the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students
the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students
the moral reasoning of student athletes and athletic training students
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<strong>student</strong>s, where are <strong>the</strong>y challenged or encouraged to discuss character <strong>and</strong> honor as is a stated<br />
goal <strong>of</strong> higher education <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> NCAA? When are <strong>the</strong>y required to utilize <strong>and</strong> practice <strong>moral</strong><br />
<strong>reasoning</strong>?<br />
Conclusion<br />
From <strong>the</strong> ideal sport perspective, <strong>the</strong> essential balance <strong>of</strong> commitment, determination,<br />
courage, dedication <strong>and</strong> incredible physical skill <strong>and</strong> ability could be used as <strong>the</strong> perfect <strong>training</strong><br />
grounds for character development. In fact, since its inception, <strong>the</strong> NCAA has specifically<br />
described this development <strong>of</strong> character as one <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> primary mechanisms by which <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong><br />
<strong>athletic</strong>s supports <strong>the</strong> overall mission <strong>of</strong> higher education (Applin, 1979). The mission <strong>of</strong> higher<br />
education lies within <strong>the</strong> continual search for truth <strong>and</strong> development <strong>of</strong> positively contributing<br />
members <strong>of</strong> society <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong>se objectives are achieved by <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> character (Cohen,<br />
1998). While <strong>the</strong> purpose <strong>of</strong> this paper was not to argue <strong>the</strong> role <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong>s in higher education,<br />
<strong>the</strong> two are obviously intertwined through mission <strong>and</strong> <strong>the</strong> institution <strong>of</strong> higher education has<br />
allowed <strong>the</strong> world <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong>s to continue performing in support <strong>of</strong> its mission. One question<br />
addressed in this paper was, “Are intercollegiate <strong>athletic</strong>s truly supporting this mission?” And,<br />
“To what extent is higher education supporting <strong>the</strong>ir mission <strong>of</strong> character development?” This<br />
study sought to describe <strong>the</strong> <strong>moral</strong> <strong>reasoning</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>student</strong> <strong>athletes</strong> <strong>and</strong> <strong>athletic</strong> <strong>training</strong> <strong>student</strong>s<br />
related to general scenarios <strong>and</strong> doping specific scenarios in sport as one measure <strong>of</strong> character<br />
development.<br />
According to <strong>the</strong> results <strong>of</strong> this study <strong>and</strong> consistent with previous studies (Beller, Stoll,<br />
Burwell, & Cole, 1996; Priest, Krause, & Beach, 1999), it appears that <strong>the</strong> mission <strong>of</strong> <strong>athletic</strong>s in<br />
higher education may not be supported in practice. Overall, <strong>the</strong> results showed that <strong>the</strong> <strong>moral</strong><br />
<strong>reasoning</strong> scores <strong>of</strong> <strong>student</strong> <strong>athletes</strong>, reflective <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> ability <strong>of</strong> individuals to reason from a<br />
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