Demonstrating the Importance of Accuracy in Reporting Results of Academic Clustering

Abstract

The purpose of this study was to lend precision to the reporting of academic clustering results (Case, Greer, & Brown, 1987). Descriptive statistics were used to calculate clustering percentages for Pacific-10 (Pac-10) football upperclassmen (<i>n</i> = 415). Clustering was present in 70% of the football programs; extreme clustering was found in one program, and clustering was found in two separate majors in one program. Overall, there was a 26% gap between football upperclassmen and male upperclassmen in the clustered major and a 28.5% gap between football upperclassmen and the overall student body in the clustered major. Results revealed that, on average, clustering existed at a rate of 30.5% when reported according to academic "major"; whereas, when reported according to "area of study" the clustering percentage soared to 78%. This study underscores the importance of accuracy in reporting the results of academic clustering.