The effects of extracurricular engagement on students\u27 academic achievement

This study examines the relationship between student engagement in extracurricular activities and student achievement when differences in cognitive ability, socioeconomic status, and gender are controlled. The sample is the entire sophomore class of one Indiana school. This study looks at the types of activities, levels of involvement in each type and total participation hours and the relationship each has with student achievement. A proper understanding of the relationship will allow school leaders to make better choices on the proper use of resources to improve student achievement. A casual-comparative approach is used. Three methods are employed to conduct the four separate analyses of the data including a visual inspection, an ANCOVA using GLM, and a multiple regression. Visual inspection revealed participation is not equal among subgroups. This makes the control for differences essential. The results confirm a positive correlation between extracurricular activities and academic achievement after controls for cognitive ability, gender and socioeconomic status. On a per hour basis, academic activities were found to be the most beneficial. Service/Leadership/Recreational activities were second most beneficial. Physical activities were all shown to have a positive relationship with academic achievement but at a lower level. Likewise the number of hours of involvement was shown to make a significant difference