Student perceptions of academic performance

[Robert Herdegen]

TIPSters:

I have a student who is working on a research project looking at the academic performance of athletes in-season and out-of-season. One facet of his work is concerned with how realistic the student-athletes are in their perceptions of their academic performance in- and out-of-season. Often we hear students say that they do better in-season because the demanding schedule of practices and games forces them to better budget their time, and that when the season is over and the demands on their time are less, they waste more time and do worse. My student's question is whether this is true, or whether they only think they do better when actually they do worse.

We've been searching the literature (using PsycLit and ERIC databases) for any reports which relate to the accuracy of students' perceptions of their academic performance (particularly in terms of grades, but also in terms of behaviors which relate to academic performance), but have found relatively little work that is germane...and nothing that deals with such perceptions of student-athletes.

Do any of you have any good sources on this topic, or know of any work which has been done that is relevant? I (and my student) would be most grateful for any suggestions you have.

Lots of thanks in advance!

Bob Herdegen


=======================================================================
Robert T. Herdegen III
Department of Psychology
Hampden-Sydney College
Hampden-Sydney, VA 23943
=======================================================================