My action research
is shaping me professionally into a better leader in the educational setting. I
am in the process of gathering data from my research and analyzing that data. I
have already seen a difference in athletic participation correlated with
academic success. It is evident that grades, conduct, and participation in the
class room are at a higher rate than those who are not involved in athletics.
Everyone has been
very helpful in gathering data for me, allowing me to research their classes,
and so forth. All that volunteered to participate have been supportive and have
also seen some differences. I have enjoyed the engagement from participants
because there is definitely an effect athletics has on students.
I still have to get
state assessment scores back from this year which will take a while but
benchmarks, class tests, and other measures of research are wrapping up. The biggest
impact I have seen is on conduct, and attendance. Athletics seems to have
tremendous effect on participants over non participants.
I want to be clear
that I am a coach, and I am not looking for research to say athletes are better
than a non athlete. This is not my mission at all, my vision is to see how
important discipline and dedication can be to student achievement, and if
athletics enhances that. Athletes have their flaws and there are other groups
that enhance achievement as well. I just want to see if it is having an impact
on my athletes and athletics as a whole. This, so far, has been a great method
of learning about my students, my athletes, and most important the effectiveness
I am as a leader.
