Author Identifier (ORCID)
Eibhlish O'Hara
ORCID : 0000-0002-9093-2746
Craig Harms
ORCID: 0000-0001-7256-2326
Craig Speelman
ORCID: 0000-0001-8629-174X
Abstract
Specialist Sport Programs (SSPs) are an underexamined activity that combines the best features of two different contexts for adolescent development: a sporting program and a secondary school. A mixed-methods study was conducted to determine the influence of participation in SSPs on the educational outcomes of lower secondary students in Western Australia. The results demonstrated a significant improvement in specialist students' mean grade for Mathematics over the course of a year, while their mean grade for all other subjects, and their level of engagement with school, remained stable over the same period of time. Semi-structured interviews were also conducted with key stakeholders (e.g., specialist students and their parents, as well as teachers and graduates of the SSPs). Overall, the participants felt that SSPs had a positive influence on students' engagement with school, and that this engagement had a positive impact on their academic achievement. Taken together, the results of this research suggest that there is a role for SSPs in promoting positive educational outcomes for lower secondary students attending public schools located in low SES areas.
Document Type
Journal Article
Date of Publication
2021
Publication Title
Frontiers in Psychology
Publisher
Frontiers Media S.A.
School
School of Arts and Humanities / School of Education
RAS ID
36165
Funders
Edith Cowan University - Open Access Support Scheme 2021
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Comments
O'Hara, E., Harms, C., Ma'ayah, F., & Speelman, C. (2021). Educational outcomes of adolescents participating in specialist sport programs in low SES areas of Western Australia: A mixed methods study. Frontiers in Psychology, 12, article 667628. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2021.667628