The role of adolescent athletes' task value patterns in their educational and athletic career aspirations

Abstract

The present study examined the stability and change in task value patterns that Finnish student-athletes (n = 391) show during their first two years in upper secondary sport school and the extent to which these patterns, and changes in them, are associated with students' future educational and athletic career aspirations. By using latent profile analysis, three different and highly stable motivational patterns were identified among adolescents: (1) a dual motivated pattern, characterized by high value placed on both school and sport; (2) a low academically motivated pattern, characterized by a high value placed on sport but a low value on school; and (3) a relatively low sport motivated pattern characterized by a lower value placed on sport than was typical for the sample. The results further showed that the task value patterns and the changes in them over the two year study period were related to the students' educational and athletic career aspirations even after controlling for the impacts of their grade point average, gender, type of sport, and level of sport competition. Compared to the other students, those showing a dual motivated pattern were more likely planning to continue their studies at university after upper secondary school than might be expected by chance. The students who showed a low academically motivated pattern, in turn, were less likely than the others to aim for university and were more likely to plan to have a professional career in sport. Those who showed a relatively low sport motivated pattern were under-represented among those who planned to make sport their professional career.