Needs Analysis for International Student-Athletes at BYU
- Learner Profile and Context
The target population consists of international student-athletes at Brigham Young University, generally between the ages of 18–22. These learners come from diverse linguistic, cultural, and socioeconomic backgrounds. Many are multilingual and demonstrate strong first-language literacy skills. Their English proficiency typically ranges from mid to high intermediate, with some students falling at either advanced or novice levels. While they are capable communicators in conversational contexts, they often experience difficulty with advanced academic language demands.
Although many of these students come from well-resourced families and receive athletic scholarships, their prior educational experiences differ significantly from U.S. academic norms. Several were educated in systems that emphasized paper-based instruction and structured, teacher-led learning. As a result, they may be less familiar with digital academic platforms such as BYU’s Learning Suite, research databases, and the use of computers for academic tasks such as typing, formatting, and submitting assignments. This gap in digital academic literacy directly affects their ability to manage coursework efficiently.
Additionally, time-on-task varies considerably due to athletic commitments. Some athletes may only have 20–30 minutes available for academic tasks between practices and travel, while others may occasionally have longer periods. This unpredictability affects assignment completion, reading depth, and consistency of engagement.
- Academic Demands
International student-athletes at BYU are required to complete a range of General Education (G.E.) and prerequisite courses during their first year. Because these courses are mandatory or widely recommended across majors, they create a shared linguistic and academic demand profile for this population. Core first-year coursework commonly includes:
1)UNIV 101 (academic transition skills)
2)REL C 200 / 225 (religion courses)
3)WRTG 150 (academic writing)
4)MATH 112
5)BIO 100 / BIO 130
6)CHEM 105
7)PSYCH 111
8)ECON 110
9)HLTH 210
10)IHUM courses
11)STAT 121
12)COMM-related and other discipline-specific foundational courses
Because these courses are typically taken during the first year, they represent the immediate academic environment that student-athletes must navigate while simultaneously adjusting to university expectations and athletic responsibilities.
Across these disciplines, students encounter varied but overlapping linguistic and cognitive demands. Writing-intensive courses such as WRTG 150 require structured academic argumentation, thesis development, analytical paragraphs, and integration of evidence. Religion and humanities courses require interpretation of abstract themes, metaphorical language, and doctrinal vocabulary. Quantitative courses such as MATH 112 and STAT 121 demand comprehension of word problems, technical terminology, and logical reasoning expressed through academic English. Science courses (BIO 100/130, CHEM 105) introduce dense informational texts, discipline-specific vocabulary, and conceptual explanations. Social science courses (PSYCH 111, ECON 110) require understanding theoretical frameworks, data interpretation, and analytical discussion.
The breadth of these required courses demonstrates that student-athletes must function across multiple academic genres simultaneously. This significantly increases the need for transferable academic vocabulary, genre awareness, structured writing skills, strategic reading abilities, and digital academic literacy.
- Language Needs
Vocabulary
Students demonstrate noticeable gaps in Academic Vocabulary List (AVL) coverage. Their vocabulary challenges fall into three main categories:
- High-frequency academic words (e.g., analyze, interpret, factor, significant)
- Discipline-specific terminology (e.g., physiology, doctrine, hypothesis, inflation)
- Limited systematic recycling of newly learned vocabulary across contexts
Without targeted vocabulary instruction and repeated contextual exposure, both comprehension and writing quality remain limited.
Reading Skills
Students need support in:
1)Processing lengthy academic texts efficiently
2)Identifying main ideas and supporting details
3)Interpreting figurative and doctrinal language (particularly in religion courses)
4)Reading quantitative and scientific texts
5)Applying annotation and note-taking strategies
Writing Skills
Students require explicit scaffolding for:
1)Writing structured paragraphs with clear topic sentences
2)Developing analytical responses rather than summary-based writing
3)Understanding and meeting assignment expectations
4)Integrating academic vocabulary accurately
5)Producing concise responses within time constraints
Digital Academic Literacy
Many learners need structured guidance in:
1)Navigating the Learning Suite
2)Accessing and using research databases
3)Understanding online submission systems
4)Managing digital deadlines
5)Developing efficient academic typing skills
- Religious and Cultural Language Needs
Because many international student-athletes are Muslim, Catholic, non-religious, or from other faith traditions, they may be unfamiliar with LDS scripture, doctrinal vocabulary, and metaphorical religious discourse.
In religion courses, they often struggle with:
1)Understanding Book of Mormon vocabulary
2)Interpreting doctrinal and metaphorical language
3)Applying spiritual concepts in analytical writing
4)Connecting abstract religious themes to academic responses
These difficulties are not necessarily theological but linguistic and cultural in nature. Students require culturally responsive scaffolding that explains vocabulary and conceptual frameworks without assuming prior religious familiarity.
- Motivation and Affective Factors
Motivation varies significantly by sport. Some athletes are highly self-driven academically, while others (particularly in certain high-profile sports) may demonstrate lower academic engagement.
Motivational triggers across groups include:
1)Sports metaphors and analogies
2)Competition-based learning
3)Gamified tasks
4)Team-based challenges
50Practical, real-world relevance
Materials that incorporate competition, levels, points, and structured challenges are likely to increase persistence and engagement. Athletes often respond positively to task-based goals that resemble training frameworks.
- Implications for Materials Development
Based on the identified needs, instructional materials for international student-athletes should:
- Integrate academic vocabulary systematically, with structured recycling tied to authentic course tasks.
- Use sports-based metaphors and gamified structures to increase engagement.
- Provide clear scaffolding for long or complex assignments to reduce time-management unpredictability.
- Embed models of academic writing (topic sentences, paragraph structure, analytical responses).
- Explicitly support digital literacy, particularly navigation of the LMS and research platforms.
- Include culturally responsive support for religious language and abstract conceptual interpretation.
- Offer multimodal instructional approaches (visual, auditory, kinesthetic) aligned with athletic learning styles.
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1Z72drapeGNzoM5TTf0Q75dAalc53Cyxd/edit?usp=sharing&ouid=100889755891810342623&rtpof=true&sd=true