Extracurricular-Activities

ExtracurricularActivitiesRachelHollrahExtracurricularActivitiesSubjectandResearchResearchwasperformedontheclaimoffactthatstudentsinvolvedinextracurricularactivitiesreceivehighergradesthanthosenotinvolvedinactivities.Thistopicwasstudiedbecausehighschoolbudgetsaremeager,andtheadministrationsoftheseschoolswanttospendthemoneyefficiently.Consequently,fundingforextracurricularactivitiesmaybedecreased.Thisreportexaminesthecorrelationbetweenextracurricularactivitiesandacademicperformance.ScopeThescopeoftheinvestigationonlyincludeshighschoolstudentsandtherelationshipbetweentheirinvolvementinactivitiesandtheiracademicperformance.Somecollegiatelevelstudieswereusedsincethebenefitsofextracurricularactivitiesinhighschoolandcollegearethesame.MethodsThreeexpertsindifferentfieldsthathaveknowledgeofthisareaofresearchwereinterviewed.LauraBestler,assistantdirectorofstudentactivitiesattheIowaStateUniversityStudentActivitiesCenter,wasinterviewedsincesheisanexpertontheactivitiesthattakeplaceontheIowaStatecampusandthebenefitsstudentsattainbybecominginvolvedinactivities.MattCraft,presidentoftheGovernmentoftheStudentBodyatIowaStateUniversity,wasalsointerviewedbecausetheGovernmentoftheStudentBody,orGSB,supportsandfundsmanycampusactivities.TheintentionofthiscomponentoftheresearchwastodiscoverwhytheGSBfindsextracurricularactivitiessobeneficialthattheychoosetofinanciallysupportthem.ErinFowkes,ahighschoolcounseloratBattleCreek-IdaGroveHighSchoolinIdaGrove,Iowa,wasinterviewedtoobtaininformationastowhyitisimportantforstudentstoparticipateinactivitiesinhighschool.ThequestionsaskedoftheseindividualsarefoundinAppendixA.Theothertwosourceswerepapersthathadbeenpresentedatconferences,andtheywerefoundattheIowaStateUniversityParksLibraryintheMicrofilmsCollection.ThefirstpaperentitledHighSchoolExtracurricularActivitiesandCollegeGradesbyMaryRombokasstudiestherelationshipbetweenhighacademicmarksandinvolvementinextracurricularactivities.ThisarticleincludesasurveyperformedbyRombokasonthissubject.ThesecondarticlereferencedwasStudentPerceptionsoftheIntercollegiateAthleticProgramataCommunityCollegebyJudithS.Berson.Thisisastudyonhowparticipatingonacollegiatelevelsoftballteamaffectedtheteammembers’grades.KeyPointsThekeypointsthatwillbemadeinthisclaimoffactarethatstudentsinvolvedinextracurricularactivitiesreceivebettergradesthanthosewhoarenotinvolvedinextracurricularactivities.Inaddition,activitiesimprovetheoverallstudent.Therefore,theyhelpstudentstoreceivebettergradesbyteachingthemcharacterbuildinglessons,teachingthemlifelongskills,savingsomeatriskstudentswhowouldpossiblydropoutofschool,andhelpingstudentsdevelopsocialskills.AcademicsMaryRombokasperformedastudyofcollege-agedstudentswhowereinvolvedinextracurricularactivitiesinhighschooltodiscoveriftherewasinfactacorrelationbetweeninvolvementinactivitiesandacademicachievement.Sheconcludedafterquestioningtwohundredninety-twocollegestudentsthatparticipationinextracurricularactivitiesenhancesboththeintellectualandsocialdevelopmentofstudents(Rombokas21).Throughherownresearch,shediscoveredthatathletesattainhighergradepointaveragesthanthosestudentsnotinathletics(Rombokas6).Inaddition,RombokasfoundthatanationalsurveyperformedbyDurbinin1984showedthatparticipantsinextracurricularactivitiesinhighschoolreceivedbettergradeswhentheywereparticipatinginactivitiesthanwhentheywerenotparticipatinginactivities(Rombokas8).CharacterBuildingAmyriadofcomponentscontributetothereasonswhyextracurricularactivitiesbenefitstudentsacademically.Oneofthesereasonsisthatstudentslearncharacter-buildinglessonsthattheycanapplytotheirstudyhabitsandtotheirlives.Activitiessuchasathletics,music,theater,andorganizationsteachstudentshowtodisciplinethemselvesthroughdrills,practices,orrehearsals(Rombokas8).Thestudentshavearesponsibilitytotheactivityandmustperformthetasksassignedtothemwhetheritbetorun,sing,act,ororganizeanevent.Byparticipatingandperseveringinanyoftheseactivities,thestudentsgainasenseofself-respect,self-esteem,andself-confidence(Rombokas23).Extracurricularactivitiesgivethemprideintheiraccomplishments,andtheylearnthatifanactivityisworthdoing,itisworthdoingwell(Rombokas11).StudentsechoedRombokas’conclusionsbecauseonhersurvey74.6%reportedthattheyfeltteamsportsareanexcellentwaytobuildcharacter(Rombokas18).SkillsThroughextracurricularactivities,studentslearnlifeskillsthatbenefittheirstudies.MattCraft,presidentoftheIowaStateUniversityGovernmentoftheStudentBody,statedthatbeinginvolvedteachesstudentsorganizationandtimemanagementskills.Becauseactivitiestaketimeoutofthestudents’schedules,theinvolvedstudentsmustplantheirtimewiselyandefficientlytocompletetheassignedtasks(Craft).InBerson’sinvestigationofthecommunitycollegesoftballteam,shealsofoundthatthestudentshadtolearntobudgettheirtimefortheirstudiesandfour-hourperdaysoftballpractices(Berson21).Inadditiontoorganizationalskills,extracurricularactivitiesintheartsteachstudentsanalyticalskillsandcreativeproblemsolvingskillssincetheyhavetothinkcreativelytosuccessfullyperformmusic,actinaplay,orproduceawork