The Role of Word-of-Mouth Communication and Role Models in Course Selection Decisions of Students

Herein, the aim of the current study is a) to determine the effect of students’ word-of-mouth communication and their role models on their course-selection decisions, b) to determine the mediation effect of word-of-mouth in role modeling and students’ intention to select a course, and c) to reveal which kind of role model is more effective in physical education and sports (PES) course selection. A total of 1445 students (Xage=14,43±1,42), of whom 813 (56.3%) were male and 632 (43.7%) were female, were enrolled in four different districts (Osmangazi, Yildirim, Nilufer and Inegol) were obtained. In the data analysis, IBM SPSS and AMOS 20 package programs were performed to determine the structural relations (frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation), explanatory factor analysis (EFA), confirmatory factor analysis (CFA). Structural equation modeling (SEM) was used to determine structural relationships among variables. The reference groups which are effective in the selection of courses related to PES are as follows; fathers, peers, PES teachers and sports celebrities. In the structural equation model, role model and word-of-mouth communication explained the change in the intention of course selection in the range of 67% to 77%. Additionally, there was a mediating effect of word-of-mouth communication between role modeling and course selection decision. Findings of this study were discussed in context of the literature by making some recommendations for future studies.