Class in session?: A case study exploration of the X's and O's behind teaching a Sport and Performance Psychology course at the high school level

Rickels, Austin Scott

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https://hdl.handle.net/2142/113894 Copy

Description

Title

Class in session?: A case study exploration of the X's and O's behind teaching a Sport and Performance Psychology course at the high school level

Author(s)

Rickels, Austin Scott

Issue Date

2021-12-03

Director of Research (if dissertation) or Advisor (if thesis)

Kalantzis, Mary

Doctoral Committee Chair(s)

Kalantzis, Mary

Committee Member(s)

• Cope, William
• Pak, Yoon K
• Montebello, Matthew
• You, Yu-ling

Department of Study

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Discipline

Educ Policy, Orgzn & Leadrshp

Degree Granting Institution

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Degree Name

Ed.D.

Degree Level

Dissertation

Keyword(s)

• sport psychology
• performance psychology
• mental skill
• secondary education
• high school teaching
• coaching
• leadership
• curriculum and design
• pedagogy
• case study
• self-actualization
• humanism
• cognitive-behavioral

Abstract

The purpose of this case study was to explore the extent to which an innovative Sport and Performance Psychology course could be designed and implemented effectively at the secondary level for high school student-athletes. The innovative goal of this course was to help student-athletes strengthen their mindset in school and sport by building mental skill in 14 different mental skills like goal-setting, mental toughness, and leadership. It was hypothesized that mental skill development could help address various self-actualization needs within athletic performance and well-being. While there is a growing base of literature in the field of sport psychology, there is a limited amount of literature covering its incorporation in education. In fact, school sport psychology is especially limited at the high school level where very few sport psychology courses are taught. This dissertation was conducted for the purpose of expanding the literature in teaching sport psychology at the high school level. As a result, the present study designed, implemented, and evaluated an innovative Sport and Performance Psychology course with 21 high school student-athletes who attended a small public high school in the Midwestern United States during the 2020-2021 academic year. The proposed design theory utilized educational and psychological principles found within the literature to create a course anchored in sport and performance psychology concepts. Specifically, humanistic learning theory was used as the main theoretical foundation for pedagogy and Maslow's theory of self-actualization served as the central motivational tenet to inspire student-athletes to become the best version of themselves. Similarly, cognitive-behavioral theory was used as the main underpinning for curriculum development as Event + Response = Outcome served as the primary cognitive-behavioral system to teach and apply sport and performance psychology concepts. Finally, case study methodology was utilized to examine the effectiveness of this semester-long elective class within building mental skill and addressing self-actualization needs. The performance evidence was gathered using a mixed methods approach, as quantitative and qualitative data was collected through pre- and post-course surveys and participant interviews. Pre-course data included a baseline assessment of mental skill and a needs analysis. Post-course data collection included a final assessment of mental skill and participant feedback on course effectiveness. Overall, the findings of this dissertation suggested that a Sport and Performance Psychology course could be successfully designed and implemented at the high school level. Specifically, certain curricular and pedagogical elements seemed to be effective at building mental skill and addressing the self-actualization needs of high school student-athletes. Furthermore, an overwhelming majority of participants appreciated the course, reporting a vast array of positive benefits from what they learned. This dissertation thus adds to the existing literature by contributing one of the first published accounts of a high school Sport and Performance Psychology class-in-action. The implications of this study were discussed alongside several suggestions and recommendations for those wishing to incorporate sport psychology at the high school level.

Graduation Semester

2021-12

Type of Resource

Thesis

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Copyright 2021 Austin Rickels

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