Does Participation in Extracurricular Activities Increase Test Scores?

Date of Award

2006

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Bachelors

Department

Social Sciences

First Advisor

Hernandez, Sarah

Keywords

Education, Sociology of Education, Extracurricular Activities

Area of Concentration

Sociology

Abstract

This research focuses on the relationship between participation in certain extracurricular activities (cheerleading, music/drama, student government, newspaper/yearbook, interscholastic team sports, interscholastic individual sports, intramural team sports, and intramural individual sports) and certain standardized test scores (reading, math, science, history, and the sum of these scores). I look at participation frequencies in each extracurricular activity. I divide these participation frequencies by gender, race, and class. I investigate how participation in these activities relates to standardized scores controlling for race, class, sex, and school level variables. I then study if and how this relationship may vary with the socioeconomic status of the student. This research differs from much of previous research in that I do the following. I use standardized test scores rather than grades to measure academic achievement. I look at extracurricular activities separately and at non-sports extracurricular activities. I take the research one step further and look at whether and how this relationship changes with the socioeconomic status of the student. I find that participation rates vary by class, race, and gender. The relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and academic achievement depends on both the extracurricular activity students are participating in and the way in which academic achievement is measured. I discover that participation in music/drama, student government, newspaper/yearbook, and interscholastic individual sports is associated with higher scores in some of the subject areas. Participation in cheerleading and intramural sports corresponds with lower scores in some of the subject areas. In some cases, again depending on the extracurricular activity and the means by which one measures academic achievement, differences between participants and non-participants� test scores vary by the socioeconomic status of the students.

Rights

This bibliographic record is available under the Creative Commons CC0 public domain dedication. The New College of Florida, as creator of this bibliographic record, has waived all rights to it worldwide under copyright law, including all related and neighboring rights, to the extent allowed by law.

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