1. Coladarci, T., & Cobb, C. D. (1996). Extracurricular Participation, School Size, and
Achievement and Self-Esteem among High School Students: A National Look.
Journal of Research in Rural Education, 12(2), 92-103.
Analysis of National Education Longitudinal Study data found that students
attending small high schools (less than 800 students) had higher extracurricular
participation than students attending large high schools (more than 1600
students). Participation was significantly related to 12th-grade self-esteem but not
to academic achievement. However, school size had no indirect effect on either
outcome. Contains 29 references.
2. Holland, A., & Andre, T. (1987). Participation in Extracurricular Activities in
Secondary School: What is known and what needs to be known? Review of
Educational Research,57(4), 437-466.
This paper reviews literature relating to extracurricular participation and
adolescent development. Areas covered include personal-social characteristics,
academic achievement, educational aspirations and attainments, participants' roles
in activities, and the environmental social context. Specific characteristics of the
studies reviewed are appended.
3. Bettencourt, B. A., Charlton, K., Eubanks, J., Kernahan, C., Fuller, B. (1999).
Development of collective self-esteem among students: predicting adjustment to
college. Basic and Applied Social Psychology, 21(3), 213-222.
This study investigates whether collective self-esteem predicts adjustment in a
particular domain. We measured collective self-esteem as it relates to students'
memberships in their residence halls. Our adjustment measures included social
and academic adjustment to college, as well as grade point average. Measures
were taken at two different time periods during an academic year. The results
showed that academic adjustment at the end of the 1st year in college was
predicted by development in collective self-esteem. Moreover, development in
collective self-esteem was associated with improvements in adjustment to college
from the 1st semester to the second semester. Implications of these findings are
discussed in terms of their ramification for students' academic adjustment, as well
as for understanding the role of positively valued group memberships in general
well-being.
4. Darling, N., Caldwell, L. L., & Smith, R. (2005). Participation in school-based
extracurricular activities and adolescent adjustment. Journal of Leisure Research,
37(1). 51-76.
This paper examines the association between participation in school-based
extracurricular activities (ECAs) and adolescent adjustment (drinking, marijuana
use, grades, academic attitudes and academic aspirations) among students from
six high schools. Three major issues were addressed: the potential confounding of
selective ECA participation by better adjusted students and measures of
adjustment, variability in the strength of the association between ECA
participation and adjustment as a function of adolescent demographic
characteristics and activity type, and the role of peers as mediators of the
association between ECA participation and adjustment. Adolescents who
participated in ECAs reported higher grades, more positive attitudes toward
schools, and higher academic aspirations once demographic characteristics and
prior adjustment were controlled. Alcohol and marijuana use were not
independently associated with ECAs participation. The ECAs-adjustment
association did not vary by demographic characteristics and did not appear to be
mediated by peer characteristics. Those who participated in non-sport ECAs
reported consistently better adjustment than those who did not participate in
ECAs and those who participate in sports.
5. Nettles, S. M., Wilfridah, M., & Jones, D. S. (2000). Understanding Resilience: The
Role of Social Resources. Journal of Education for Students Placed at Risk, 5(1&2),
47-60.
Using the resilience literature as a theoretical framework, this article discusses
research on the influence of social resources such as parent, teacher, and school
support on the resilient outcomes of children and adolescents. Findings from
several projects conducted at the Center for Research on the Education of
Students Placed At Risk indicate that access to social resources such as caring
parents who have high expectations for their children and are involved in their
children's schooling, participation in extracurricular activities (e.g., after-school
sports), and supportive relationships with teachers have positive benefits for
students' academic performance. This article also reports results that show
children's perceived exposure to violence has significant negative effects on their
mathematics and reading performance on a standardized exam. The findings
demonstrate the importance of social resources and highlight the need for
effective programs of intervention.
6. Gilman, R. 2001. The relationship between life satisfaction, social interest, and
frequency of extracurricular activities among adolescent students. Journal of Youth
and Adolescence, 31(6), 749-768.
The relationship between life satisfaction, social interest, and participation in
extracurricular activities was assessed among adolescent students. A total of 321
high school adolescents (Grades 9-12) were administered a multidimensional
measure of life satisfaction and a scale that assessed social interest. Adolescents
were also asked to list the number of extracurricular activities that they
participated in since their enrollment in high school. Higher social interest was
significantly related to higher levels of overall satisfaction, as well as satisfaction
with friends and family. Significant race differences were noted. Adolescents who
participated in greater numbers of structured extracurricular activities reported
higher school satisfaction. The relationship between social interest and actual
participation in extracurricular activities was negligible. Implications of these
findings, as well as suggestions for future research are provided.
7. Redden, C. E. (2002). Social alienation of African American college students:
Implications for social support systems. (Report No. CG-031-955). Park City, UT:
National Convention of the Association for Counselor Education and Supervision.
(ERIC Document Reproduction Service No. ED 470 257)
Quality of life at an academic institution includes students perception of the
university environment, perceptions of their cultural fit within the environment
and stress created by environmental context. African American students perceived
their predominantly white university more negatively than their white
counterparts. Understanding the environmental context and academic comfort of
African Americans in higher education is particularly important when personal
academic achievement is sought. Evidence suggests that African Americans
attending Predominantly White Colleges and Universities (PWCUs) experience
significantly greater levels of overt racism, feelings of isolation, personal
dissatisfaction and stress. If the environment at PWCUs is unwelcoming and
intolerant of African Americans it can lead to depression and social alienation.
Social alienation plays a significant role in adjustment to college as evidenced in
research. Research will be cited that students of social alienation are less effective
socially, had fewer friends, felt lonelier, and participated less in extracurricular
activities. Social alienation experienced at PWCUs is expressed and perceived by
the quality of relationships between the African American and White population
of students, teachers, counselors, advisors and staff. A lack of diversity in the
staff, social activities and academic organizations on PWCUs concerns people of
color and produces anxieties that can affect a student's ability to learn and
succeed. Included are accompanying power point presentation slides.
8. Dworkin, J. B., Larson, R., & Hansen, D. (2003). Adolescents’ accounts of growth
experiences in youth activities. Journal of Youth and Adolescence, 32(1), 17-27.
Retrieved from GaleGroup on 20 Sept. 2006.
Little theory and research exists on the developmental processes that occur during
adolescents' participation in extracurricular and community based-activities. As a
step in that direction, we conducted 10 focus groups aimed at getting high school
students' descriptions of their "growth experiences" in these activities. The youth
reported both personal and interpersonal processes of development. The personal
experiences included experimentation and identity work, development of
initiative skills such as learning to set goals and manage time, and learning
strategies for emotional regulation. The interpersonal experiences included
acquiring new peer relationships and knowledge, developing group social skills
such as taking responsibility and how to work together as a team, and developing
valuable connections to adults. Across domains, adolescents described themselves
as the agents of their own development and change. Youth activities appear to be
a context in which adolescents are active producers of development.
9. Eccles, J. S., Barber, B. L. (1999). Student council, volunteering, basketball, or
marching band: What kind of extracurricular involvement matters? Journal of
Adolescent Research, 14(1), 10-43. Retrived from Sage Publications on 20 Sept 2006.
We examined the potential benefits and risks associated with participation in five
types of activities: prosocial (church and volunteer activities), team sports, school
involvement, performing arts, and academic clubs. Our sample included 1,259
mostly European American adolescents (approximately equal numbers of males
and females). First, we explore the link between involvement in these activities
and our indicators of positive and negative development. Involvement in prosocial
activities was linked to positive educational trajectories and low rates of
involvement in risky behaviors. In contrast, participation in team sports was
linked to positive educational trajectories and to high rates of involvement in one
risky behavior, drinking alcohol. Then, we explore two possible mediators of
these associations: peer associations and activity-based identity formation. The
evidence supported our hypothesis that group differences in peer associations and
activity-based identities help explain activity group differences.
10. Larson, R. W., & Verma, S. (1999). How children and adolescents spend time across
the world: Work, play, and developmental opportunities. Psychological Bulletin,
125(6), 701-736. Retrieved from PsycNET on 20 Sept 2006.
The authors review studies on time use of children and adolescents around the
world and discuss developmental implications of population differences.
Industrialization and schooling are linked to dramatic declines in time spent on
household and wage labor. This labor is often unchallenging, sometimes
hazardous; developmental benefits often do not increase above a limited number
of hours; hence, reduction in these activities opens time for activities that may be
more developmentally beneficial. Adolescents in East Asian postindustrial
societies spend this freed-up time in schoolwork, a use associated with lower
intrinsic motivation but high achievement and economic productivity.
Adolescents in North America spend more time in leisure, associated with greater
self-direction but of an uncertain relation to development. Age, gender, and
socioeconomic differences in activities and with whom time is spent are also
considered.