Prospective study of sport dropout: A motivational analysis as a function of age and gender

Abstract

Introduction: This paper aimed to analyse the predictive ability of a self-determination theory (SDT) based model describing competitive sport dropout, and variance as a function of age and gender. Variables included in the model were: psychological need satisfaction, self-determined motivation, perceived conflict between sport and study, intention to practise sport, and dropout.

Methods: A prospective study was performed over a period of 19 months. Variables considered as predictors of sport dropout were measured initially, and after 19 months persistence or dropout was assessed. The sample consisted of 857 athletes aged 11–19 (mean value 15.3; standard deviation = 1.77), 680 males and 177 females.

Results: Structural equation modelling illustrated support for an “alternative” model that incorporated a direct relationship between psychological need satisfaction and intention to practise sport. Analysis of invariance showed that the model was consistent as a function of age and gender, i.e. no differences were found in regression weights. MANOVA, however, revealed some group differences with respect to the dependent variables. Specifically, in terms of engagement, although assessed at the start of the study, those athletes who persisted at 19 months demonstrated greater need satisfaction, self-determined motivation and intention to practise sport than those who dropped out. Age related differences were also identified: with increased age self-determined motivation and intention to practise sport decreased, while there were no differences in need satisfaction or perceived conflict between sport and study. There were no differences related to gender.

Discussion: The results support previous studies that had used SDT to predict sport dropout, specifically those that had reported an inverse relationship between self-determined motivation and perceived conflict between activities. Further, it suggests that other variables (emotional) may play a specific role in predicting intention to continue engagement with sport.

Conclusion: The major contribution of the study is in validating a motivational model predicting sport dropout which incorporates perceived conflict and the direct effect of psychological need satisfaction on the intention to practise sport. The invariance of regression weights between age and gender groups suggests that the relationships proposed in the model are universal.     

Coaching commitment and turnover: a comparison of current and former coaches

Although coaching continuity is thought to be important in developing and sustaining quality sport programs, coach turnover is not well understood. Consequently, we used a commitment model to address why some coaches maintain their involvement while others discontinue coaching. For this study, 469 USA Swimming age-group coaches completed a mail survey designed to assess commitment model constructs, including coaching satisfaction, benefits, costs, investments, alternative options, social constraints, and commitment. To test the commitment model, we first used structural equation modeling to assess whether the model provided an adequate fit to the data for current and former coaches. Overall, satisfaction and investments were significantly related to commitment. Moreover, the standardized path coefficients between benefits and costs and satisfaction were also significant. Multivariate analysis of variance andfollow-up analyses revealed that current coaches reported higher commitment as well as less attractive alternative options, higher investments, and higher social constraints compared to former coaches. In replication of past research, we compared current andformer coaches on the benefits and costs associated with coaching.     

德国体育课程论研究进展

德国是体育课程论研究最为活跃的国家之一。德国体育课程论研究主要有以下成果:①提出了跨学科的体育课程目标;②运动文化教育的设想;③"移动学校"的设想;④提出学校体育和体育课程研究的5大领城;⑤研究和实施体育课程是一件正确的事情,做这件事情是正确的。     

体育组织员工的工作满意度研究现状及发展方向

工作满意度一直是管理科学领域受管理者所关注的问题,它是组织管理绩效、组织决策的重要依据。体育组织作为组织的一种形态,其员工的工作满意度直接影响着组织的管理绩效。对体育组织中员工工作满意度的研究现状、研究特点作了系统的分析和评述,进而提出进一步的研究构想：拓宽研究对象和体育情境的研究范围,建构新的员工满意度的理论模型,加强满意度的应用实践研究。     

我国高等体育院校艺术类专业健美操人才培养的研究

通过对高校体育教务部门、用人单位领导、毕业生等25位人员深度半结构式访谈,运用扎根理论,对访谈内容进行质性分析,对体育院校健美操人才培养目标、培养要求、课程设置以及人才培养方案的制定提出建议。为各体育院校艺术类专业制定专门的健美操人才培养方案提供参考。     

Creating a Culturally Relevant Curriculum for Disengaged Girls

ABSTRACT

Findings from physical education research conducted over the last two decades suggest that girls' experiences in and perceptions of physical education in many team sport‐based programs are less than satisfactory. Team sports taught within a traditional multi‐activity format often permit dominant aggressive male players to control the game, marginalizing and alienating low‐skilled girls and boys. This paper critiques the circumstances often found in sport based physical education and reports the use of an innovative approach to team‐sport curriculum entitled, ‘Sport for Peace’, to enhance girls' levels of engagement and satisfaction in urban high school physical education. In this research, seven teachers and 15 girls were involved in the curriculum innovation in three urban high schools. Teachers trained and mentored using the curriculum implemented the program in two classes in each school. The implementation process was described using observation protocols and the teachers and girls were interviewed formally at the conclusion of the observation period. Data were analysed using constant comparison. Findings suggested that the Sport for Peace curriculum improved the sport environment for girls by enhancing their perceptions of success, promoting ownership of the sport content and the class processes, creating authentic cooperative environments for boys and girls, and encouraging the use of second chances to promote understanding and learning. Boys' altitudes towards girls' ability and motivation became more positive and girls indicated that they enjoyed participating with boys in these sport programs. The findings were analysed within Ladson‐Billings' conceptualization of culturally responsive

     

Disrupting the rhetoric of the rings: a critique of olympic idealism in physical education

The Beijing olympics prompted educationalists to develop new curriculum resources. These resources focus on the socio-cultural elements of the games, olympism and olympic values, the moral and ethical aspects of sport and select geographical, historical and social dimensions of traditional and contemporary Chinese culture. Typically produced as glossy brochures, such resources helped to disseminate olympic knowledge. However, analyses and evaluations of these resources are rare. Drawing on Showcase China—Beijing 2008, an online resource published by New Zealand's Ministry of Education and previous olympic education resources published in New Zealand, I encourage scholars to question the comfortable and comforting rhetoric in olympic educational resources that increasingly penetrate physical education curricula. In so doing, I offer an alternative perspective and strategies for teachers to deal with these resources in ways I believe will improve their work and help their students to better understand their worlds.     

对民族传统体育专业课程设置的再思考

根据集美大学民族体育专业课程的设置状况,按照培养目标的基本要求,对课程结构与内容进行分析,认为专业课课程结构需要重新整合,应调整专项理论课与实践课的课时分配及部分教学内容,提出专业课的修订建议和方案。     

襄阳市健身俱乐部经营管理现状与营销策略研究

采用文献资料、问卷调查和专家访谈等方法,对襄阳市健身俱乐部经营管理现状进行了详实的调查分析。结果表明:襄阳市健身俱乐部以营利作为健身俱乐部生存发展的根本目标;以有效营销作为健身俱乐部生存发展的基本条件;以提供个性化健身服务作为健身俱乐部的核心产品;以较长的营业时间满足顾客需求为主要服务形式。同时采用店长负责制的管理模式,设立教练部、会籍部、销售部与前台迎宾4个部门。     

Place attachment and attendees’ experiences of homecoming event

This study explores the complex of attendees’ experiences in the context of homecoming events that overlap sport activities, event, and tourism elements during a weekend. Focusing on alumni attendees who travel to the college town for the event, the present research argues that these attendees have multiple identities such as event attendees, university alumni, and destination tourists. Derived from this notion, this study proposes and examines two dimensions of attendees’ whole event experiences: event program-related experiences and destination tourism experiences. In addition, relationships between the whole event experiences, place attachment, and satisfaction are empirically tested. The results indicate that place attachment and satisfaction are significantly enhanced by attendees’ experiences of Event Programs & Information, Destination Products, and Natural Environment. Alumni attendees tend to evaluate their experiences more positively when they have a unique perception of the college town and a strong emotional bonding with their Alma Mater. Theoretical contributions and practical implications are also discussed.     

新形势下促进黑龙江省高校体育专业大学生就业措施研究

高校体育专业培养的学生,毕业以后如果想成为一名优秀的体育工作者,要具有宽厚扎实的体育学科文化素质和过硬的体育专业技能。从黑龙江省高校体育专业相关就业课程存在的问题分析入手,从高校体育专业本身、体育课程设置、就业课程设置以及体育专业毕业生本人多重角度阐述了如何提高体育专业学生就业率。     

Creating and Sustaining a Culture of Excellence: Insights From Accomplished University Team-Sport Coaches

Purpose: Winning several national championships is an extraordinary feat that very few university coaches have accomplished. The objective of this study was to investigate how some of Canada’s most accomplished university team-sport coaches created and sustained a culture of excellence in their programs. Method: Six university coaches who had won more than 30 national titles participated in this study. Each coach participated in a semistructured interview, and the qualitative data were inductively analyzed using a thematic analysis. Results: The coaches noted that hard work and daily attention to detail, effective emotional management of themselves and their athletes, and continuous self-assessment (self-reflection and seeking mentors) were crucial elements that led to sustained excellence in their programs. Conclusions: This study offers one of the first empirical accounts of how highly successful university coaches developed and maintained a culture of excellence and success in their high-performance sport setting.     

Managing sport for social change: The effects of intentional design and structure in a sport-based service learning initiative

The current study focused on addressing a gap in understanding the design, structure, and management of sport-for-development (SFD) initiatives, in this case an initiative rooted in sport-based service learning. Sport, and specifically SFD, has been shown to facilitate positive outcomes such as social capital development through expanding networks and community building. Some studies have focused on impacts on volunteers in sport and SFD programs. These volunteers have developed networks most often through informal relationship building activities. Building on this knowledge, the current mixed methods study investigated the social capital development of alumni of a college service learning through sport course. Survey data (n = 93) and individual interviews (n = 22) with participants who had completed at least one semester in the course indicated that social capital development was facilitated. In particular, the intentional design, structure, and management aspects of the course and program provided opportunities for social capital development.     

Past,present, future major sport event management practice: The practitioner perspective

The last decade has seen unprecedented demand to host major sport events, since they can potentially fulfil multi-levelled economic, social, and political agendas. However, despite their universal appeal and long history of implementation, the emergent industry is too often associated with examples of mismanagement. In the light of these continuing major sport event management incidents, the purpose of this study is to provide a review of current management practice and to place this in some sense of temporal context by reflecting on the historical as well future development of the evolving industry.Adopting a practitioner focus at the local organising committee level, a self-administered postal questionnaire was sent to 178 major sport event organisers from 11 countries. Based upon a stratified sample of the 20 priority sports of England, the most senior manager of these sport governing bodies and local authority hosts was invited to participate in the study. Providing a questionnaire response rate of 26% a second phase of data collection was undertaken. This entailed 10 in-depth face-to-face semi-structured interviews selected on the basis of a geographical convenience sample (50 mile radius of author) of returned questionnaire respondents.The findings reveal that current success is based upon effective and efficient management of the tripartite relationship of sport, media, and the event funders, as well as limiting chance occurrences. Reflecting on the historical and future drivers of the event industry, it was further concluded that a better understanding of economics, technology and culture are fundamental to ensuing a safer and new era of global professionalism.     

An Activist Approach to Sport Meets Youth From Socially Vulnerable Backgrounds: Possible Learning Aspirations

Purpose: This study was a 2-phase activist research project aimed at co-creating a prototype pedagogical model for working with youth from socially vulnerable backgrounds in a sport context. This article addresses the learning aspirations (learning outcomes) that emerged when we created spaces for youth to develop strategies to manage the risks they face in their community. Method: This study took place in a socially and economically disadvantaged neighborhood in a Brazilian city where we worked with a group of 17 boys aged 13 to 15 years old, 4 coaches, a pedagogic coordinator, and a social worker. During a 6-month period, we collected multiple sources of data including field journal entries/observations (38) and audio records of youth work sessions (18), coaches' work sessions (16), combined coaches and youth work sessions (3), and meetings between the lead and the 2nd author for debriefing and planning sessions (36). Results: By using an activist approach, 4 learning aspirations emerged: becoming responsible/committed, learning from mistakes, valuing each other's knowledge, and communicating with others. Conclusion: Findings suggest there is a need for more sports programs that start from young people's concrete needs and life situations and look to create places for youth to see alternative possibilities and take action.     

Motivation Profiles in Sport: A Self-Determination Theory Perspective

Abstract

The present study examined the link between motivation profiles among adult sports participants and the consequences of enjoyment, effort, positive and negative affect, attitude toward sport participation, intention to continue sport participation, satisfaction, and frequency of attendance in sport. Two samples of participants (n = 590 and n = 555) completed the Sport Motivation Scale and a range of self-report measures to assess the outcome variables. Exploratory cluster analyses applied to Sample I and confirmatory cluster analysis applied to Sample 2 identified two clusters of sport participants. The first comprised participants with high scores on both nonself-determined and self-determined motives. The second comprised participants with high scores on self-determined motives but low scores on nonself-determined motives. Participants in the first cluster scored higher on all outcome variables. The results are discussed with reference to a more in-depth understanding of the motivation dynamics of sport participation based on Self-Determination Theory.     

Gender,Class and Outdoor Traditions in the UK and Norway

ABSTRACT

We report on three projects and an accompanying critical research agenda designed to establish and evaluate a new pedagogy in Australian physical education based on the sport education curriculum model first published by Siedentop et al. [Siedentop, D., Mand, C. & Taggart, A. (1986) Physical Education: Teaching and Curriculum Strategies for Grades 5‐12 (Palo Alto, Mayfield]. The projects, involving over 80 schools throughout Australia, are set in a context featuring an amalgam of postmodern youth culture, governmental inquiries and reports and the continuing difficulties facing physical educators in their workplaces. Against a backdrop of subject marginatyia, the projects’ findings have lent support to the proposition that it is dysfunctional programme structures (rather that deficits in teaching skills) that are most to blame in denying teachers access to significant subject matter learning targets. Our work presents evidence that the student‐centred, extended‐unit sport education curriculum model has the potential to be responsive to these challenges. It is conducive to ongoing school‐based professional and curriculum development, has led to widespread programme restructuring, has improved outcomes for many lower skilled students and has generally produced positive results for aspects of students’ social development. However girls tend still to be dominated by boys in particular sports. The model is positively affecting the career expectations of pre‐service students. As the model is already diffusing rapidly in Australian schools, there is a need to identify issues and chart an educational course for any further development.     

A comparison of attitudes and exercise habits of alumni from colleges with varying degrees of physical education activity programs.

A survey of alumni attitudes about their college physical education activity (PEA) program and current exercise habits was sent to a representative sample (N = 3169) of alumni who had graduated between 1970 and 1984 from four private colleges. The percent returned was 48, 31, 43, and 41 from Colleges A-D, respectively. Three of the four colleges had required PEA programs. College A had an eight-credit-hour requirement, College B required four credit-hours, College C required two credits, and College D did not have a PEA requirement. Results indicated a significant difference among the four colleges in the alumni's perceived value of their college PEA program in terms of its contribution to their knowledge about fitness, attitude towards fitness, and current exercise habits. Additionally, alumni differed in their perception of the health value of exercise and in their frequency of weekly exercise. When alumni exercise behaviors were quantified by aerobic points and classified according to type of activity, no statistically significant differences were found. The conclusion of the study was that the attitudes and exercise behaviors of alumni are related to the type of college PEA requirement; however, aerobic points earned are not affected. Students graduating from colleges with higher PEA requirements demonstrate more positive exercise attitudes and behaviors.     

An exploration of stakeholder values: In search of common ground within an international sport and development initiative

The purpose of this study was to uncover the values of the Commonwealth Games Association's of Canada's international sport and development (IDS) initiative. Interviews were conducted with 39 key program stakeholders (e.g., IDS organizational leaders, host organizational leaders, intern alumni) involved in the management and operations of the initiative. Certain values were espoused by the organization through written documentation while others were perceived by stakeholders and were described as instrumental toward achieving desired end-states. In general, evidence of both congruent and incongruent values emerged through interview data. Nuance between stakeholder groups was also found, which in turn exposed areas of operations requiring further managerial attention. The complex interplay of values uncovered in this study contributes to the research on values in sport management and the emergent area of using sport as a means toward various developmental goals.     

吕梁学院体育专业学生就业去向调查分析

本文运用文献资料法、问卷调查法、访谈法、数据统计法及逻辑推理法等方法,通过对吕梁学院体育系2007、2008、2009三届专科毕业生就业情况进行跟踪调查,分析毕业生就业的基本现状及其特点,并就毕业生就业满意度及对课程设置等方面存在的问题进行深入细致研究,并对我校体育教育专业课程体系的改革、思维观念的转变、教学内容的更改、课程优化的组合、师范技能的增强提出相应的对策,为鼓励毕业生认清形势、转变就业观念、提高综合素质、拓宽就业途径提供有益的参考。