Term of Award

Spring 2020

Degree Name

Master of Science, Kinesiology - Athletic Training Concentration

Document Type and Release Option

Thesis (open access)

Copyright Statement / License for Reuse

Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Department

Department of Health Sciences and Kinesiology

Committee Chair

Tamerah Hunt

Committee Member 1

Jody Langdon

Committee Member 2

George Shaver

Abstract

Introduction: A significant increase in the number of concussions has guided research to look beyond physical return to play but rather examine cognitive return to learn as an all-inclusive approach to concussion management. Part of the return to learn protocol incorporates academic accommodations within the classroom, which can be implemented by academic advisors and professors. However, their knowledge and willingness of this role is unclear. Purpose: To determine academic advisors and college professor’s knowledge of concussions and their willingness to provide academic accommodations to students recovering from a concussion. Hypothesis: H1: Academic advisors and professors have a low level of concussion knowledge. H2: There is a positive relationship between level of knowledge and willingness to provide academic accommodations. H3a: Participants in the health and education disciplines will be more willing to provide academic accommodations. Methods: Academic advisors and professors from Georgia Southern University were recruited for the study. Participants completed a survey to determine their knowledge of concussion and their willingness to provide academic accommodations to students with concussions. Data Analysis: A one-way ANOVA was calculated to determine the level of concussion knowledge academic advisors and professors have. Multiple Spearman correlations were examined to determine the relationship between knowledge and willingness. A MANOVA was calculated to examine interactions and main effects between discipline and academic rankings with regard to concussion knowledge and willingness. Results: A total of 240 participants completed valid surveys. No statistically significant difference existed between academic advisors and professor’s concussion knowledge. Mean values for concussion knowledge in academic advisors was 76.8% correct and professors was 75.8% correct. Only one correlation showed a significant relationship between concussion knowledge and willingness to provide academic accommodations (r = .136, p = .035), while the rest did not. A MANOVA revealed a significant main effect for academic discipline and willingness [(F(16,224) = 2.38 , p = .002 ) e2 = .078], however, post hoc calculations determined it was due to a type 1 error (p > .05). Discussion:Academic advisors and college professors possess basic concussion knowledge and are willing to provide academic accommodations regardless of any external factors. While previous literature indicated factors such as job title, discipline and education would impact concussion management, the current study found this did not matter. This is crucial as it is imperative students receive appropriate care during the return to learn process. Further evaluation is necessary to determine if this population can appropriately implement academic accommodations on an individual basis.

OCLC Number

1157287342

Research Data and Supplementary Material

No

Download

Share

COinS