Correlation of Extracurricular activities and Student performance Essay Example For Students

Correlation of Extracurricular activities and Student performance Essay Correlation of Extracurricular activities and Student performance BY LOUNY143 l. Intoduction At the beginning of the twenty-first century, many colleges and universities have a broad educational mission: to develop the whole student. On college campuses, extracurricular involvement is a key tool in this personal development. For the majority of college and university students, involvement in extracurricular activities plays an integral role in the collegiate experience. Students become involved in extracurricular activities not only for entertainment, social, and enjoyment purposes, but most important, to gain and improve skills. A wide and diversified range of extracurricular activities exists on U. S. campuses, meeting a variety of student interests. Extracurricular activities play an essential role in education, but their importance is often neglected. The primary role of the Division is to provide a good space for the development of student clubs and associations. In the operation of associations, students may acquire knowledge and skills beyond their coursework, including communication, self-growth as well as leadership management. Academics are an important part of each students high school years, especially since high school rades play an integral role in college acceptance. Parents spend a lot of time encouraging their teens to study more and play less in the pursuit of this goal. They believe that devoting a great deal of time to studying guarantees success in future college applications. However, there is another more playful component of a well-rounded education outside the regular academic program that may positively impact students success. Extracurricular activities, such as basketball, baseball, tennis, debating, chess clubs, student government, yearbook, drama, choir and computer clubs can round out students academic careers to great effect. Besides being fun and a great way to socialize with peers, extracurricular activities can enhance students time management and stress management skills, improving overall productivity. Extracurricular activities also increase a candidates appeal when applying to college. Studies show that students in extracurricular activities have higher scores. They learn to manage their time, relieve stress and learn to strive for excellence in more than one thing, says Kenny Smith, a school counselor in Thatcher, Arizona. Students who are involved in team sports learn to work in groups. Their written and oral communication skills improve. These things cross over into real life. The students who participate in extracurricular activities are held to a higher plane. There are no team breaks. The privilege must meet specific requirements. Participation in extracurricular activities is a privilege and students may have to meet and maintain a minimum grade point average to play sports or take part in clubs. So says Parent Spot, produced by the Capital Region BOCES Community Service in Albany, N. Y. Some extracurricular programs are designed to help at-risk teens. One program, Students Keeping Attitudes Towards Earnlng Rewards ana success ( -J, In Moreno valley, callTornla, Involves tutoring, academics, running a food pantry, and participatin g in service learning activities. To make it easier for students to participate, the group meets at lunchtime rather than after school. Having started with 20 at-risk students, there are now as many as 500 participants per year. Faye Arco is the counselor who started the SKATERS program. She says, Participation in extracurricular and school club activities increases resiliency in youth by promoting protective factors and reducing risk factors. Data shows that participants have a higher GPA (0. 98 percent), fewer suspensions (13. 9 percent), and better attendance (15. 8 percent) than non- participants. Counselors come from as far away as New Zealand and Poland to observe the program, which has now been implemented in many schools. Adding extracurricular activities to an already rigorous high school schedule can be tricky. There may be times when academic requirements, family life and social activities conflict. For example, kids who participate in tennis must prioritize how they use their time, says Smith. He tells the story of one student who had a conflict between n algebra class and a tennis match. Being proactive, she worked out a way to attend the match and still keep up with her algebra class lectures. Despite the time and effort involved in extracurricular activities, there are clear rewards in the form of fun and enhanced life skills. But theres also the fact that college admission officers are generally impressed by a students extracurricular activities. Parent Spot notes, College admissions officers are looking for students who have applied themselves academically during the high school years and have used their free time in enriching ays A roster of extracurricular activities lets colleges know that teens have made a meaningful contribution to something larger than themselves, can maintain long- term commitments and can Juggle their priorities successfully. How do colleges view the extracurricular activities chosen by a high school student? The activities offer colleges a snapshot of a students personality and interests. Parent Spot notes, The activities that teens choose to take part in outside of the classroom tell prospective schools much more than grades on paper. Overall, students who articipate in extracurricular activities will likely see an improvement in their academic and life skills, including disci pline, goal-setting, teamwork, accountability and responsibility. They will also find themselves better prepared for post-secondary education. Ultimately, students may even discover that the lessons they learned outside the classroom, in basketball or chess club, help them cope with future challenges in the workplace. A. Rationale The Importance of Extra-curricular Activities in educational institutions All work and no play make Jack a dull boy, reads the proverb which carries a lot of eight age. Hence in educational institutions also children must not be a part of only the academic world but must be encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities. It might happen that some children might not be good in academics but has a lot of potential in other activities. So it is the responsibility of every educational institution to encourage children to marshal their skills by allowing them to partlclpate In tne extra-curricular actlvltles tnat tney are good In All work ana no play make Jack a dull boy, reads the proverb which carries a lot of weight age. Hence in ducational institutions also children must not be a part of only the academic world but must be encouraged to participate in extra-curricular activities. It might happen that some children might not be good in academics but has a lot of potential in other activities. So it is the responsibility of every educational institution to encourage children to marshal their skills by allowing them to participate in the extra-curricular activities that they are good in. Extra-curricular activities must be made a mandatory part of the curriculum as it enhances the all round development in a child. A childs growth depends upon many factors and one such factor is his participation in co- curricular activities. Schools must have these activities in order to promote healthy learning on the school premises and for each child to understand and know his strong points. Extra- curricular activities can be divided under different banners such as Literary, Sports, Creative, Science and Field Trips. Under the Literary Banner, activities like Elocution, Drama, Extempore, Declamation, Creative Writing, Spell bee, Quizzes can be organized and children who have a good command over the language r has the flair to write, are updated with the current affairs can be motivated to participate in these literary co- curricular activities. Children who are good sportsmen can take part in various sports activities organized by the school. A school may organize a football competition and may invite other schools to participate in the competition. This provides a lot of scope for the children to show their sportsman spirit and give their best to win the game and make their school proud. Moreover such participation creates a healthy atmosphere among children and they get to now each other well. Extra-curricular activities under the Creative banner may include pottery making, puppetry, learning how to play a musical instrument, displaying skills in dance and singing and many such activities that highlight the hidden talents of a learner. Similarly children can be also encouraged to participate in interesting activities related to Science. They might be asked to organize a Science Exhibition that may bring out the interest and the enthusiasm of each child in setting up the exhibition. These activities might allow the child to take more interest in his essons and might give him a chance to go ahead with some sort of useful research that will help him to come across something new. Children can also apply the gained knowledge in working out other things. All students may not be good in academics. Hence in order to guide them to display the talents in the field that they are good in, educational institutions must have this platform called Extra-curricular activity. Every child is unique and born with a talent, so what other way can be the best than to showcase it through this platform called Extra-curricular Activity. B. Statement of the Problem Title: The Correlation of Extra-curricular Activities on the Academic Performance of NORSU-CASED Students 1 . Is there any significance of extra-curricular activities in the academic performance of the students? 2. To determine the benefits of extra- curricular activities to class participation of the students. 3. To determine the characteristics that will be developed when students engage to activities specifically : a sports/aance b) Music 4. To determine how extra-curricular activities enhance school engagement affect the lives of the students . C. Scope and Limitation The D. Significance of the Study The importance of extracurricular activities on college campuses is well established. The primary goals of extracurricular activities focus on the individual student level, the institutional level, and the broader community level. Social Identity in the Breakfast Club EssayIntroduction A new generation of leaders is needed to address the changing issues facing local ommunities, build local partnerships, and assume leadership positions (Ewing, Bruce, Ricketts, 2009). To meet this need, many institutions of higher education have included leadership development in their mission statements (Astin Astin, 2000; Boatman, 1999) and implemented curricular experiences, classroom experiences, and out-of-classroom experiences to meet leadership outcomes. Astin (1999) suggests the concept of student involvement as a pedagogical theory to examine the student experience and learn more about how educational programs and policies are related to student achievement and development. Journal of Leadership Education Volume 12, Issue 2 Summer 2013 57 Researchers and practitioners use involvement theory (Astin, 1999) as a theoretical framework for student involvement, including classroom, out-of-classroom, and curricular activities. Astin (1996) defined involvement as an investment of physical and psychological energy that occurs along a continuum and has both quantitative (e. g. , time spent) and qualitative (e. g. , amount of focus or depth) features. Astin aescrlDea an Involved student as one wno devotes conslaeraDle energy to stuaylng, pends much time on campus, participates actively in student organizations, and interacts frequently with faculty members and other students (p. 518). Astins theoretical framework helps explain empirical knowledge about environmental influences on student development from a variety of psychosocial and learning pedagogies. Research supports Astins (1999) involvement theory. Pascarella and Terenzini (1991) found that the frequency and quality of students participation in activities was associated with high educational aspirations, enhanced self-confidence, and increased interpersonal and leadership skills. Rubin, Bommer, and Baldwin (2002) concluded that an extracurricular index score that represents the number of clubs in which students were involved, officer status, and hours spent significantly predicted interpersonal skills such as communication, initiative, decision making, and teamwork. However, a gap in the literature exists between operationalization of involvement theory and research design. Review of Realted Literature Music and sport activities are positive for all childrens wellbeing. Children who are involved in sports get higher school grades, have an increased sense of self-worth, nd are more likely to complete high school than children who are not involved in sport. Children involved in sports are also generally healthier due to their increased activity, and have stronger social networks than children who do not participate in sport. Children involved in music activities (such as learning a musical instrument) are often better adjusted, with increased academic performance, ability to think creatively, emotional understanding, and emotional expression. Children involved in music typically have better memory skills than those who are not musically trained. The Relationship Between Athletics and Academic Performance The impact that athletics has on academic performance has been debated over the years†some say the impact is positive, while others say it is negative. Early analysis of the effect of participation in sports on academic achievement produced inconsistent evidence (Broh, 2002, Para. 3). Even today, there is inconsistent evidence, but most research tends to lean toward the idea that participation in athletics does, in fact, improve academic performance. The result of one particular study indicated that with the exception of a few subgroups and outcomes, participation in sports is generally unrelated to educational achievement. Additional information from this study has found that playing sports in high school has no significant effect on grades or standardized test scores in the general student population (Broh, 2002, Para. ). Although this particular study produced a negative relationship between sports and academic performance, many demonstrate a positive relationship. Broh (2002) believes that 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 (Para. 1). Longitudinal studies on school sports have suggested that suc h participation raises students grades and test scores (Broh, 2002, Para. 2). Stephens and Schaben performed a study looking at the number of sports each student played ana Its affect on acaaemlc perTormance. I ney noticea tnat students who participate in at least one sport each year outperformed those who participated in one or less, in class rank, overall GPA, and math GPA (Stephens Schaben, 2002, Para. 6). They also noticed that the students who participated in more sports for many seasons had a higher level of scholarship than the who had ompeted in only a few seasons or for only one year (Stephens Schaben, 2002, Para. ). Some research indicates that physical activity not only improves academic performance, but has an actual physical benefit for the mind. Shepard (1996) said, Regular physical activity might influence cognitive development by increasing cerebral blood flow, altering arousal and associate neruohormonal balance, changing nutritional status, or promoting the growth of interneuronal connections (Para. 12). Compared to other extracurricular a ctivities, however, athletics does not appear to produce as strong a positive correlation. Darling et al. 2005) found that students who did not participate in any extracurricular activities showed the poorest adjustment as far as grades, attitude toward school, and academic aspirations, while non-sport extracurricular activities showed the most positive adjustment, with sports related extracurricular activities in the middle (Para. 40). Guest and Schneider (2003) reported similar results, saying, In all schools, participation in non-sports extracurricular activities has a stronger association with being seen as a good student than does participation in sports (Para. 6). The question that some esearchers struggled with, however, is whether or not their research explains a cause-effect relationship. Studies report that it is not necessarily the participation in sports which is responsible for producing better grades, but it could be that good students are participating in sports. More recent studies have indicated that there is a large selection bias of higher-achieving, good students into participation in extracurricular activities, including sports (Broh, 2002, Para. 3). Guest and Schneider (2003) found that in higher-class communities, where a relatively large proportion of tudents go to college, non-sports extracurricular activities are likely to be seen as providing a foundation for further education and professional success (Para. 13). The Relationship Between Participation in Music and Academic Performance Studies reflect a strong positive relationship between participation in music and academic performance. Ponter (1999) suggested that music should be considered as fundamental to the curriculum as mathematics and reading (Para. ). Eady (2004) holds a similar view, believing that music can influence learning in core subjects as well as contribute to the attainment of core goals in learning (Para. ). This gives the impression that music plays an important role in academic performance. One study, which evaluated the effects that musical performance has on childrens academic performance and thinking abilities, showed that instrumental music trainin g uniquely enhances the higher brain functions required for mathematics, science, and engineering (Ponter, 1999, Para. 3). Milley conducted a case study on students involved in band and orchestra. He found that concert band and orchestra members scored significantly higher than non-music students on SRA (Science Research Associates) language, math, and composite score; that their GPAs were significantly higher than non-music students; and that they had significantly fewer days absent. I nls case study concluaea tnat muslc students reacn nlgner acaaemlc acnlevement levels in academic studies than non-music students (Kelstrom, 1998, Para. 6). Music continues to impact academic performance throughout a students educational career. Studies have been conducted on this relationship in students as young as preschool through college-aged students. In all age groups studied, music was proven to have a good impact on academic performance. The College Entrance Examination Board reported that high school students who had had some experience with music performance or music appreciation scored higher on the Scholastic Aptitude Test (SAT). The students who had a background in music scored between 51 to 61 points higher on the verbal section and 39 to 46 points higher on the math section than the students with no music background (Ponter, 1999, Para. 25). The College Board, who is responsible for administering the Scholastic Aptitude Test conducted studies, which indicated that music/art students consistently scored ignificantly higher on both the math and verbal sections of the SAT (Kelstrom, 1998, Para. 1). Confirming the belief that the relationship between music and academic performance is positive, researchers have found that music instruction actually enhances student achievement in areas outside music (Kelstrom, 1998, Para. 12). It is believed that music develops critical thinking skills and improves skills in reading, writing, and math. Music develops and improves spatial intelligence, which transfers to high-level math and science. It develops perceptual skills necessary in many academic areas (Kelstrom, 1998, Para. 31-32). According to this study, music has a strong influence, because it produces and develops skills needed for many academic processes. Journal of Leadership Education Volume 12, Issue 2 Summer 2013 56 Using Involvement Theory to Examine the Relationship between Undergraduate Participation in Extracurricular Activities and Leadership Development Elizabeth A. Foreman, Ph. D. Program Coordinator College of Agriculture and Life Sciences Iowa State University 20 Curtiss Hall Ames, IA 50011 51 5-294-4548 [emailprotected] edu Michael S. Retallick, Ph. D. Associate Professor Department of Agricultural Education 206 curass Hall 515-294-4810