IN WHAT WAYS DOES TEACHER INVOLVEMENT IN SCHOOLRELATED EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES AFFECT TEACHERSTUDENT RELATIONSHIPS?
FOR TEACHERS
TEACHER
PERSPECTIVES
INTRODUCTION
The relationships that teachers
both academic and
create with their students and the
nonacademic, clubs, sports, and
Two elementary teachers
way they interact with them
recess and lunch activities. It is
were interviewed about
impacts directly on the quality of
important for teachers to have
the ways in which
instruction (Ping, 2013). Many
relationships with their students in
teacher involvement in
elementary school teachers are
which they can connect and get
school-related activities
involved in school-related
to know about their students’ lives
affect teacher-student
extracurricular activities at their
and interests in and out of school.
relationships:
school site and extend and build
Through these relationships they
their relationships with students
can also understand how their
through these types of activities.
students learn best, break down
This research addresses the effect
barriers, and transfer learning to
of teacher involvement in school
their everyday lives. One way of
related extracurricular activities
building and extending this
on teacher-student relationships.
relationship is through
teachers in a different role.
involvement in school-related
Being involved in the talent
extracurricular activities.
show has allowed her to
School-related extracurricular
activities include before and
A fifth grade teacher
said that getting involved
in school-related activities
allows students to see
get to know a wider range
after school programs that are
of students at many grade
levels.
RESEARCH AND DATA
There has not
been a lot of
research specifically
According to a fifth grade
teacher, school-related
extracurricular activities that
research done
that addresses
A second grade
the importance
teacher says that her
addressing the
involve students across
of positive
involvement in school-
effects of teacher
grade levels allow teachers
teacher-student
related extracurricular
involvement in
and students to foster a
relationships.
school-related
sense of community and
These positive
activities helps to foster a
extracurricular
belonging within the school.
relationships
activities on
may contribute
teacher- student relationships.
to positive feelings that students
However, there has been
have about education, which
sense of community across
her grade level with both
students and teachers.
RESEARCH AND
During an interview, a fifth grade
DATA CONT’D.
teacher elementary school
involvement in extracurricular
teacher who is involved in before
activities, “one important
school programs and helps
contextual factor is the quality of
organize the talent show believes
relationships with adults”
that teacher involvement in
(Fredricks, 2011, pg. 4). In the
school-related extracurricular
same interview with the second
activities breaks down the
grade teacher, it was also found
formality of the teacher-student
that being involved in school
relationship and allows the
related extracurricular activities
students to feel more
has helped her to connect more
comfortable and willing to
to students that were not only in
approach her in the classroom
her class but students who were
with topics that were both
in a different classroom but the
academic and social. Through
same grade that she teaches. As
her involvement in school related
she was with a smaller group of
extracurricular activities she is
students in the morning program
able to get to know her students
that focuses on grade level
even better and help them
mathematics, she was able to
understand that school is not just
build trust and connect with the
about learning, that relationships
students.
should then lead to enhancing
the quality of both teaching and
learning (Ping, 2013).
One effect that teacherstudent relationships have on
students is on engagement in the
classroom. Engagement in the
classroom is likely to be higher if
teachers choose tasks that
connect to students’ lives and
that are challenging and
interesting (Fredricks, 2011). Being
able to connect to students’ lives
and interests involves getting to
know students by developing a
positive teacher-student
relationship. Taking part in schoolrelated extracurricular activities
allows teachers to gain
knowledge about their students
and use this knowledge to
engage students in the content.
In an interview with a second
grade elementary teacher who is
involved in a morning program
that focuses on grade level
mathematics help, she finds that
students who were in this
that are built can support and
Referring to student
“The smaller group and the
allow for greater engagement in
targeted focus helped build a
the classroom. She encourages
trust and support between the
her students to try new things and
students and myself” (2nd grade
learn outside of the classroom, as
elementary school teacher).
“Learning takes place when
In an interview with a fourth
teachers and students
grade student who is involved in
communicate in and out of the
several school related
classroom” (Ping, 2013 – pg.1).
extracurricular activities such as
There has also been research
volleyball, ballet, and glass fusion,
done addressing the importance
she explained that through these
classroom are more engaged in
of student involvement in school
activities she has gotten to know
class during math because they
related extracurricular activities.
a range of students from different
are more comfortable and
Student involvement in
grade levels. She has built
familiar with the material that
extracurricular activities,
they are learning.
structured after-school programs,
program and also in her
For teachers to build strong
and community-based programs
relationships with their students, it
is an important part of their time
is important that they show them
spent during after-school hours
that they care about them and
want to get to know about them
as individuals (Fredricks, 2011).
(Fredricks, 2011).
relationships with other students
across grade levels and some of
her teachers, which has helped
to build a school community. In
regards to the after-school
program leaders, there is only
one teacher that she sees both
during the day and after school.
“Since they aren’t my
grade level she teaches, the
classroom and the interactions
teachers, I’m not so used to them
interviewee stated that her
that they have with their teachers
since I have them once or twice
involvement in this program has
can help them to see their
a week” (4th grade student).
affected student learning
teacher in a different role other
because it allows the students
than as their classroom teacher.
She responded that she is less
likely to approach the after-
more time and support to work
school leaders of the programs
on math in a smaller group
related extracurricular activities
who she does not see very often.
setting. This teacher also
also allows teachers and students
She is more likely to approach the
benefited from the program as
to foster a sense of community at
volleyball coach, who is also her
she was able to apply her
their school, within, and across
P.E. teacher, with questions and
experiences using different
different grade levels.
concerns because she feels more
strategies in the morning program
comfortable with him. She
to her own classroom.
believes this is due to the fact
that she sees him almost every
Becoming involved in school
Teachers should be involved in
school-related extracurricular
activities because it gives
IMPLICATIONS
day, and not always in the same
students and teachers more
opportunities to interact with
context. This shows that spending
As there is not much research
each other, and even interact
more time and in a wide range of
directly related to the effect of
with students from other classes
contexts, helps to foster
teacher involvement in school-
and grade levels. It is important
relationships with students and
related extracurricular activities
for teachers to get to know
teachers. Students also feel more
on teacher-student relationships,
students, as it benefits both the
comfortable approaching their
more research should be
teacher and the students in
teacher with questions and
conducted on this topic.
relation to teaching and learning.
concerns if they have a
connection with them.
It is important for teachers to
If there are students who are
become involved in school-
not able to participate in school
related extracurricular activities
related extracurricular activities
programs can also be academic
so that they can build
during the time before or after
in nature. Teacher involvement in
relationships both inside the
school due to various reasons, it is
these types of programs, and in
classroom and outside of the
important for teachers to take
particular a math program, can
classroom that foster
time during the school day, either
provide expanded learning
communication and trust.
during lunch or recess, as it would
School-related extracurricular
opportunities for struggling
Teachers can also get to know
benefit the students in a positive
students and allow classroom
their students better, find out their
way.
teachers to gain more strategies
interests and incorporate these
and activities to use regularly in
interests into learning in the
getting to know students will
their classroom (Sherman &
classroom to make learning even
benefit both teachers and
Catapano, 2011). In an interview
more engaging and relative to
students in regards to
with a second grade teacher
their students’ lives. Students will
engagement, academic
who is involved in a before school
also understand that learning
achievement, and teacher-
mathematics program at the
can take place outside of the
student relationships.
The more time that is spent
REFERENCES
Fredricks, J. A. (2011). Engagement in School and Out-of-School Contexts: A Multidimensional View of
Engagement. Theory Into Practice, 50(4), 327-335.
Ping, L. (2013). PERCEPTIONS OF THE TEACHER-STUDENT RELATIONSHIP: A STUDY OF UPPER ELEMENTARY
TEACHERS AND THEIR STUDENTS. International Education, 42(2), 21-40.
Sherman, H.J., & Catapano, S. (2011). After-School Elementary School Mathematics Club: Enhancing
Achievement and Encouraging Future Teachers. Educational Research Quarterly, 35(1), 3-16.