Extracurricular Activities and Student Interest

Abstract

There is some significant longitudinal research on the impacts participation in extracurricular activities has on students, however very little research exists on the short term, day to day impacts. The purpose of this study is to look at the possible impacts of extracurricular activities has on students and their attitude towards school on a daily basis. Self-assessments, observational data and interview responses are used to measure these possible impacts on the participating third grade students. Student data indicated participation in extracurricular activities positively impacted students’ excitement and engagement in school. These results were not unilateral, but significant enough that future research should be conducted on a larger subject group to determine if these conclusions are valid.