Date of Award

2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Department

School of Education

First Advisor

Linda Samek, EdD

Second Advisor

Debra Espinor, EdD

Abstract

This quantitative cross-sectional study examined how Oregon public high school varsity head coaches perceive competitive equity between public and private schools in Oregon School Activities Association athletics. Guided by distributive justice theory, the study explored overall fairness perceptions and structural factors influencing those perceptions. A statewide survey yielded 321 usable responses. The instrument included Likert-scale items measuring perceptions of fairness, resources and staffing, enrollment boundaries, competitive success factors, and policy-based multipliers. Data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, reliability analysis, t tests, analysis of variance, and multiple regression. Coaches generally disagreed competition between public and private schools is fair. Structural disparities, particularly in facilities, funding, coaching stability, and access to athletic trainers, were significantly associated with lower fairness perceptions. The regression model was statistically significant and explained approximately 34.7% of the variance in fairness perceptions, with the resources and staffing domain emerging as the strongest negative predictor. These findings highlight the role of structural conditions in shaping perceptions of competitive equity in interscholastic athletics.

Download

Included in

Education Commons

Share

COinS