The effects of extracurricular activities on the academic achievement of seventh and eighth graders

TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter Page I. INTRODUCTION ...................................................................................................1 Statement of the Problem .........................................................................................4 Background ..............................................................................................................8 Research Questions ................................................................................................10 Description of Terms .............................................................................................11 Significance of the Study .......................................................................................12 Process to Accomplish ...........................................................................................13 II. REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE .......................................................................17 Introduction ............................................................................................................17 History of Extracurricular Activities .....................................................................18 Benefits of Extracurricular Activities ....................................................................21 Middle School Studies: Extracurricular Activities and Academic Achievement ..24 Difference in Effects of Extracurricular Activities Based on Gender ...................27 Studies Related to Music and Academic Achievement .........................................30 Negative or Neutral Related Findings ....................................................................33 Factors Threatening Extracurricular Activities ......................................................35 Conclusion .............................................................................................................36 III. METHODOLOGY ................................................................................................38 Introduction ............................................................................................................38

vi

Chapter Page Research Design.....................................................................................................40 Population ..............................................................................................................41 Data Collection ......................................................................................................43 Analytical Methods ................................................................................................43 Limitations .............................................................................................................46 IV. FINDINGS AND CONCLUSIONS ......................................................................48 Introduction ............................................................................................................48 Findings..................................................................................................................49 Summary of the Findings .......................................................................................57 Implications and Recommendations ......................................................................61 REFERENCES ......................................................................................................64 APPENDIXES .......................................................................................................74 A. Informed Consent Document ............................................................................74 B. Informed Consent Document (Spanish Version) ..............................................78 C. Student Survey ..................................................................................................82 D. Student Survey (Spanish version) .....................................................................84

vii

LIST OF TABLES Table Page 1. Comparison of Scores ............................................................................................50 2. Comparison of Mathematics Scores ......................................................................51 3. Comparison of Language Arts Scores ...................................................................52 4. Comparison of TCAP Scores Based on Gender and Participation ........................53 5. Comparison of ThinkLink Scores Based on Gender and Participation .................54 6. Comparison of GPA Based on Gender and Participation ......................................54 7. Comparison of Scores Based on Music Participation ............................................55 8. Participant and Non-Participant Survey Responses ...............................................56

1

CHAPTER I INTRODUCTION Leisure provides adolescents with unique developmental opportunities. Unlike other social contexts, school leisure is a context in which adolescents are encouraged to manage their own experiences by exerting personal control over their environments and acting autonomously (Eccles, Lord, & Buchanan, 1996). Leisure also provides opportunities for identity exploration and skill building as well as both social differentiation and integration (Kleiber, 1999). School-based extra curricular activities provide highly structured leisure environments which are characterized by rule-guided engagement, an emphasis on skill development that is continually increasing in complexity and challenge, and clear feedback on performance (Mahoney & Stattin, 2000). Holloway (2000) found that educators believe athletic participation reduces the probability of school dropout by approximately 40%. Cairns, Farmer, and Mahoney (2003) suggested that extracurricular activities can have a positive impact on academic achievement, educational status, and social development among students. Elementary schools are child-centered while the focus of high schools is subject-centered (Adams, 2005). The middle school is the bridge between elementary and high school (Alexander & George, 1993). Many middle schools focus on providing an environment that helps students to be well rounded. Alexander and George indicated that middle schools should focus not only on the intellectual aspect of school, but also address the varied needs of the students in an effort to provide success for them.

2 Youth receiving additional physical activity tend to show improved attributes such as increased brain function and nourishment, higher energy/concentration levels, changes in body build affecting self-esteem, increased self-esteem, and better behavior which may all support cognitive learning (Cocke, 2002). Studies indicate that music instruction has a positive effect on academic achievement (Friedman, 1993). Higher reading and math scores were found for those students who spent time on music instruction regularly (Trent, 1997). Researchers in this area have indicated that student participation in such extracurricular activities as athletics minimizes delinquency (Landers & Landers, 1978), mitigates dropouts (McNeal, 1999), and has a positive effect on student achievement (Otto & Alwin, 1977). This positive impact has long been a justification for the expenditure of a great deal of time and public money by school districts, students, and communities. In fact, in many schools the emphasis over certain sports resembles a mania (Bissinger, 1991). Structured leisure experiences offer many potential benefits to youth. There may be logical and practical advantages to offering youth the opportunity to participate in structured leisure in the context of school-based extracurricular activities. In addition, participation in leisure activities in the school setting may help foster additional emotional bonding to teachers and other school-associated adults in a context outside a classroom, and thus increase students’ emotional commitment to school and the adult-sanctioned values associated with schools. Extracurricular activities also provide youth the opportunity to associate with peers different from those they encounter at home and in the classroom (Darling, 2005).

3 Even if such participation has a positive impact for the participating students, the impact of extracurricular activities on academic performance of the entire school, however, remains an open question. Holloway (2000) found that a relationship exists between the participation of students in extracurricular activities and a decrease in the rate of early school dropouts for both boys and girls. According to National Federation of State High School Association (NFSHA), co-curricular activities support the academic mission of the school and teach students lifelong lessons as important as those taught in the classrooms (Black, 2002). Black found that extracurricular activities and academic performance went hand in hand in the development process. Additional studies cited by Black (e.g., Duncan, 2000; Gillman, 2001; Rombokas, 1995) stated that students who participated in structured extracurricular activities were more likely to have higher academic achievement and higher levels of commitment and connections to school. Additionally, those who participated in extracurricular programs had higher social development, a higher level of satisfaction with the school, a greater feeling of commitment, and a higher academic self-concept than those who did not participate. In some cases, participation was the only reason that some students stayed in school and attended classes regularly. Snyder and Spreitzer (1992) found a positive relationship between participation in the athletics and academic achievement, self-esteem, locus of control, and involvement in school activities. The findings also indicated that students who were involved in multiple school activities had more positive social and psychological characteristics than students who participated in fewer or no activities. According to Marano (1985), student activities have become part of the regular school program because of their value in supplementing

4 the goal of academics. Given this similarity in outcomes, student activity programs are viewed as a practical extension of the school curriculum (Joekel, 1985). According to Joekel, programs that teach citizenship, ethical character, healthy living, and the worthy use of leisure time are particularly appropriate for student activities. According to Biernat and Klesse (1989), students who participated in co-curricular activities not only did better academically, but also developed and enhanced other valuable characteristics such as self-esteem, self-confidence, social cooperation, and leadership skills. Moreover, extracurricular activities provided a context for the development of positive social characteristics. Statement of the Problem For much of the 1990s, states were flush with money from a booming economy and a rapidly growing stock market. However, an inevitable downturn, combined with the terrorist attacks in the United States, left a number of states with huge revenue shortfalls. In addition, it has left school districts in financial distress. To offset that, school districts on their part, laid off employees, cut back on bus transportation, and reduced or eliminated extracurricular activities. Fundraising is no longer just for extras, but also for necessities (Parrino, 2003). Parrino stated that as many districts look for ways to cut costs, numerous systems consider the benefits of eliminating some extracurricular activities or rescheduling them. As with other options, such cuts have potential disadvantages, especially in terms of morale. Roth (2003) explored in-depth the funding crises that schools are currently facing and their effects on curriculum. From a cost standpoint, activity programs are an exceptional bargain when matched against school districts’ overall budget. The NFHSA

5 determined through data collected from across the country that activity programs make up only 1-3% percent of the overall education budget in a school. In Chicago for example, that figure is even lower. In 1992, the overall budget for the Chicago Board of Education was 2.6 billion dollars; a miniscule one-tenth of one percent of the overall budget (University Interscholastic League, 2000) was allocated for extracurricular activities. Yet in recent years, school extracurricular programs have been restructured or are in relative decline, particularly in urban school systems. As the local and state governments face weakening economic conditions, one of the first casualties of diminished state coffers is public schools. In particular, programs in public schools that are deemed unnecessary or not fundamental to a minimum proper education required under the law are often the first to succumb to the funding war that has become commonplace in states. Indeed, when urban school districts experience fiscal crises, one of the first components to be considered for reduction or elimination is the extra curriculum. These schools also experience some of our nation’s highest dropout rates. Disengagement of students from schools continues to occur, and the reason is the general absence of social resources and conventional role models. If the academic welfare of each student, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, is such a significant factor during the budgetary decision-making progress, then school administrators should explore options for achieving a balanced budget. Extracurricular activities are the prime targets for elimination when education budgets become strained (Watkins, 2004). In general, extracurricular is also considered as extra or peripheral to the goal of academic achievement, the focus of educational reform. The random elimination of these activities is frequently based on financial savings with

6 little regard for consequences of these decisions. Given the fact that a substantial body of literature reveals a positive correlation between participation in extracurricular activities and improvement in the overall performance and achievement of students, the future success of students, particularly those who are economically disadvantaged, may be hindered if budgetary decisions lead to the elimination of educational opportunities outside the classroom (Watkins). When budget constraints result in the elimination of educational opportunities for students, administrators should consider the exploration of options that are supported by research. To avoid contributing to social and economic disparities that advantage some students over others in the attainment of success following school, it is important to look beyond the regular. And that is the reason it is worth finding out if the extracurricular activities are affecting the middle school teenagers positively. Although some literature was found that indicated a positive correlation between athletics and academics (Foltz, 1992; Howley & Huang, 1991), a need for more research definitely exists in this area. Especially more research is needed on the middle school level and in the area of comparing the effects of extracurricular activities on specific subjects like mathematics and language arts. To optimize the use of available funds, it is also pertinent to find out how extracurricular activities affect male and female students. Some of the activities which are high in popularity with boys are football and basketball, whereas for girls cheerleading has been very popular. However, what is not known is if these activities affect male and female students in the same way or different way. Research therefore is needed to find out the difference of gain in academic achievement due to extracurricular activities between male and female students.

7 Many people consider participation in extracurricular activities in school an important component of the overall educational experience. Although several studies addressed this topic, the results have not been consistent. Extracurricular activities can have a positive impact on academic achievement, educational status, and social development among students (Cairns et al., 2003). However, not all research on extracurricular participation has produced convincing results with regard to student performance. Hunt (2005) looked at the relationship between academic performance and extracurricular participation by investigating whether participation affects performance. Hunt concluded that participation in extracurricular activities showed no consistent academic results and that academically strong students at a younger age were more likely to participate in organized activities later in school. Little research has been done comparing the different types of extracurricular participation (academic, athletic, music) and their respective effect on student performance. While most research supports extracurricular participation and its positive effect on student academic performance, Marsh (1993) found that athletic participation has no effect on student performance. Broh (2002) concluded that music, student council, drama club, and yearbook club had limited academic benefits, while intramural sports and vocational clubs actually impaired achievement. According to The 29 th Annual Phi Delta Kappa Gallup Poll of the Public’s Attitudes Toward the Public School of September 1997, 63% of Americans believed that extracurricular activities were very important, another 27% believed that they were fairly important, while 8% believed not too important, and 2% not important (The 29 th Annual Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup Poll, 1997). The importance assigned to these activities was

8 substantially greater in the 1997 poll than in previous polls. Interest in the developmental consequences of extracurricular and after school programs have been stimulated by the growing interest in positive psychology and positive youth development (Eccles, Barber, Stone, & Hunt, 2003). Advocates for positive youth development, in particular, agree that such programs are needed to prepare youth fully for transition into adulthood. Developmentalists and youth advocates argue that constructive, organized activities are a good use of the adolescents’ time because such activities provide opportunities to acquire and practice specific social, physical, and intellectual skills that may be useful in a wide variety of settings, including school. In turn those assets are predicted to facilitate both current levels of school engagement achievement and subsequent educational and occupational attainment, and to prevent the emergence of risky behavior patterns among young people. Support for these suggestions came from both classic sociology studies of the relation of extracurricular activities to school achievement (Eccles et al., 1996; Landers & Landers, 1978; McNeal, 1999; Otto & Alwin, 1977) and the more recent research in leisure studies, sports, sports psychology, prevention science, and the interdisciplinary studies of adolescents’ development (Cairns et al., 2003; Eccles et al., 2003; Parrino, 2003). Background The transition to intermediate or middle school, beginning as early as grade four, is often challenging due to an increase in academic load, additional choices in academic curricula, an expectation of increased autonomy, and instruction by subject area teachers (Adams, 2005). Because students change classes and teachers several times a day, maintaining personal relationships is often difficult (LeCroy & Daley, 2001). Middle

9 school-aged students must, at the same time, contend with intense and rapid changes in physical, emotional, and cognitive development, social approval, a large student body, and choices in sports programs and extracurricular activities (Hart, 2002). The change in self-esteem is most likely to occur during times of transition, such as changing schools (Harter, 1999). Changes in one’s environment are usually the catalyst for changes in one’s self assessment, resulting in an increase or a decrease in self-esteem. The re-evaluation occurs due to changes in the self perceptions of competence or incompetence based upon the degree of mastery of new developmental tasks, a comparison of oneself to a different group of students, and/or the creation of new social networks (Hart, 2002). Eccles et al. (1993) found that girls had lower self-esteem than boys in middle school and the gender gap grew when girls transitioned from middle school to high school. Harter (1999) pointed explanations for the decline in self-esteem: (a) girls are more negatively affected by experiences with failure than boys. The sensitivity may limit their willingness to take risks for rewards or advanced opportunities; (b) many girls experience a conflict between feminine goals and competitive achievements, resulting in increased anxiety in competitive situations; (c) girls are confronted with societal and school structures that favor boys and with pressure to conform to gender roles that limit their exploration; (d) girls are less satisfied with body image compared to boys, and this is compounded by pubertal changes; and (e) girls are more likely to worry about their problems than boys and this tendency to worry puts girls at risk for depression. A continuing debate about the effects of athletic participation has occurred since the 1960s. It has become an even larger issue now that there are budget constraints in public schools. Decision makers often find it easy to cut extracurricular programs

10 because they believe that these programs are not overly important in the academic arena. In the late 1980s, Holland and Andre (1987) argued that many secondary schools eliminated some of the extracurricular programs based solely on financial grounds without considering the empirically-based knowledge of the positive effects of these programs on adolescent development. It is obvious that decision makers need to be well informed about the impact of extracurricular activities on academics before they decide to retain or eliminate them. Research Questions The brief review of literature strongly suggested that there is a direct connection between extracurricular activities and academic achievement. While there is lot of research to prove it at high school and college levels, there is not much work that has been done at middle school level. For this research, only seventh and eighth graders were selected from an urban middle school. The Athletic Policy of school district allows only seventh and eighth graders to participate in certain extracurricular activities. Therefore, the researcher generated following questions. 1. What is the comparison between the scores (TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink) of students who participated in any extracurricular activities and those who did not participate in extracurricular activities? 2. What is the difference between the scores (TCAP, RCM, and ThinkLink) of Mathematics between the students who participated in any extracurricular activities and those who did not participate in extracurricular activities? 3. What is the difference between the scores (TCAP, RCL, and ThinkLink) of Language Arts between the students who participated in any extracurricular activities and those who did not participate in extracurricular activities?

11 4. What is the comparison between scores (TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink) of male and female students who participated in any extracurricular activities compared to the male and female students who did not participate in the extracurricular activities? 5. What is the comparison between scores (TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink) of students who participated in music compared to the students who did not participate in any extracurricular activities? 6. How do the social outlook and academic aspirations of students who participate in extracurricular activities differ from students who do not participate in extracurricular activities? Description of Terms Athletics. A term associated with participation in competitive or interscholastic sports. It is a term that indicates athletic competition between other schools. Examples of athletic activities are football, cheerleading, basketball, wrestling, soccer, and track and field. ESEA. Elementary and Secondary Education Act. ETS. Educational Testing Service. Extracurricular activities. An “umbrella” term for all school sponsored activities outside the classroom, for example athletics, music, band, etc. Grade point average (GPA). It is the mean of the numerical grades of a student. It is used as a tool to measure academic performance. Students at the middle school had six classes. The cumulative average of those six grades became their grade point average. Middle school. A school comprised of grades five through eight typically offering various subjects and extracurricular activities to help broaden a student’s education.

12 NFHSA. National Federation of High Schools Association. OERI. Office of Educational Research and Improvement of U.S. Department of Education. RCL. Report card grades for Language Arts. RCM. Report card grades for Mathematics. Standardized tests. These are identical tests administered to a large group of people. The test is usually comprehensive and used to determine the level of progress of a student, a grade, a school, or a system. TCAP. Tennessee Comprehensive Assessment Program is the standardized tests used by Tennessee schools for grades 3-8. ThinkLink. Assessment solutions provided by Discovery Education that measure and improve student achievement and predict performance on TCAP. Built from Vanderbilt University assessment research, Discovery Education Assessment contains the assessment tools needed to accurately measure knowledge, identify weaknesses, and remediate. TVAAS. Tennessee Value-Added Assessment System is a state-wide accountability program. Significance of the Study The research contributes to the literature on academic achievement and participation in extracurricular activities. It does so by examining differences in the academic achievement of students who did and did not participate in extracurricular activities. It also goes on to explore the effects of extracurricular activities on specific subjects like Mathematics and Language Arts. Additionally, the study has been designed to find out the effect of music on academic achievement of students.

13 Previous studies have investigated differences in achievement between participating and non-participating students; however, the results are inconclusive. Also, the previous studies did so without differentiating among type of activities. The results on the effects of participating in extracurricular activities could be very important to students, parents, teachers, and administrators. The information could help everyone involved make wiser decisions regarding implementation of extracurricular activities. Positive academic effects may provide administrators with a more complete knowledge about the academic success of students who vary their participation patterns and a more thorough understanding of ramifications of eliminating extracurricular activities. Following several researchers, this study reinforces the proposition that extracurricular activities may be the solutions to our educational problems, rather than distractions from academic achievement among students. Marano (1985) stated that student activities have become a part of the regular school program because of their close relationship to academics and because of their value in supplementing academics with leadership skills. Public education continues to come under scrutiny for its perceived inability to educate children. Educational reform continues to be on the minds of the federal and state legislatures, political candidates, and the American public. The role of educator has increased as society and government continually place demands on the educational system that traditionally have belonged to parents (Watkins, 2004). Education must focus on the whole student, and on experiences that help students grow, rather than on a strict interpretation of academic involvement. Process to Accomplish The researcher conducted this study during the 2008-2009 school years. The study was to determine the effects of extracurricular activities on academic achievement of

14 students measured by TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink scores. The study was also to determine the effects of extracurricular activities on specific subjects (i.e., mathematics and language arts). Besides TCAP and ThinkLink, report card grades for math (RCM) and language arts (RCL) were used for comparison. The sample for this study was the population of male and female students who attended an urban middle school in Middle Tennessee in grades 7 and 8 during the academic year 2008-2009. The school has approximately 820 students, of which about 51% are male and 49% are female. The school has a diverse population consisting of various ethnic groups: White 41%, Hispanic 34%, African-American 16%, and others 9%. The students at this middle school are offered a number of extracurricular activities such as football, soccer, basketball, track, band, and cheerleading. Students at this middle school take six classes a day. Five of those are academic, and the sixth is either art, music, computer, band, or P.E., depending on the rotation or the choice given by the students during registration. The five academic classes are reading, math, language arts, science, and social studies. These five classes are the same for all students and a determining factor for student promotion. All the students are required to take the TCAP achievement test toward the end of school year (normally in April). TCAP is a timed, multiple choice assessment that measures skills in Reading, Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, and Social Studies. Student results are reported to parents, teachers, and administrators. Every nine weeks the grades are reported. The first two nine-week grading periods form the fall semester grading period. The second two nine-week grading periods form the spring semester grading period. The two semesters combine for the yearly

15 grading period. RCM and RCL are the math and language arts grades respectively, for the academic year 2008-2009. All students take the ThinkLink assessment provided by Discovery Education that measure and improve student achievement and predict performance on TCAP. ThinkLink is administered three times a year. For the purpose of this research, the final ThinkLink test scores were used. The three academic areas for comparison were GPAs, TCAP scores, and ThinkLink scores between those who had extracurricular activities and those who did not participate in any extracurricular activities. The first academic question involved the comparison of the three scores (TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink) between the students who had some form of extracurricular activity and those who did not participate in any activity. The students and their scores were separated into the two categories: participant and non-participant. Each of the group’s scores were combined to determine the overall participant’s score. Each of the non-participant’s scores were combined to determine the overall non-participant’s score. The two groups were then compared using an independent samples t-test to determine if a significant statistical difference existed. The researcher used two test areas that determined promotion: math and language arts. The scores (TCAP, RCM/RCL, and ThinkLink) on these two subjects were combined to determine the overall scores of participants and non-participants. After comparing the two groups, an independent samples t-test was used to determine if there was a significant difference. To compare the effects of extracurricular activities based on gender, the students and their scores (TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink) were separated into the two categories:

16 participant and non-participant. Participant and non-participant were further categorized based on gender (four subgroups in total: participant males, participant females, non- participant males, and non-participant females). Each groups’ scores were combined to determine the overall score. The comparison was done between the participant males’ scores and non-participant males’ scores. Similarly, the comparison was done between the participant females’ scores and non-participant females’ scores. After any differences were ascertained, an independent samples t-test was performed to determine if a significant statistical difference existed. To find the effects of participation in music on academic achievement, the researcher categorized the students into two groups: those students who participated in music and the students who did not participate in music or any other extracurricular activity. Each of the groups’ scores (TCAP, GPA, and ThinkLink) was combined to determine overall score. An independent samples t-test was performed to determine if a significant statistical difference existed. The final question compared the attitudes of participants and non-participants. The students were administered a survey which had 10 questions. The first six questions dealt with demographical information and the last four questions were used to obtain the attitude and educational aspirations of the students. The answers of participants and non-participants were compared using t tests.

17

CHAPTER II REVIEW OF THE LITERATURE Introduction Many factors influence the development and socialization of American adolescents including family, peers, schools, and the media. Although family and peers provide the dominant influences, the opportunities and context provided by schools also influence adolescent development. Examination of the effects is timely and important especially in an era of limited financial resources for schools. Declining enrollment and inflation have tightened school budgets over the last two decades and have produced heightened perception of the need for accountability in school programs. The last decade has brought a new emphasis on academic achievement. As a result, educators and the public have looked critically at the extracurricular activities offered in schools. Some programs have been eliminated to provide resources elsewhere. Mostly, such decision making has been made on financial grounds and has been uninformed by empirically-based knowledge of the effects of programs on adolescent development. The research literature on effects of extracurricular activities on the academic achievement is diverse. Middle school students come in different shapes and sizes. They are at different levels of mental maturity and at different stages of the socialization process. The diverse needs of these individuals can be satisfied with a comprehensive extracurricular activity program (Stafford, 1985). Schools pay close attention to address these diverse needs of its student population. The mission statement of this school is to