is a reversal of the behavior that is seen during the athletic season for most student/athletes. By engaging the students year round rather than just during the athletic season, this would enable teachers to be more effective in the classroom for the entire school year and would insure success for the student/athlete.

Theoretical and Conceptual Frameworks

There are three core tenets within the Conceptual Framework for the LaGrange College Education Department (2008), and these are: professional knowledge, professional skills, and professional dispositions. Within the tenets are competency clusters. It is apparent that the Conceptual Framework gently anchors and represents the common goals of the Education Department; this research both enforces and supports these professional goals.

The first tenet, professional knowledge, is easily achieved through the thesis assignment. Of the three competency clusters within the professional knowledge tenet, "knowledge of learners", is the one that speaks to me the most in regards to my thesis. The study I am doing is behavioral in nature and has a focus that is largely on student behavior and motivation. In Competency Cluster 1.3: Knowledge of Learners, the following is stated:

Candidates demonstrate the belief that students can learn at high levels, and they hold high expectations for all. Candidates understand how factors inside and outside schools influences students' lives and learning (p. 4). It is my high expectations and belief in students that motivates my research. I also agree that students' lives and learning are very much influenced by outside factors; furthermore, my research will support that through the use of an outside variable (i.e. mentors) to assist in motivating students behaviorally and academically.

The second tenet is professional skills, and there are three candidate competencies within this tenet: Planning skills, instructional skills, and assessment skills. Being a fairly seasoned teacher leads one to feel confident in these areas prior to graduate school; however, preparation for this thesis has provided creative ways to sharpen these skills. The planning and assessment skills needed for this research study have challenged me in ways that I have not been challenged in a long time; and while, this type of planning and assessment work is not exactly the same as preparing and assessing in the classroom, it holds striking similarities. Being pushed in these areas will allow me the spark to carry this level of hard work and professionalism over into my classroom preparation and assessment.

Of the three tenets, the last one, professional disposition, is the one that is the most applicable to my studies. My research embodies the aspects of reflecting, connecting, and taking action. During the time spent reflecting on experiences with students, it became apparent to me that some of our at-risk students were slipping through the cracks. As I stated in my problem section, many students, especially those of lower socio economic status, find it difficult to stay out of trouble once football season has ended. Many of those students go on to have behavior problems, and they often fail in multiple school subject. This leads into the concept of connecting. Connecting with my community is an honor. It is a privilege that I always hoped teaching would provide me. Being a positive role model outside of the classroom and finding ways to make our society a better place, has often been a driving force in my passion for teaching. The final competency cluster, action, is the natural final stone on this path. Learning to reflect and solidifying relationships within the community are very important; however, if there is no action behind those thoughts, then it is all in vain. I am hoping that the actions of my research will lead to positive change in the lives of these young people. All of this very clearly supports the framework competencies presented under the professional disposition tenet.

Along with the three tenets, my research would fulfill areas such as elements 1A through 1G from the NCATE. The five NBPTS core propositions would also be honored through my research. I feel that all five would be fulfilled through my studies, with special emphasis on Propositions 1, 3, 4, & 5. My research affirms that: teachers are committed to students, teachers are responsible for managing and monitoring student learning, teachers think systematically about their practice and learn from experience, and teachers are members of a learning community.

Focus Questions

The focus of the study is using mentoring programs as a resource for student athletes. It is important to understand the steps that were taken as well as the affects that the program had on school as a whole in providing such programs for students. To help address each part of the process, the following focus questions were created:

• How is a mentoring program implemented in a middle school setting?

• How does a mentoring program affect grades and behavior among middle school athletes?
• How successful was the mentoring program?

Overview of Methodology

The setting of this action research study was a local middle school. The subjects were seventh grade, male students of low socio economic (SES) backgrounds, who participated in school sports. Data were gathered by the following methods: instruction plan feedback,archival data sources, questionnaire, and reflective journaling. The quantitative data were analyzed using descriptive and inferential statistics, and the qualitative data were coded for themes.

Human as Researcher

I have been a teacher and a football coach for 15 years. During that time, I have seen many athletes come and go. More times than not, students from lower SES have experienced more problems in school with behavior and academics, and they seem to have less of a support system. I am biased in the fact that I think being a student athlete gives way to more future potential. Athletics provides an outlet for students, and it keeps them off the streets and out of trouble. Athletics also provides a way to motivate students because many of them are fearful that if their grades and behavior slip, they will not be able to play. One assumption of mine is that once football season ends, lower SES students tend to get into trouble with behavior and grades because they have less checks and balances and/or motivation.

CHAPTER TWO

REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE

The students focused upon in this study were both current and former seventh grade students. They also all come from homes of low socio-economic status (SES). This research project was designed to study the relationship between the involvement in athletics, academic achievement, and behavior in seventh grade economically disadvantaged students. The students will participate in an after-school program. The program will provide mentorship in areas of athletics, academics, and character. The need is for students of a low SES background to have some type of intervention. If there are no interventions, the problems will continue or even get worse.

At- Risk Students and the Positive Effects of Athletics

Children who exhibit challenging behavior are at-risk for…,"dropping out, being arrested, abusing drugs and alcohol, and dying young" (Vaughn, 2006, p. 67). Yin, Katims, and Zapata (1996) did a study on low-income, at-risk middle school students. They examined relationships between organized activities and substance use. What they found was that students who were “involved in unsupervised after-school activities…were more likely to use substances" (p. 47). In order to remove a negative, it seems logical to add a positive. A study done by Newgent, Featherston, Stegman, and Lee (2009) found that compared to at-risk students who received no form of intervention, at-risk students who received interventions faired much better. Athletics can be positive in many ways. Coatsworth and Conroy (2007) note: there are well-documented positive effects of physical activity and sports participation on physical and psychosocial youth outcomes…Promoting healthy lifestyles and preventing obesity are also important federal and state-level policy priorities. Finally, physical activity and fitness and sport participation are linked with improved cognitive functioning and greater academic achievement, two desired outcomes of many after school programs. (p. 57)

Besides the physical benefits, there appears to be a motivational piece that spills over into areas of behavior and academics. Being allowed to play sports seems to make the students more careful and attentive in areas regarding academics and appropriate behavior in the classroom.

During the 1970s, state interscholastic associations imposed rules requiringstudent athletes to pass in order to be allowed to participatein school sports (Vidal-Fernandez, 2009). After Texas implemented the No Pass/No Play bill, “four states have set specific academic standards, nineteen others have implemented academic guidelines for participation and the majority of the remaining states have established some regulations for extracurricular activities" (Burnett, 2001, p. 1). Burnett (2001) asserts, "…such policies will serve as a motivational tool, providing the incentive for students to "pull up" their grades" (p.1). Burnett also notes that there is statistical evidence supporting the notion that participants in sports earn consistently higher grades than non-participants (p.2). Better school attendance was another positive mark that student athletes were shown to have (Burnett, 2001). Additionally, they emphatically assert that high school athletic and non athletic activities are not only supportive of the academic mission of schools but are inherently educational and vital to the total development of students. These educators further argue that athletic participation develops many basic values such as self-esteem and self-respect… (Burnett, 2001, p. 2).

Zarrett, Fay, Li, Carrano, Phelps, and Lerner (2009) found similar positive

effects from sports, "…participation in a combination of sports and youth

development programs was related to positive youth development and youth

contribution…" (p. 368).

When the athletic season is over, the problem of falling grades and rising

behavior issues becomes more obvious. A body of research supports these

observations. A study done by Zaugg (1998) compares academic performance,

behavior, and commitment of basketball and volleyball athletes and non-athletes in a

rural Canadian high school. It compares grades and disciplinary visits of athletes

versus non-athletes. The study provides support for the benefits of athletic programs. Mentoring Program and Its Effect on Negative Behaviors in Students

According to Hendley (2007), understanding the problem that causes the negative behavior is the initial step to overcoming the problem. He purports that, "by understanding the reason for the problem behavior, appropriate interventions can be implemented" (p. 226).

Much evidence supports the role of mentorship as a means for allowing

support for students. "Mentoring programs hold great promisefor fostering

competency in disadvantaged youth" (Zand, Thomson, Cervantes, Espiritu, Klagholz,

LaBlanc, & Taylor, 2009, p. 1). Motivation, or accountability, could be provided

through a mentoring program after the season is over.

Hendley (2007) notes that, "Modeling activities and structure can assist leaders in clearly defining appropriate behaviors" (p. 226). Effectively communicating behavior expectations and discussing choices can help students understand consequences for behavior and develop personal responsibility for their actions (Hendley, 2007). It is likely that the "model" should be someone respected. Being a model or mentor can represent different things to different people. A study done by Colvin and Ashman in 2010, showed that assumptions could not be made when defining the mentor (p. 121). "Connecting link, peer leader, learning coach, student advocate, and trusted friend were identified as predominant roles enacted by mentors" (Colvin & Ashman, 2010, p. 121). The more defined the role of mentor is, the less risk associated with the program (Colvin & Ashman, 2010). Studies show that there is a correlation between the overall mentoring experience and the relationship between mentor and mentee(Thomson & Zand, 2010). Outcome studies of mentoring programs have demonstrated that they hold considerable promise in promoting competence across multiple developmental domains. A theoretical model of mentoring identified modification of youths' perceptions of their interpersonal relationships as a contributor to positive outcomes (Thomson & Zand, 2010, p. 434).

Thomson and Zand (2010) studied whether the quality of the mentoring relationship uniquely predicted other relationship-based outcomes. Regression analyses indicated that the quality of the mentor-youth bond significantly predicted youths' scores in most relationship-based outcomes. The better the relationship was, the more positive the experience was (Thomas & Zand, 2010).

Deutsch and Spencer (2009) take it a step further by noting that not only does the quality of the relationship rely on the feeling of connection between mentor and protégé; furthermore, they note the frequency and consistency of contact are a factor in the programs effectiveness (p.47). They give suggestions on relaying expectations on frequency of contact and screening. Deutsch and Spencer (2009) even provide follow-up suggestions to assess your program. "Assessing the quality of the relationship directly requires measuring both the mentor's and protégé’s perceptions of important dimensions of the relationship, such as goals, engagement, and closeness (Deutsch & Spencer, 2009, p. 47).

Having a mentoring program serve as a continuance for a sport that has ended may add to academic accountability. There is a place for the mentor relationship to provide guidance in areas of appropriate school behavior. Slate and Jones (2003) feel a lack of knowing appropriate behavior is the initial problem. Slate and Jones note that all problem behavior is in some way functional; furthermore, misbehavior typically happens when children learn to use inappropriate behaviors to obtain their goals rather than learning to accomplish these goals in appropriate ways (p. 352).