Exploring academic and athletic identity amongst female student-athletes

Parent Drake, Christine N. (2023) Exploring academic and athletic identity amongst female student-athletes. Doctoral thesis, Northern Arizona University.

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Abstract

Two samples of female student-athletes were surveyed to explore dimensions of athletic and academic identities in Division I female student-athletes. Quantitative methods used a refined version of the 2010 NCAA Growth, Opportunities, Aspirations, Learning of Students in college (GOALS) survey to explore constructs underlying female student-athletes' athletic and academic identities using exploratory factor analyses, tests of internal reliability, and independent t-tests. Qualitative methods used interviews to further explicate quantitative findings by exploring female student-athletes' self-expressed perspectives about their identities as students and athletes. EFA and Cronbach’s alpha results suggest a possible 2-factor or 3-factor model underlying athletic and academic identity in female student-athletes. Results showed that female student-athletes are equally dedicated to athletic and academic pursuits, although athletic identity is dominant in their lives. Participants expressed similarities in descriptions of self as students and athletes and used similar approaches to athletic and academic expectations. Current findings of this initial study exploring athletic and academic identities using the refined GOALS survey offer critical insights into appropriate techniques for measuring female student-athletes' athletic and academic identities and could be explored further in future studies with larger sample sizes.

Item Type:	Thesis (Doctoral)
Publisher’s Statement:	© Copyright is held by the author. Digital access to this material is made possible by the Cline Library, Northern Arizona University. Further transmission, reproduction or presentation of protected items is prohibited except with permission of the author.
Keywords:	Academics; Athletics; Female; Identity; Student-Athletes
Subjects:	G Geography. Anthropology. Recreation > GV Recreation Leisure
NAU Depositing Author Academic Status:	Student
Department/Unit:	Graduate College > Theses and Dissertations College of Education > Teaching and Learning
Date Deposited:	23 Jun 2025 16:37
Last Modified:	23 Jun 2025 16:37
URI:	https://openknowledge.nau.edu/id/eprint/6190

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