Publication year
2002
Citation Title
Linking extracurricular programming to academic achievement: Who benefits and why?
Journal Name
Sociology of Education
Journal Volume
75
Issue Number
1
Page Numbers
69
DOI
10.2307/3090254
Summary
This article analyzed data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 (NELS:88) to test the effect of participation in extracurricular activities on high school achievement. It also explored potential connections that linked such participation to academic success. Survey data was analyzed through social capital (i.e. the ability to accrue benefits through membership in social networks) and developmental models and demonstrated that participation in some extracurricular activities improved achievement, while participation in others did not affect achievement.
Key Findings
Participation in interscholastic sports (i.e. competitive level sports) during 10th and 12th grades had a small but consistent benefit for students' grades.
Participating in interscholastic sports during the 10th and 12th grades improved self-esteem, locus of control, and time on homework.
Participation in student council, drama club, and journalism club was not associated with academic achievement.
Implications for Military Professionals
Encourage military-connected youth to participate in interscholastic sports
Provide military-connected youth and their families resources on available extracurricular activities within their schools and community
Implications for Program Leaders
Provide workshops for leaders of school-based extracurricular activities on how to support participating military-connected youth’s academic achievement
Maximize the opportunities available for military-connected youth to participate in extracurricular activities such as music and interscholastic sports
Implications for Policy Makers
Continue support for military-connected youth interscholastic sports and extracurricular activities
Recommend partnerships among military-based and community-based programs to help military-connected youth feel more comfortable participating in extracurricular activities
Methods
Data was drawn from the NELS:88, a nationally representative, longitudinal study sponsored by the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), U.S. Department of Education.
Participants were asked to complete questions about schoolwork, relationships, family, attitudes, and behaviors. In addition, they were given curriculum-based achievement tests each year of the survey.
Analysis looked at the relationship between participation interscholastic and intramural sports, cheerleading, music, student council, and vocational clubs, and academic achievement.
Participants
Students who were included in the study (N = 12,578) had to have participated in the base-year (8th-grade) survey, remained in school through the 12th grade, and had valid measures on each of the four educational outcome measures.
There were no demographic data for student participants provided in the study.
Thirty-two percent of participants were involved in an interscholastic sport, 15% in musical groups, 7% vocational clubs, 6% drama clubs, 5% intramural sports and 4% in each of the following: cheerleading, student council, or journalism clubs.
Limitations
Limitations in the NELS:88 data prevented distinctions to be made to measures of social capital; therefore, a clear understanding between sports and achievement could not be made.
Data informing this study were collected almost 30 years ago, since which many of the contexts measured have changed; therefore, findings maybe be different in today’s contexts.
While the study includes different levels of sports participation it does not take into account the different types of sports; which from a social capital lens could result in different outcomes.
Avenues for Future Research
Examine the long-term effects among military-connected youth of participation in extracurricular activities
Explore participation in extracurricular activities using measures that can distinguish different forms of social capital
Qualitatively investigate why interscholastic sports may support academic achievement
Focus
Civilian
Target Population
Population Focus
Abstract
This article analyzes data from the National Educational Longitudinal Study of 1988 to test the effect of participation in extracurricular activities on high school achievement. It also explores potential mediating mechanisms that link such participation to academic success. The results show that participation in some activities improves achievement, while participation in others diminishes achievement. Participation in interscholastic sports promotes students' development and social ties among students, parents, and schools, and these benefits explain the positive effect of participation on achievement.
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