Involving in Extracurricular Activities - Essay Example

How does being Involved in Extracurricular Activities Influence the Development of Social Skills in School Aged Children? Howdoes being Involved in Extracurricular Activities Influence the Development of Social Skills in School Aged Children? Introduction Psychologists have sought to understand how extracurricular activities contribute to the social development of school-aged children. In many American schools, extracurricular activities are integrated with curricular activities allowing students to actively participate in a diverse range of activities such as sports, dance clubs, drama, and music. The research question in this literature review, “how does being involved in extracurricular activities influence the development of social skills in school aged children?” Worth noting is the fact that the school environment contributes positively to the social development of students. In the past, researchers have highlighted that extracurricular activities contribute to the development of social skills among students (Fletcher, Nickersan, & Wright, 2003). It is important to highlight the specific ways in which extracurricular activities promote social growth. This literature review will give a critical analysis of past studies that have evaluated the potential social benefits of extracurricular activities. Literature Review Gilman (2004) offered a critical review of how extracurricular activities contributed to both academic and personal-social variables. In his review, Gilman was keen to highlight that active engagement is of critical importance in the positive mental health of adolescents. Extracurricular activities are school sponsored activities such as sports, drama and music events scheduled for different times during the school terms. Many schools offer structured extracurricular activities with the guidance of competent individuals. For example, different sports have coaches and supervisors that give students guidelines and effective training. Gilman explores the benefits of structured extracurricular activities. According to him, structured extracurricular activities serve to foster a sense of belongingness, a factor that contributes positively to both their academic and social lives. Gilman highlights that active engagement in such activities serves to promote the emotional wellbeing of students. It is evident that emotionally stable students are more likely to engage in constructive socialization. Moreover, structured extracurricular activities promote teamwork and collaboration. Therefore, students learn how to work together and how to appreciate the strengths and weaknesses of their peers. Belonging to a team in extracurricular activities also promotes effective interpersonal skills as the young people strive to achieve their goals (Moriana, Alcala, Pino, & Ruiz, 2006). An outstanding strength of Gilman’s work is that it presents a critical review of existing literature highlighting previous researches on extracurricular activities and their contribution to the social wellbeing of students. A longitudinal study conducted by Wagnsson, Lindwall, and Gustafsson (2014) sought to determine the existing associations between participation in sports and self-esteem among adolescents. These authors agree with Gilman’s view that participation in extracurricular activities has positive outcomes in the social development of students. The authors relied on three cohorts of the students’ age of between 10-12 in the first cohort, 13-15 in the second, and 16-18 year in the third cohort. The total number of participants in their study was 1,358. The findings from the study reveal that there was a positive relationship between participation in sports and the development of self-esteem. The three cohorts represented three different phases of human development when students develop different types of social skills. The authors noted that there was a variation between the levels of self-esteem acquired from participation in sports in the three cohorts. In later adolescence, there was a subsequent decline in the level of self-esteem and perceived sports competence. However, the study supports the view that participation in extracurricular activities such as sports can boost self-esteem in school going children. Self-esteem is of critical importance and a precondition for positive socialization. One of the limitations of the studies is that it relied on an extremely large sample. However, the developmental approach used that focused on the different stages of human development was an outstanding strength of the study. Fredricks and Eccles (2006) conducted a concurrent and longitudinal study to determine whether extracurricular participation presented any beneficial outcomes. The study focused on high school students and identified a sample comprising of African Americans and European Americans. The diverse sample selected for the study reflects the strategy used by the authors in determining whether different ethnic groups benefited differently from extracurricular activities. The focus was on grade eleven students and the extracurricular activities brought into focus were school clubs and pro-social activities. Findings from the study revealed that participation in the extracurricular activities boosted the social skills of students and presented both psychological and behavioral outcomes. The study supports the opinion of other authors that extracurricular activities present the student with a diverse range of benefits. Students who participate in extracurricular activities benefit immensely registering a higher level of interpersonal skills, teamwork, self-esteem, and other behavioral outcomes (Broh, 2002). An outstanding strength of the study is that it focused on a diverse sample and revealed that students of different ethnic groups can benefit immensely from participating in extracurricular activities. Mason and his colleagues (2009) carried out a study to determine the participation of adolescents in extracurricular activities as one of the factors that defined the social environment of adolescents. The study recruited 332 adolescents who were asked to describe their participation in different activities, one of them is extracurricular activities such as organized sports teams, and school clubs. The study revealed that teenagers who participated in a diverse range of activities were less likely to develop mental health conditions. Such students exhibited a healthy social environment defined by participation in resourceful organized extracurricular activities. The activities helped the students develop basic social skills a factor that fostered positive social development in adolescents. Although the study did not focus on the school environment, it highlighted that extracurricular activities have the potential to contribute positively to the social wellbeing of school going children and adolescents. The findings of the study served to augment the opinion expressed by other authors that organized sports and other club activities in schools should be appraised for their potential to promote the social development of students. Valentine (2002) also conducted a study that sought to determine how out of school activities served to enhance self-belief in students, fostering positive attitudes that lead to higher academic achievement and positive social development. The authors sought to determine how extracurricular activities contribute to both academic performances and how they promoted a sense of belonging to the school. Extracurricular activities were given attention as school sponsored activities that took place within the school. The study revealed that extracurricular activities promote both academic and social competence a factor that reduces school dropout rates. It emerged extracurricular activities should be given attention as they can register desirable outcomes in the social development of students. Students do not only participate in extracurricular activities for fun, but also gain essential skills from participation. If students are to register more benefits, schools face the compulsion of including more extracurricular activities in the school system (Marsh & Kleitman, 2003). Extracurricular activities had the potential to promote self-concept and self-esteem aspects that are of critical importance in the socialization process. Students who have a positive image of themselves exhibit high levels of self-esteem are more likely to excel in the social domain. Conclusion Evidently, extracurricular activities have numerous benefits to students. Participation in such activities helps students develop a sense of self-esteem, a factor that promotes positive socialization. Organized extracurricular activities also foster teamwork and place emphasis on the need for effective collaboration, aspects that contribute positively to the social development of students (Coatsworth & Conroy, 2006). All students can benefit immensely by participating in different extracurricular activities. All the studies described above reveal extracurricular activities foster social development in different developmental stages. References Broh, B. A. (2002). Linking Extracurricular Programming to Academic Achievement: Who Benefits and Why?. Sociology of Education, (1). 69. Coatsworth, J.D., & Conroy, D.E. (2006). Enhancing the selfesteem of youth swimmers through coach training: Gender and age effects. Psychology of Sport and Exercise, 7(2), 173–192. Fletcher, A. C., Nickersan, P., & Wright, K. L. (2003). Structured leisure activities in middle childhood: Links to well-being. Journal of Community Psychology, 31(6), 641.doi:10.1002/jcop.10075. Fredricks, J. A., & Eccles, J. S. (2006). Is Extracurricular Participation Associated with Beneficial Outcomes? Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations. Developmental Psychology, 42(4), 698-713. Gilman, R. L. (2004). Structured extracurricular activities among adolescents: Findings and implications for school psychologists. Psychology In The Schools, 41(1), 31-41. Marsh, H.W., & Kleitman, S. (2003). School athletic participation:Mostly gain with little pain. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 25(2), 205–228. Mason, M. J., Schmidt, C., Abraham, A., Walker, L., & Tercyak, K. (2009). Adolescents’ Social Environment and Depression: Social Networks, Extracurricular Activity, and Family Relationship Influences. Journal of Clinical Psychology In Medical Settings, 16(4), 346-354. doi:10.1007/s10880-009-9169-4 Moriana, J. A., Alcala, A. R., Pino, J. J. & Ruiz, R. (2006). Extracurricular activities and academic performance in secondary students. Journal of Research in Educational Psychology, 8(4), 35-46. Valentine, J. L. (2002). Out-of-School Activities and Academic Achievement: The Mediating Role of Self-Beliefs. Educational Psychologist, 37(4), 245-256. Wagnsson, S., Lindwall, M., & Gustafsson, H. (2014). Participation in Organized Sport and Self-Esteem Across Adolescence: The Mediating Role of Perceived Sport Competence. Journal of Sport & Exercise Psychology, 36(6), 584. doi:10.1123/jsep.2013-0137. Read More