Sports Stressors and Academic Performance of Student-Athletes in Selected Colleges of Education in Ghana
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Date
2024-03
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Kenyatta University
Abstract
Student-athletes in Ghana Colleges of Education are expected to manage a
variety of stressors related to academic, social and financial commitments. The
student-athletes devote a substantial amount of the scarce time to improve sporting abilities. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of
sports stressors and academic performance of student-athletes in selected
Colleges of Education in Ghana. The five (5) objectives of this study were to:
(a) determine the possibilities of a demographic difference in stress-coping
among student-athletes in Colleges of Education in Ghana; (b) determine
sports stressors that are linked to the academic performance of student-athletes
in Colleges of Education; (c) find out if stress from sport affects the academic
performance of student-athletes in Colleges of Education in Ghana; (d)
compare the grade point average of student-athletes in the year of competitive
sports and the year of no competitive sports in the Colleges of Education in
Ghana. (e) To propose an intellectual assessment model for Colleges of
Education in Ghana. The study adopted a cross-sectional survey design, in
which both quantitative and qualitative data were collected. Simple random
sampling was used to select student-athletes while purposive sampling was
used to select tutors. The target population for this study was 12 lecturers and
768 student-athletes in six (6) Ghana Colleges of Education. The total sample
size for the study was 335, 12 lecturers and 323 student-athletes. The
instruments for data collection were a questionnaire, an interview guide and
document analysis. Descriptive and inferential statistical analyses were carried
out using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS version 21).
Descriptive statistics summarized, organized and described the responses for
each objective through the use of means, standard deviations, frequencies, and
percentages. Inferential statistics such as ANOVA and Point biserial were used
to test the formulated null hypotheses. All hypotheses were tested at p<0.05
alpha level of significance. The study found that competitive sports stressors
have a statistically significant influence on the academic performance of
student-athletes in Colleges of Education in Ghana. The study also revealed
that competitive sports stress has a statistically significant influence on the
academic performance of student-athletes, especially the females. This study
therefore, recommended that female student-athletes be given scholarships to
motivate and enhance other female students’ participation in competitive
sports. On the basis of the findings, it is recommended that Colleges of
Education in Ghana should have stress management facilities to address the
link between stress and the academic performance of student-athletes. The
Colleges of Education should organise extra tutorials for student-athletes after
competitive sports participation.
Description
A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfilment of the Requirements for the Award of Degree of Doctor of Philosophy (Physical Education) School of Education, Kenyatta University, March 2024.
Supervisors
1. Florence K. Nyamu
2. Daniel M. Muindi