Indi Johnson Dissertation Proposal Defense, Friday, December 5, 2025 @ 1:00 pm Central Time
December 5 @ 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
COMMITTEE CHAIR: Dr. Jerrel Moore
TITLE: THE ROLE OF ACADEMIC MOTIVATION AND ATHLETIC IDENTITY IN THE ACADEMIC ACHIEVEMENT OF AFRICAN AMERICAN MALE STUDENT-ATHLETES AT HISTORICALLY BLACK COLLEGES AND UNIVERSITIES
ABSTRACT: African American football student-athletes at historically Black colleges and universities (HBCUs) have unique challenges balancing their athletic and academic identities. Student-athletes often find it difficult to balance two roles, which can result in conflicts that have an impact on their motivation, academic achievement, and general well-being. For many Black male football players, high athletic aspirations often centered on an unrealistic expectation of competing professionally, can overshadow academic engagement, contributing to the exclusion of identity and reduced investment in educational goals.
A purposive sample of African American male athletes from two Division I conferences in which the majority of institutions are classified as an Historically Black Colleges or University. Student-athletes, aged 18–24, will complete the Student-Athletes’ Motivation Toward Sports and Academics Questionnaire (SAMSAQ), a validated instrument measuring athletic, academic, and career motivation. As a measure of academic achievement, a multiple regression analysis will assess how academic and athletic motivation contribute to GPA. This study, rooted in Victor Vroom Expectancy Theory, seeks to determine the degree to which athletic identity and academic motivation predict academic achievement.
The results of this study will shed light on how motivation and self-concept coincide to influence academic success, offering guidance to educators, athletic administrators, and support staff looking to implement targeted programs that promote holistic development. By addressing the motivational and identity-related factors impacting academic outcomes, this research contributes to the literature on student-athlete development and informs strategies to enhance educational success among a vulnerable population.
Keywords: Academic Achievement, Identity, Athletic Identity, Motivation, Academic Motivation
Location Online: Zoom Link:
https://pvpanther.zoom.us/j/99115379891?pwd=2lpXLwbaGUgnif9TzYAaAha39MdaiT.1
Meeting ID: 991 1537 9891
Passcode: 611149
