| Abstrakt: |
This quantitative study applied Marx's (2006) extended model of student integration to a sample of 393 student athletes within the California community college system to examine the extent to which academic and social integration, institutional commitment, and selected demographic variables were predictive of commitment to graduation. Four independent variables for the African American male student athlete sample yielded strong predictors of commitment to graduation and explained 32% of the variation in commitment to graduation. The most significant predictor, institutional fit, explained 25% of the variation in commitment to graduation scores. Other significant predictors included athletic institutional commitment, semesters enrolled, and investment poise. The study also showed that African American male student athletes scored higher than non-African American male student athletes in athlete academic integration, combined social integration, and combined institutional commitment. The study concludes with a discussion of the findings, implications for policy and practice, and recommendations for further research. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR] |
