Extracurricular Activities: A Review of the Literature
Karla Rodriguez
The University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract
Sports, dance, band, community service, church groups, student council, chess club, and many more are all part of the term extracurricular activities. These activities have been around for many years and different organizations came up with ways where kids and teenagers can get involved. This literature review provides the definition of what a extracurricular activity is and what is consider one. It gives information of the history on why and when extracurricular activities were created. It recognizes the impact that these extracurricular activities can have in a student life. It provides different views on the benefits and problems with these activities. An interview will provide a story of how a life was changed and statistical data of how many joined these different activities. It is very common for students to join these activities during their school years and the data will provide how many of theses students joined during high school.
Extracurricular Activities: Review of the Literature
As this country has changed over the past years, society has changed too and many influences upon youth have been recognized. Some of the influences are to go to school, graduate, and have a good job. In order to achieve these different influences youth need encouragement, social skills and dedication. A way that schools provide these influences is academic but also in extracurricular activities. These extracurricular activities can be in-school and outside of school. There are so many activities that youth can get involved in and these vary by different communities. Some people may have an idea of what these activities are but some may not know all the information about it. The effects of extracurricular activities may differ from person to person. In order to know what are some effects of extracurricular activities and to get a better understanding of what extracurricular activities are the following questions would be answered:
1. What is considered an extracurricular activity? When and why were extracurricular activities created?
2. How do extracurricular activities impact student’s lives?
3. What are the benefits/problems of extracurricular activities?
The following review of literature will focus on these questions and will provide information about extracurricular activities and some benefits/problems of these activities.
What is considered an extracurricular activity?
In order to get a better understanding of an extracurricular activity is to get a definition. In the dictionary there is no definition of extracurricular but if the word is break down there will be a good definition. According to the Webster’s dictionary the word extra- means (1). More than or beyond what is usual, normal, expected, or necessary. The word –curricular means (1) of or relating to a curriculum and curriculum means (1) the courses offered by an educational institution. (2) A set of courses constituting an area of specialization. Extracurricular put together means more than the courses offered by an educational institution. Activity means (1) quality or state of being active (2) vigorous or energetic action. The word extracurricular activity means an activity that you do outside a class course.
There are many different extracurricular activities and what is considered one may differ from community. According to Joseph L. Mahoney (2005) extracurricular activities are activities that are characterized by structure, adult supervision and an emphasis on skill building (Mahoney, 2005). These activities should be totally voluntary and have schedule and regular meetings and have supervision and guidance from the adult responsible of the activity. These activities often increase the participant’s ability; they have a challenge and complexity (Larson, 1994). These activities share a goal that everyone works for in order to achieve it.
A lot of labels have been used to describe what is considered extracurricular activities (Eccles, 2005). These activities usually denotes the who (school-age, child, adolescent, youth), where (schools-based, community-based, what (activities, programs, organizations), and when (after- school, extracurricular, summer, non-school, out-of-school) elements of participation. These descriptors are meaningful and do clarify the phenomenon of interest. There are a lot of extracurricular activities available to the kids and youth here in the United States (Mahoney, 2005). There are federally after-school programs like Boys and Girls Clubs and nationally sponsored youth organizations.
The development of activities in American schools can be traced through historical accounts and documents, as well as through the literature and art of this nation. Spelling bee was one of the first forms of activity that attracted considerable attention in many communities (Sybouts, 1984). The spelling bee was related to the academic programs that capitalized on the competitive spirit of the people. It revealed that both good and bad effects could come from an activity. From events such as spelling bee emerged out-of-class activities shaped and influenced by the people and the land of this emerging nation (Sybouts, 1984).
According to Wayne Krepel schools activities emerged on the college campuses of America before moving to secondary schools. Changes were in evidence during the first half of the nineteenth century in college. College officials began to see the need for relaxing the controls over youth. Colleges have influenced the formation of secondary education in various ways, including extracurricular activities (Krepel, 1999). The acceptance of many activities into high schools came after acceptance in colleges. Many students start joining extracurricular activities during their middle schools years but they get more involved in them during high school. In middle school they may join all the sports that they may want but in high school and college they might have to choose only one so they can get focus on that certain sport. It does not have to be in school, it can also be in the community.
Figure 1. Pie Chart depicting responses to survey conducted by the author. The parts depict what different extracurricular activities students joined during their high school years.
How do extracurricular activities impact student’s lives?
Availability and affordability of activities are the most basic factors that affect or impact the student’s lives. The presence of resources such as parks, community centers, playing fields, and the availability of willing and competent adults to provide the activities are requisites. Beyond availability, factors such as transportation and a family’s economic means to pay the costs of activities have considerable influence on the student’s participation rate. Parents desire to enroll their children in organized activities and their ability to manage their children’s participation rates.
Participating in extracurricular activities can change student’s lives in a positive way. For example, Alfonso Anchondo, football, basketball and soccer coach, told a story about a student impacted through participation in extracurricular activities.
Juan was a student that came from Juarez, Mexico. When he got here he did not know any English and it was difficult for him to communicate with teachers and other students. He was really quite and would not participate in anything. He started learning the language and catching it pretty fast but he was still embarrassed of his accent. He had only a few friends and I was his coach for PE. I noticed that he was really good at every sport but never wanted to play because he thought student would not understand what he was trying to say. One day I approached him and asked him to play a soccer game with others kids. At first he did not wanted to but at last I convinced him to try it. When he was out there it seem as he was having so much fun until one kid made fun of him when he started talking in Spanish. From that day he was more quite than usual, I wanted to know if he was that quite in all of the other classes. I talked to every teacher he had and asked them how he acted in their class. Almost all the teachers had the same answer that he was really quite except his Spanish teacher. She said he was so outgoing in her class. I wanted to get him to be more open to other students so I asked him to join the soccer team since he was really good. At the first day of try out he was not there but then he started to show up. At tryouts I saw him talking to more students and when he made the team he was so excited. All the students at the soccer team knew or understand Spanish so he felt more comfortable. After he joined the team he changed completely. When I saw him at the end of the school year I could not believe it was the same Juan that would not talk at all. He joined soccer, track, math club and he was even part of the yearbook committee. Joining the soccer team really changed him and gave him more confidence within himself.
Coach Anchondo also explained that he has seen so many similar cases since El Paso is close to the border and people from Mexico come here. Extracurricular activities can change someone and it can impact their lives.
What are the benefits/problems of extracurricular activities?
John H. Holloway, a consultant for the teaching and learning division of the Educational testing service in Princeton, New Jersey, stated that extracurricular activities do contribute to student’s success at school. Duncan wrote in the journal “Family matters” that recent research confirms that involvement in extracurricular activities is more than just child’s play.
Researchers in this area have indicated that when students participate in these activities they are less likely to be involved in delinquency and less dropouts. The 1st benefit that extracurricular activities is that they reduced behavior problems (Laura, 2009). They show discipline because they have to show up for practice and do the drills that they are told to do. They have the responsibility to do the tasks that they are assign correctly, whether is a play at a basketball game, a dance routine or a equation for a math problem. By participating in extracurricular activities students learn lessons in teamwork, leadership, analytical thinking, problem solving, organization, and time management.
It might also be suggested that participation can give adolescents confidence about their physical and perhaps social selves. When students participate in extracurricular activities, they often have greater opportunity to interact with others, develop friendships, and to develop social confidence (Wilson, 2009). School participation and achievement increase when students join extracurricular activities (Eccles, 2003). This happens because it facilitates: a) the acquisition of interpersonal skills and positive social norms, b) membership in pro-social peer groups, and c) stronger emotional and social connections to one’s school.
There is also a potential negative impact of participation in extracurricular activities. Students may be so focus in these activities that they not pay so much attention to their academics. Going too many meeting, practices or games may cut their homework time and may not put the attention that it may need. There is a policy in school which is “no pass, no play” which means that if a student’s want to keep participating in extracurricular activities they have to pass all they classes (Hansen, 2003). These may seem like a good thing but actually is not that good. Students that participate may not do their very best in their work they might only do “okay” in their work just to meet the standard grade to pass. They might not give their hundred percent in all their work.
Another problem that these activities may have is that parents push their kids to get involved in as many activities as they can. Parents sometime use these activities as a daycare; parents schedule their kids to piano lessons, soccer, youth group at church, scouts and dance classes so there is an activity for every day of the week (Dishion, 1999). This may have an impact on student academic performance because they are so tired from a lot of activities that in school they are not focus. It may even effect the dedication shown to each activity as the child may not be there by choice and it the activities that they may be interested on they may lose interest because their parents are making them do it (McMahon, 1999)
Conclusion
Extracurricular activities had always been around us however; people may not know all the information about these activities. The development of extracurricular activities has provided students from all ages to become involved in them and have something to do. There are some benefits as well as problems when it comes to these different activities. Different views regarding these benefits and problems exist through out the United States. Different communities have developed these activities for students and they have set their expectations in order for them to follow. As the presence of extracurricular activities continue, organizations such as Boys and Girls Club and Fred Loya continue to provide different activities to the students. What is considered a extracurricular activity may vary from schools, cities, and discourse communities. These activities may have a impact on the participants lives and everyone can experience it different. These activities keep growing as the population and society changes.
References
Anchondo, A. (2012, 03 25). Interview by K Rodriguez [Personal Interview]. Extracurricular activities.
Dishion, T.J, McCord, J. (1999). When interventions harm: Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist, 54, 755-764.
Eccles (2005). Extracurricular and other after-school activities for youth. Review of research in education, 26, 113-180.
Hansen, D. (2003). What adolescents learn in organized youth activities. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13, 25-36.
Larson, R. W. (1994). Youth Organizations, hobbies, and sports as developmental context. Adolescence in context: The interplay of family, school, peers, and work in adjustment (pp.46-65). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Mahoney, J. (2005). Organized activities (pp 56-86) . New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Publishers
Sybouts, W., & Krepel, W. (1984). Student activities in the secondary schools. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
Wilson, L. (2006). Extracurricular activities: Benefits and potential problems.
Self-Evaluation of Literature Review
I think I did well on explaining my different questions with plenty of research. I developed and answer all the questions. Something I would have done differently is not being bias. I thought I was not being bias but apparently I was. If I had more time I would try to make it unbiased.
Karla Rodriguez
The University of Texas at El Paso
Abstract
Sports, dance, band, community service, church groups, student council, chess club, and many more are all part of the term extracurricular activities. These activities have been around for many years and different organizations came up with ways where kids and teenagers can get involved. This literature review provides the definition of what a extracurricular activity is and what is consider one. It gives information of the history on why and when extracurricular activities were created. It recognizes the impact that these extracurricular activities can have in a student life. It provides different views on the benefits and problems with these activities. An interview will provide a story of how a life was changed and statistical data of how many joined these different activities. It is very common for students to join these activities during their school years and the data will provide how many of theses students joined during high school.
Extracurricular Activities: Review of the Literature
As this country has changed over the past years, society has changed too and many influences upon youth have been recognized. Some of the influences are to go to school, graduate, and have a good job. In order to achieve these different influences youth need encouragement, social skills and dedication. A way that schools provide these influences is academic but also in extracurricular activities. These extracurricular activities can be in-school and outside of school. There are so many activities that youth can get involved in and these vary by different communities. Some people may have an idea of what these activities are but some may not know all the information about it. The effects of extracurricular activities may differ from person to person. In order to know what are some effects of extracurricular activities and to get a better understanding of what extracurricular activities are the following questions would be answered:
1. What is considered an extracurricular activity? When and why were extracurricular activities created?
2. How do extracurricular activities impact student’s lives?
3. What are the benefits/problems of extracurricular activities?
The following review of literature will focus on these questions and will provide information about extracurricular activities and some benefits/problems of these activities.
What is considered an extracurricular activity?
In order to get a better understanding of an extracurricular activity is to get a definition. In the dictionary there is no definition of extracurricular but if the word is break down there will be a good definition. According to the Webster’s dictionary the word extra- means (1). More than or beyond what is usual, normal, expected, or necessary. The word –curricular means (1) of or relating to a curriculum and curriculum means (1) the courses offered by an educational institution. (2) A set of courses constituting an area of specialization. Extracurricular put together means more than the courses offered by an educational institution. Activity means (1) quality or state of being active (2) vigorous or energetic action. The word extracurricular activity means an activity that you do outside a class course.
There are many different extracurricular activities and what is considered one may differ from community. According to Joseph L. Mahoney (2005) extracurricular activities are activities that are characterized by structure, adult supervision and an emphasis on skill building (Mahoney, 2005). These activities should be totally voluntary and have schedule and regular meetings and have supervision and guidance from the adult responsible of the activity. These activities often increase the participant’s ability; they have a challenge and complexity (Larson, 1994). These activities share a goal that everyone works for in order to achieve it.
A lot of labels have been used to describe what is considered extracurricular activities (Eccles, 2005). These activities usually denotes the who (school-age, child, adolescent, youth), where (schools-based, community-based, what (activities, programs, organizations), and when (after- school, extracurricular, summer, non-school, out-of-school) elements of participation. These descriptors are meaningful and do clarify the phenomenon of interest. There are a lot of extracurricular activities available to the kids and youth here in the United States (Mahoney, 2005). There are federally after-school programs like Boys and Girls Clubs and nationally sponsored youth organizations.
The development of activities in American schools can be traced through historical accounts and documents, as well as through the literature and art of this nation. Spelling bee was one of the first forms of activity that attracted considerable attention in many communities (Sybouts, 1984). The spelling bee was related to the academic programs that capitalized on the competitive spirit of the people. It revealed that both good and bad effects could come from an activity. From events such as spelling bee emerged out-of-class activities shaped and influenced by the people and the land of this emerging nation (Sybouts, 1984).
According to Wayne Krepel schools activities emerged on the college campuses of America before moving to secondary schools. Changes were in evidence during the first half of the nineteenth century in college. College officials began to see the need for relaxing the controls over youth. Colleges have influenced the formation of secondary education in various ways, including extracurricular activities (Krepel, 1999). The acceptance of many activities into high schools came after acceptance in colleges. Many students start joining extracurricular activities during their middle schools years but they get more involved in them during high school. In middle school they may join all the sports that they may want but in high school and college they might have to choose only one so they can get focus on that certain sport. It does not have to be in school, it can also be in the community.
Figure 1. Pie Chart depicting responses to survey conducted by the author. The parts depict what different extracurricular activities students joined during their high school years.
How do extracurricular activities impact student’s lives?
Availability and affordability of activities are the most basic factors that affect or impact the student’s lives. The presence of resources such as parks, community centers, playing fields, and the availability of willing and competent adults to provide the activities are requisites. Beyond availability, factors such as transportation and a family’s economic means to pay the costs of activities have considerable influence on the student’s participation rate. Parents desire to enroll their children in organized activities and their ability to manage their children’s participation rates.
Participating in extracurricular activities can change student’s lives in a positive way. For example, Alfonso Anchondo, football, basketball and soccer coach, told a story about a student impacted through participation in extracurricular activities.
Juan was a student that came from Juarez, Mexico. When he got here he did not know any English and it was difficult for him to communicate with teachers and other students. He was really quite and would not participate in anything. He started learning the language and catching it pretty fast but he was still embarrassed of his accent. He had only a few friends and I was his coach for PE. I noticed that he was really good at every sport but never wanted to play because he thought student would not understand what he was trying to say. One day I approached him and asked him to play a soccer game with others kids. At first he did not wanted to but at last I convinced him to try it. When he was out there it seem as he was having so much fun until one kid made fun of him when he started talking in Spanish. From that day he was more quite than usual, I wanted to know if he was that quite in all of the other classes. I talked to every teacher he had and asked them how he acted in their class. Almost all the teachers had the same answer that he was really quite except his Spanish teacher. She said he was so outgoing in her class. I wanted to get him to be more open to other students so I asked him to join the soccer team since he was really good. At the first day of try out he was not there but then he started to show up. At tryouts I saw him talking to more students and when he made the team he was so excited. All the students at the soccer team knew or understand Spanish so he felt more comfortable. After he joined the team he changed completely. When I saw him at the end of the school year I could not believe it was the same Juan that would not talk at all. He joined soccer, track, math club and he was even part of the yearbook committee. Joining the soccer team really changed him and gave him more confidence within himself.
Coach Anchondo also explained that he has seen so many similar cases since El Paso is close to the border and people from Mexico come here. Extracurricular activities can change someone and it can impact their lives.
What are the benefits/problems of extracurricular activities?
John H. Holloway, a consultant for the teaching and learning division of the Educational testing service in Princeton, New Jersey, stated that extracurricular activities do contribute to student’s success at school. Duncan wrote in the journal “Family matters” that recent research confirms that involvement in extracurricular activities is more than just child’s play.
Researchers in this area have indicated that when students participate in these activities they are less likely to be involved in delinquency and less dropouts. The 1st benefit that extracurricular activities is that they reduced behavior problems (Laura, 2009). They show discipline because they have to show up for practice and do the drills that they are told to do. They have the responsibility to do the tasks that they are assign correctly, whether is a play at a basketball game, a dance routine or a equation for a math problem. By participating in extracurricular activities students learn lessons in teamwork, leadership, analytical thinking, problem solving, organization, and time management.
It might also be suggested that participation can give adolescents confidence about their physical and perhaps social selves. When students participate in extracurricular activities, they often have greater opportunity to interact with others, develop friendships, and to develop social confidence (Wilson, 2009). School participation and achievement increase when students join extracurricular activities (Eccles, 2003). This happens because it facilitates: a) the acquisition of interpersonal skills and positive social norms, b) membership in pro-social peer groups, and c) stronger emotional and social connections to one’s school.
There is also a potential negative impact of participation in extracurricular activities. Students may be so focus in these activities that they not pay so much attention to their academics. Going too many meeting, practices or games may cut their homework time and may not put the attention that it may need. There is a policy in school which is “no pass, no play” which means that if a student’s want to keep participating in extracurricular activities they have to pass all they classes (Hansen, 2003). These may seem like a good thing but actually is not that good. Students that participate may not do their very best in their work they might only do “okay” in their work just to meet the standard grade to pass. They might not give their hundred percent in all their work.
Another problem that these activities may have is that parents push their kids to get involved in as many activities as they can. Parents sometime use these activities as a daycare; parents schedule their kids to piano lessons, soccer, youth group at church, scouts and dance classes so there is an activity for every day of the week (Dishion, 1999). This may have an impact on student academic performance because they are so tired from a lot of activities that in school they are not focus. It may even effect the dedication shown to each activity as the child may not be there by choice and it the activities that they may be interested on they may lose interest because their parents are making them do it (McMahon, 1999)
Conclusion
Extracurricular activities had always been around us however; people may not know all the information about these activities. The development of extracurricular activities has provided students from all ages to become involved in them and have something to do. There are some benefits as well as problems when it comes to these different activities. Different views regarding these benefits and problems exist through out the United States. Different communities have developed these activities for students and they have set their expectations in order for them to follow. As the presence of extracurricular activities continue, organizations such as Boys and Girls Club and Fred Loya continue to provide different activities to the students. What is considered a extracurricular activity may vary from schools, cities, and discourse communities. These activities may have a impact on the participants lives and everyone can experience it different. These activities keep growing as the population and society changes.
References
Anchondo, A. (2012, 03 25). Interview by K Rodriguez [Personal Interview]. Extracurricular activities.
Dishion, T.J, McCord, J. (1999). When interventions harm: Peer groups and problem behavior. American Psychologist, 54, 755-764.
Eccles (2005). Extracurricular and other after-school activities for youth. Review of research in education, 26, 113-180.
Hansen, D. (2003). What adolescents learn in organized youth activities. Journal of Research on Adolescence, 13, 25-36.
Larson, R. W. (1994). Youth Organizations, hobbies, and sports as developmental context. Adolescence in context: The interplay of family, school, peers, and work in adjustment (pp.46-65). New York: Springer-Verlag.
Mahoney, J. (2005). Organized activities (pp 56-86) . New Jersey: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates Inc. Publishers
Sybouts, W., & Krepel, W. (1984). Student activities in the secondary schools. Westport, Connecticut: Greenwood Press.
Wilson, L. (2006). Extracurricular activities: Benefits and potential problems.
Self-Evaluation of Literature Review
I think I did well on explaining my different questions with plenty of research. I developed and answer all the questions. Something I would have done differently is not being bias. I thought I was not being bias but apparently I was. If I had more time I would try to make it unbiased.