The Effect of Extra-curricular Activities on Academic Achievement

Abstract

The problem. Is there a difference in the grade point average between students who participate in extracurricular activities and those who do not participate? Procedure. Four hundred twenty-four seniors at Valley High School in West Des Moines, Iowa made up the study group. Each senior completed the Fall Senior Information Sheet which gathered information about their participation in extracurricular activities. The grade point averages were obtained from office records. Specific criteria were developed to establish a group of involved students and a group of those not involved in extracurricular activities. The difference between groups was statistically analyzed using a t-test. Findings. The probability of the t-test was less than 0.000499. A significance level of 0.01 was established for this study. Conclusions. There is a significant difference between the grade point averages of those involved in extracurricular activities and those not involved in extracurricuiar activities. Recommendations. Additional research is recommended to determine if extracurricular activities have an effect on such variables as attendance, discipline, school size, and self-esteem. Do the types of activities have an effect on GPA? A study of the effects that withdrawal from extracurricular activities has on the previously mentioned factors could be interesting.