Purpose and context
This was the study's central academic outcome.
What is GPA
This pre-college metric is a strong predictor of college academic success.
What is high school GPA?
Which group had the higher average GPA: scholarship or non-scholarship?
Who are scholarship athletes?
This stereotype was challenged by the study’s results.
What is the “dumb jock” stereotype?
The authors asked whether this type of financial support influences GPA.
What are the athletic scholarships?
Across studies, this gender typically outperforms the other academically in college sport contexts.
Who are female student-athletes?
Roughly this percent of scholarship athletes achieved ≥3.0 GPA (within ±3%).
What is about 59% (≈59.4%)?
According to the article, scholarships can be seen not just as athletic investments, but also as this kind of investment.
What is an academic investment?
Beyond scholarship status, the study compared academic outcomes across this demographic factor.
What is gender (male vs. female)?
Scott et al. (2008) found GPAs often do this during the season.
What is decrease (dip)?
Roughly this percent of non-scholarship athletes achieved ≥3.0 GPA (within ±3%).
What is about 45% (≈45.5%)?
The Hardwick-Day (2008) study found scholarships were especially helpful to which group’s academic profile?
Who are female athletes?
This organization’s academic standards (GPA/standardized tests/progress-toward-degree) form the compliance backdrop.
What is the NCAA?
Motivation profiles often differ between these two program types, one tied to media and gate revenue.
What are revenue vs. non-revenue sports?
Name the lowest-performing subgroup identified in the study.
Who are male non-scholarship athletes?
One implication of the findings is that NCAA or schools might consider doing this with scholarship limits.
What is expanding (or raising) scholarship limits?
Name the study’s big-picture claim about the “dumb jock” stereotype.
What is that scholarships are associated with better academic performance, undermining the stereotype?
Name two additional factors from the literature (besides HS GPA) that influence athletes’ college academics.
What are socioeconomic status and motivation? (Other acceptable: time demands, academic support structures, major selection.)
Offer one plausible interpretation for why scholarship status might relate to higher GPA
What is that scholarships may attract/retain more academically prepared or motivated students and/or increase accountability/support?
The study suggests more research is needed to examine what other factors (like course load or season of play) that might affect this outcome.
What is GPA/academic success?