Psychosocial Characteristics in Sports Science Students: A Review of Academic and Athletic Dimensions
Keywords:
Dual Career, Psychosocial Characteristics, Sports Science StudentsAbstract
The purpose of this review study is to examine the psychosocial characteristics that affect the academic and athletic
lives of sports science students within a broad framework and to synthesize existing research findings within a
thematic framework. The study was conducted using a qualitative research approach and did not collect primary
data to interpretatively synthesize the findings, instead relying on a literature review. It examined important topics
such as sports science, academic achievement, motivation, academic self-efficacy, athlete identity, career
awareness, academic procrastination, psychological and mental resilience, burnout, self-compassion, social
connectedness, and counseling support. Literature studies differ in terms of the academic achievement, motivation,
and psychosocial well-being of sports science students. A dual career requires balancing both academic and athletic
goals, and this process has been shown to have a significant impact on motivation, self-efficacy, stress
management, and well-being. Additionally, students' identification as athletes is an important component that
influences their decisions regarding education and sports. Furthermore, it has been emphasized that academic
success is linked to academic motivation and self-efficacy, while academic procrastination is associated with
perceived control and self-regulation strategies. Extraordinary conditions such as the pandemic and contemporary
threats such as perceived stress affect resilience and mental health. Consequently, sports sciences form an
important basis for the assessment of students' psychosocial characteristics in academic and sporting contexts, the
development of support programs, and future experimental and long-term research.
References
Acar-Ağar, B., & Atli, A. (2024). Lise Öğrencilerinde Algılanan Akademik Destek, Akademik Akış ve Tükenmişlik Arasındaki İlişkiler. Türk Eğitim Bilimleri Dergisi, 22(1), 561-586. https://doi.org/10.37217/tebd.1387273
Aquilina, D. (2013). A study of the relationship between elite athletes’ educational development and sporting performance. The International Journal of the History of Sport, 30(4), 374–392. https://doi.org/10.1080/09523367.2013.765723
Baba-Kaya, H., Namlı, S., & Tekkurşun-Demir, G. (2018). Spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinin sporcu kimlikleri ve başarı yönelimleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Erzurum Teknik Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, 3(7), 179–196.
Bandura, A. (1997). Self-efficacy: The exercise of control. Freeman.
Bingölbalı, A., & Karakaya, Y. E. (2021). Investıgatıon of academıc self-effıcacy accordıng to perceptıons of sports hıgh school students. Firat University Journal of Social Sciences, 31(2), 607-613. https://doi.org/10.18069/firatsbed.863204
Biricik, Y. S., Sivrikaya, M. H., & Karababa, B. (2023). The relationship between covid-19 anxiety, burnout, mental well-being, and resilience ın student-athletes and non-student-athletes. E-Uluslararası Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 14(3), 149-164. https://doi.org/10.19160/e-ijer.1256196
Brewer, B. W., & Petitpas, A. J. (2017). Athletic identity foreclosure. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16, 118–122. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.copsyc.2017.05.004
Brewer, B. W., Van Raalte, J. L., & Linder, D. E. (1993). Athletic identity: Hercules’ muscles or Achilles heel? International Journal of Sport Psychology, 24(2), 237–254.
Cengiz, S., Yağan, F., Kara, F., Dörtyol, Z. (2023). Ergenlerde akademik beklentilere ilişkin stres, akademik motivasyon ve okul tükenmişliği arasındaki ilişkilerin incelenmesi. Mavi Atlas, 11(1), 63-75. https://doi.org/10.18795/gumusmaviatlas.1227441
Chemers, M. M., Hu, L. T., & Garcia, B. F. (2001). Academic self-efficacy and first-year college student performance and adjustment. Journal of Educational Psychology, 93(1), 55–64. https://doi.org/10.1037/0022-0663.93.1.55
Crisp, G., & Cruz, I. (2009). Mentoring college students: A critical review of the literature between 1990 and 2007. Research in Higher Education, 50(6), 525–545. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11162-009-9130-2
Çetinkaya, A., & Mutlu, T. O. (2022). Spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinin akademik motivasyonları ve işsizlik kaygılarının danışman yönlendirme rolü açısından incelenmesi. CBÜ Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 17(1), 96-112. https://doi.org/10.33459/cbubesbd.1118893
Çetinkaya, T., & Ulucan, H. (2017). A Study of the Academic Self-Efficacy of Physical Education and Sports Academy Students from the Perspective of Various Variables. International Journal of Recreation and Sports Science, 1(1), 22-29.
Çimen, E., Koçyiğit, B., & Doğan, F. (2022). Spor Bilimleri Fakültesi Öğrencilerinin Akademik Hedef Yönelimleri ile Akademik Başarıları Arasındaki İlişkinin İncelenmesi. Sportive, 5(2), 69-77. https://doi.org/10.53025/sportive.1185699
Demir, B. (2023). The mediating effect of academic resilience on the relationship between psychological resilience and academic achievement. E-Uluslararası Eğitim Araştırmaları Dergisi, 14(3), 52-67. https://doi.org/10.19160/e-ijer.1253101
Demirbilek, N., & Han, F. (2022). Üniversite öğrencilerinde akademik öz-yeterliğin yordayıcıları olarak akademik motivasyon, sosyal bağlılık ve erteleme eğilimi. Bingöl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi, (24), 311–324. https://doi.org/10.29029/busbed.1165591
Filiz, B., & Demirhan, G. (2018). Akademik ve spor başarı motivasyonu arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. SPORMETRE Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 16(2), 138-152. https://doi.org/10.1501/Sporm_0000000361
Houle, J. L. W., Brewer, B. W., & Kluck, A. S. (2010). Developmental trends in athletic identity: A two-part retrospective study. Journal of Sport Behavior, 33(2), 146–159.
İlgar, Y., & Ayaz, E. İ. (2023). The investigation of the relationship between mental toughness and coping with sporting problems in team and individual sports. Spor ve Rekreasyon Araştırmaları Dergisi, https://doi.org/10.52272/srad.1259854
Kaplan, M., & Güngörmüş, Z. (2022). Academic procrastination behavior in nursing students: the role of academic motivation, academic self-efficacy and academic attributional style. Anatolian Journal of Health Research, 3(2), 53-59. https://doi.org/10.29228/anatoljhr.57730
Koç, İ., Ergin, R., Gencer, E., & Marangoz, İ. (2022). Zihinsel Dayanıklılık ile Parkur Performansı Üzerine İlişkisel Bir Araştırma. Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science, 5(4), 858-870. https://doi.org/10.38021/asbid.1171186
Koç, K. (2018). Spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinin yaşam doyum düzeyleri ile akademik motivasyon düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Türk Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 1(2), 58-65.
Koçak, D., Ağar, B., & Karadağ, D. (2024). Öğrenci-sporcuların çift kariyer yetkinlik algılarının akademik ve sportif değişkenler açısından incelenmesi. Fenerbahçe Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 4(1), 16-32.
Korkmazer, F. (2020). Üniversite öğrencilerinin akademik motivasyon algılarının incelenmesi üzerine bir alan çalışması. Dicle Üniversitesi İktisadi ve İdari Bilimler Fakültesi Dergisi, 10(20), 502–515.
Lally, P., & Kerr, G. (2005). The career planning, athletic identity, and student role identity of intercollegiate student athletes. Research Quarterly for Exercise and Sport, 76(3), 275–285. https://doi.org/10.1080/02701367.2005.10599295
Martin, A. J., & Marsh, H. W. (2006). Academic resilience and its psychological and educational correlates: A construct validity approach. Psychology in the Schools, 43(3), 267–281. https://doi.org/10.1002/pits.20149
Mataracı, T., & Alemdağ, C. (2024). Locus of Control and Academic Attributional Style as Predictors of Academic Procrastination Behavior in Sports Sciences. Research in Sport Education and Sciences, 26(2), 31-38. https://doi.org/10.62425/rses.1417338
McEwen, M. K., & McEwen, W. J. (2019). Academic advising: A comprehensive handbook. Jossey-Bass.
Önal, A., & Filiz, B. (2023). Spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinin teknolojik bağımlılık ve algılanan stres düzeylerinin akademik başarılarına etkisi. SPORMETRE Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 21(1), 80-92. https://doi.org/10.33689/spormetre.1170069
Özcan, N., & Keskin, Y. (2024). Öğrenci, öğretmen ve veli üçgeninde akademik başarısı yüksek öğrencilerin sahip oldukları akademik özellikler: sekizinci sınıf öğrencilerine dönük bir durum çalışması. Journal of Uludag University Faculty of Education, 37(2), 449-482. https://doi.org/10.19171/uefad.1392544
Özcan, V. (2021). Correlation between ability to cope with sporting problems and athlete engagement. OPUS International Journal of Society Researches, 18(44), 7435-7450. https://doi.org/10.26466/opus.969885
Polat, E. (2017). Kaygı düzeyi ve akademik özyeterlik inancının akademik başarı ile ilişkisi. Yönetim ve Ekonomi Araştırmaları Dergisi, 15(1), 1-22. https://doi.org/10.11611/yead.312024
Savaş, B. Ç., Mavibaş, M., & Karababa, B. (2023). Spor bilimleri fakültesindeki öğrencilerin sporcu kimliği düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Spor ve Bilim Dergisi, 1(1), 40-54.
Schunk, D. H., & DiBenedetto, M. K. (2020). Motivation and social cognitive theory. Contemporary Educational Psychology, 60, 101832. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cedpsych.2019.101832
Sevilmiş, A., & Şirin, E. F. (2016). Spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinde akademik başarı: üniversite yaşam kalitesi, akademik güdülenme ve akademik özyeterliğin rolü. SPORMETRE Beden Eğitimi ve Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 14(1), 31-44. https://doi.org/10.1501/Sporm_0000000282
Sorkkila, M., Ryba, T. V., Selänne, H., & Aunola, K. (2018). Development of school and sport burnout in adolescent student-athletes: A longitudinal mixed-methods study. Journal of Adolescence, 69, 69–80. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.adolescence.2018.09.003
Stambulova, N. B., & Wylleman, P. (2019). Psychology of athletes’ dual careers: A state-of-the-art critical review of the European discourse. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 42, 74–88. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.psychsport.2018.11.013
Steel, P. (2007). The nature of procrastination: A meta-analytic and theoretical review of quintessential self-regulatory failure. Psychological Bulletin, 133(1), 65–94. https://doi.org/10.1037/0033-2909.133.1.65
Turan, M., Mavibaş, M., & Savaş, B. Ç. (2023). Spor bilimleri fakültesi öğrencilerinin sporda mental dayanıklılık düzeylerinin incelenmesi. Kafkas Üniversitesi Spor Bilimleri Dergisi, 2(2), 52-70.
Urhan, Ş., & Fişne, M. (2022). Çift kariyer yapan milli sporcu öğrencilerin yaşadıkları problemlerin incelenmesi. Sivas Cumhuriyet University Journal of Sport Sciences, 3(3), 59–67.
Yalçın, İ., Ayhan, C., Yıldırım Araz, G., Bayram, A., & Birkök, M. C. (2022). The effect of imagery ability on mental toughness and sportive confidence level in athletes. Mediterranean Journal of Sport Science, 5(Özel Sayı 2), 895–905. https://doi.org/10.38021/asbid.1210993
Yıldırım, İ. (2021). ‘Kültürel sermaye’ bağlamında spor liselerinin akademik başarı durumu. Yüzüncü Yıl Üniversitesi Sosyal Bilimler Enstitüsü Dergisi (51), 153-184.
Yılmaz B, Kara M, & Selvi H. (2023). Aktif spor yapan spor bilimleri öğrencilerinin sporda tükenmişlik ve sporcu öz şefkat düzeyleri arasındaki ilişkinin incelenmesi. Gümüşhane Sağlık Bilimleri Dergisi, 12(3), 1346-57.
Yılmaz, G., Genç, N., & Safi, Z. (2023). Examination of Career Awareness of University Students Studying in the Field of Sport Sciences. International Journal of Recreation and Sports Science, 7(1), 41-49. https://doi.org/10.46463/ijrss.1382636
Downloads
Published
How to Cite
Issue
Section
License
Copyright (c) 2025 Acta Scientiae et Intellectus
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
