1

Chapter 1

The Problem and Its Setting

Introduction

A student who only possesses intellectual ability in

academics does not define a responsible citizen for an

individual has the necessity to be equally talented in other

fields. Conversing outside the classroom acts as an

essential asset in honing one’s ability in terms of social,

ethical, aesthetic, physical, cultural, and psychological

aspects molding him to become a well-rounded being.

Establishing a developed personality then befalls enabling

him to face the world head on who elaborates the purpose of

creating activities that are not part of the basic

curriculum: the extra-curricular activities. These

activities can supplement and complement the curricular or

main syllabi activities acting as an aide to develop various

facets of personality development of a child and a student.

Guest and Schneider (2008) note that researchers have

found positive association between the extra-curricular

activities and the academic performance of the students;

however, a negative consequence can be obtained from this

optimistic connection. Entering extra-curricular activities

has caused conflicts between academics due to frequent

 2

absence in class experienced by participants to acquire

focus on their respective contests which results to low

academic performance. This difficult situation proves the

claim of the findings of the study conducted by National

Longitudinal Study (n.d.) which states that participation in

some activities improves achievement and can diminish

academic performance. This result has created confusions as

to how extra-curricular activities deeply affect the

academic performance of the students.

Being intrigued on the possible effects of extra-

curricular activities has made the proponents decide to

pursue a research on this matter. With this implanted in

mind, possible reasons on the advantages and disadvantages

of their effect are to be sought out and also the possible

solutions on the problems met.

General Problem: This study seeks to investigate the effects

of extra-curricular activities on the academic

performance of the students.

Specific Problems:

1. What are the advantages and disadvantages in

engaging extra-curricular activities in terms of academic

performance?
 3

2. What is the demographic profile of the students in

terms of:

1.1 Age

1.2 Sex

1.3 Religion

1.4 Ethnic group

1.5 Socio-economic status

3. What are possible solutions should the students

execute to maintain their grades despite frequent

engagement in extra-curricular activities?

4. Why some students immersed with extra-curricular

activities cannot maintain their grades?

5. Is there a significant effect of extra-curricular

activities on the academic performance of the Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students?

Null Hypothesis

There is no significant effect of extra-curricular

activities on the academic performance of the Science,

Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students.

 4

Independent Variable Dependent Variable

Extra-curricular Its Effect on the

Activities Academic Performance
of Senior High STEM
Students

Respondents’ Profile:

Age

Sex

Religion

Ethnic Group

Socio-economic status

Intervening Variable

Figure 1. Conceptual Paradigm showing the Variables of

the Study
 5

Figure 1 represents the conceptual model of the study.

The independent variable, extra-curricular activities, lies

in the left side. The dependent variable, the effect of

extra-curricular activities, lies in the right side. On the

other hand, the respondents’ profile in terms of age, sex,

religion, ethnic group which lies below the independent and

dependent variables is the intervening variable.

Significance of the Study

This study is significant for the senior high STEM

students who are involved in extra-curricular activities

through determining its effect on their academic performance

since extra-curricular activities are designed to be

balanced with academic curriculum. Every student should be

aware if there is a deceleration impact on their grades. The

benefits that are obtained in joining extra-curricular

activities are not being acknowledged anymore in the new

curriculum for the present curriculum only focuses in pure

academic aspects.

Furthermore, extra-curricular activities have also its

good effect for it can enhance the students’ skills and

abilities. Information about the advantages and

disadvantages on the students’ engagement in extra-

curricular activities as well as the possible solutions to

 6

maintain their grades will be also provided to apprise not

only the students but also their parents whether to decide

if the students will continue joining or the parents will

let them join extra-curricular activities or not.

This study is also beneficial to the teachers and

higher officials of the Department of Education in order for

them to take an action about the problems met regarding with

students joining extra-curricular activities, having low

grades due to frequent absences in the class.

Scope and Delimitation of the Study

The study is focused and limited only on the academic

performance of the students engaging extra-curricular

activities. Advantageous and disadvantageous effects of

extra-curricular activities are also covered in this study.

Specific academic performance on the students engaging

extra-curricular activities is based on their grades in the

second semester, S.Y. 2018-2019.

The research instruments will be given at specific time

allotment. The respondents will be given preliminary

questionnaires to answer in order for the researchers to

know whether they are engaged in a certain extra-curricular

activity or not. If so, those who are engaged in some

certain extra-curricular activities will be the respondents

 7

of this study such that they will be given the final

questionnaires as basis in gathering the data.

Only two sections will be used as respondents of the

study. They are all senior high students taking up Science

Technology Engineering and Mathematics (STEM) strand both

grade 11 and grade 12 of Sindangan National High School,

S.Y. 2018-2019.

Definition of Terms

To facilitate better understanding about the concept of

the study, the following terms are defined theoretically and

operationally:

Academic performance. This refers to the extent to which a

student, teacher or institution has achieved their

short or long- term educational goals. This is the

dependent variable wherein the average grades will be

computed in order to gather the data.

Extra-curricular activities. These are activities that fall

outside the realm of the normal curriculum of school

or university education, performed by students. In

this study, this is the independent variable.

Pilot testing. It is a small-scale trial, where a few

examinees take the test and comment on the mechanics

 8

of the test. This method will be used to test the

validity of the questionnaires.

STEM students. These are people studying under the strand of

Science Technology, Engineering and Mathematics.

These people will be the respondents of the study.

Survey questionnaire. It is a set of questions used in a

survey. This will be the research instrument in this

study in order to gather the data that will be the

key in finding the real result.

 9

Chapter 2

Review of Related Literature

This chapter presents the synthesis of the related

studies about the study. The concept and the use of variable

are also covered in this section.

Co- curricular activities vs Extra-curricular activities

According to the Glossary of Education Reform (2013),

Co-curricular refers to activities, programs, and learning

experiences that complement what students are learning in

school: experiences that are connected to or mirror the

academic curriculum. It is an extension of the formal

learning experiences in a course or academic program, while

extracurricular activities may be offered or coordinated by

a school but may not be explicitly connected to academic

learning. The two terms are often used interchangeably as

their distinction is ambiguous in practice. For example,

athletics that are most likely considered as an extra-

curricular activity can be recognized as a co-curricular

activity in other schools, while a science fair that is

deemed to be a co-curricular activity can be reflected as an

extra-curricular activity in other institutes.

 10

Essence of Extra-curricular activities

Extra-curricular activities are crucial in the honing

the student’s learning process for they are compulsory

activities which is important for every student to

participate. According to Khan (2018), they are designed and

balanced with academic curriculum so that every student gets

to learn beyond subjects. There are so many possible extra-

curricular activities that each student can choose one that

appeals to him or her personally. Activities range from

athletics, various sports, scouts, girl guides, debating,

music and chess to paramilitary groups like cadets (“Extra-

curricular activities are important for students,” 2013).

There are many benefits that can be obtained upon joining

these events. As The York School (2015) enumerated, such

benefits include social skills and relationship-building,

time management skills, exploring a plethora of interests,

developing self-esteem, and commitment which was also

elaborated by Mountain Heights Academy (n.d.) noting that

extra-curricular activities can help students succeed in

much more than just academic endeavors. Based on the study

conducted by Kariyana, Maphosa and Mapuranga (2012), it was

found out that educators held positive views about the

participation of learners in co-curricular activities as

they felt the participation was beneficial in numerous ways.

 11

Educators were also of the view that values imparted through

participation in co-curricular were important in learners’

academic performance.

Extra-curricular activities and Academic Performance

Impact of co-curricular activities can be of an aide or

of a detriment on the academic performance of the students

as supported by a study conducted by the National

Longitudinal Study (n.d.) which explained that participation

in some activities can improve achievement and can diminish

academic performance. This is also confirmed by Kariyana, et

al (2012) who stated that learners’ involvement in co-

curricular activities did not always guarantee learners’

success in academic studies.

As known by fact, advantages of co-curricular

activities in terms of its effect on the academic

performance are more recognized. Caldwell, Darling and Smith

(2005) in their study examining the association between

participation in school-based extracurricular activities and

adolescent adjustment among students from six high schools

noted that 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.

 12

An investigation of Craft (2012) in which it was

focused on the impact that participation in extracurricular

activities had grade point average, absentee rate, SAT

scores, and success on the Georgia High School Graduation

Test revealed that students that participate in

extracurricular activities have slightly higher-grade point

averages, SAT scores, success on the Georgia High School

Graduation Writing Test, and miss fewer days of schools.

Based on the study of Dulce, et al (2016) aiming to

find out the benefits of co-curricular activities of the

Financial and Management Accounting Students to their

academic performance, skills, attitudes and knowledge; to

identify the reasons in joining in activities; to be aware

about the benefits of co-curricular activities to their

academic performance; and to know the factors that affect in

joining co-curricular activities, the benefits of the

activity matter over the knowledge, skills, attitude and

academic performance. It also showed that their general

weighted average of 2.25 depicts a high academic

performance.

A study led by Buot, Ignacio III and Ignacio (2017)

scrutinizing the relationship between sports participation

and academic achievement of thirty-six (36) randomly

 13

selected collegiate athletes who participated in the

National State Colleges and Universities Athletic

Association Competition showed that there was a significant

relationship between sports participation and academic

success of the student-athletes. Sports participation

improved athletes’ perceptions on academic excellence,

mental processes and becoming more logical and patient.

Daniyal, Hassan and Nawaz (2012) as they conducted

their study aiming to establish that co-curricular

activities in which university students participate have a

positive effect on their academic achievements have found

out that according to the students involved in any kind of

sports, participating in dramatic and other literary

activities positively affects their academic performance,

while watching the television has also some positive impact

on academic performance. They concluded that co-curricular

activities affect academic achievements of the students and

this impact also depends upon those activities in which the

students are keenly involved; likewise, the study conducted

by Fujita (2017) determining whether the activities in which

junior high school students choose to participate influence

their academic performance, according to the students

surveyed, playing sports, watching television, and

participating in community service improves academic

 14

performance, while playing a musical instrument does not

improve academic performance. It was concluded that

extracurricular activities affect academic performance and

that the effect depends on the specific activities in which

the student is involved.

As elaborated in the study led by Caranto, David and

Olayan (2015) examining the effects or organizational

activities to the academics and social functioning of

student nurses from a phenomenological point of view of four

nursing student leaders, it revealed that involvement in

organizational activities is fulfilling. It could bring

stress and exhaustion to students but more importantly, it

gives students an opportunity to practice and polish their

skills that were taught to them. In addition, it creates an

avenue in which it gives experiences and learning to

students that they could use in the future.

Wilson (2009) illustrated the disadvantages of joining

co-curricular activities expounding that Students who are

over-scheduled in too many activities find that the benefits

of participating in out-of-school activities may decrease.

Overscheduled children may be tired, irritable and show

little interest in participation. Over scheduling too many

physical activities may result in some students pushing

themselves too far with the potential of having a serious

 15

sports-related injury as students may need time for

relaxation and recovery from intense athletic training.

She added that extracurricular activities often cost

money to participate in some type of arranged "pay-to-play"

fee. Whether it is paying the school activity fee or paying

for private lessons or trying to further develop skills at

summer camps, some families just are not economically able

to be involved with out-of-school activities. Caring adults

should consider working with the community to help reduce

financial barriers to participation in healthy

extracurricular options for students to develop team

building, skill development and opportunities for

leadership. When balanced with academic learning,

extracurricular activities may help students raise self-

esteem, develop school spirit and connect with the adults in

the community in a positive manner creating a good situation

for all.

Based on the studies mentioned above, a variety of

results were found to have of use to comprehend the concept

of this study. It was observed that the cause of the various

results of the studies were the settings of the studies; It

is anticipated that the possible outcome of this study might

be advantageous or disadvantageous as it varies from the

locale and participants of the study.

 16

Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics students as

the respondents of the study

The Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics

Strand offers the needed academic grounding for those who

intend to pursue tertiary programs that are geared towards

the physical sciences, mathematics, engineering and

technology. A unique feature of the strand are the

specialized subjects that prepare the students for the

tertiary program they intend to pursue. It has an immersion

subject that provides a venue for the application of the

knowledge gained in both the contextualized and specialized

subjects (1.1 Academic Program, n.d).

It is crucial for the students enrolled in this strand

to engage with extra-curricular activities. As explained by

Morgan (2015) which stated that for STEM education to be

successful, it needs to incorporate fun, be interactive, and

allow kids to tackle problem solving, rather than consist of

stiff, formal work straight out of a text book; however, it

takes a lot of risks for STEM students to join extra-

curricular activities. Based on an article from Trello

(n.d.) which featured the common causes of stress among STEM

students, the strand STEM deals with science, technology,

 17

engineering and mathematics which involves complex

structures which requires deep understanding. When a student

experience high levels of stress or chronic stress,

regardless of her age or grade, it can interfere with her

ability to learn, memorize and earn good grades as well as

to lead to poor physical, emotional and mental health.

The study conducted by Bellen (2017) which used STEM

students as the respondents of their study, determining

whether or not the activities in which Senior high school

students choose to participate have an effect on their

academic performance revealed that, according to the

students surveyed, playing sports, watching television, and

participating in community service improves academic

performance, while playing a musical instrument does not

improve academic performance; therefore, it was concluded

that extracurricular activities affect academic performance

and that the effect depends on the specific activities in

which the student is involved.

STEM students engaging extra-curricular activities

with regards to their academic performance is in big

question as to how they manage their time despite having a

hectic schedule. Providing that the effect depends on the

certain activities which the student is involved, the

 18

proponents are determined to conduct a thorough research

concerning with this problem.

Chapter 3

Methodology
 19

This chapter presents the methodology used in this

study. A comprehensive discussion on how the data will be

obtained, validated and treated is presented herein. It

discusses the research design, research locale, sample or

respondent, research instrument and the procedures of the

data collection and analysis.

Research Design

Qualitative design will be adopted by this research

study wherein the chosen approach that will be employed is

phenomenological as it can be of aide to describe the

current situation of extra-curricular activities with

respect to variables, conditions or situations. Qualitative

research will be used to obtain information concerning the

effects of extra-curricular activities to their academic

performance. The data will be collected only one time on

the survey completed by the participants. The data will be

analyzed to determine if participation in extra-curricular

activities has an impact on the academic performance of the

students.

Research Locale

This research study will be conducted inside the campus

of Sindangan National High School, located at Brgy. Dapaon,

 20

Sindangan, Zamboanga del Norte. The senior high STEM

students both Grade 11 and Grade 12 will be the respondents

of the study. The school is headed by Noralyn R. Sabanal,

School Principal I, and Dr. Nelia R. Bolivar, Assistant

Principal II.

Sample or Respondents of the Study

Participants will be recruited through purposive

sampling. The said participants are in the senior high

school STEM track which consist of 41 grade 11 STEM students

having 19 male students and 22 female students and 48 grade

12 STEM students having 16 male students and 32 female

students. The eligible participants will be those who will

answer on the survey that they have been joining activities

related with extra-curricular which will be one of the

queries in the questionnaire.

Research Instrument

The research instrument that will be used are self-made

questionnaires which contain dichotomous questions to be

answered by the respondents. There will be questions which

will reveal the frequency in participating in an extra-

curricular activity, the advantages and disadvantages of

extra-curricular activities and the common problems that

 21

students deal while being immersed on the said extra-

curricular activity. Pilot testing will be executed first

wherein the prepared questionnaires will be then examined by

the panel to finally validate it. After validating, the

questionnaires will be distributed to the respondents. The

respondents’ grades on the specialized subjects will be also

gathered as one of the basis to find the expected results.

Data Collection Procedure

The developed questionnaires will be administered to

the respondents in which they will be instructed to

carefully read and answer all the questions in the survey.

Afterwards the filled in questionnaires will be collected by

the proponents. The average grades of the respondents on the

second semester will be collected from their adviser.

Data Analysis Procedure

The answers of the respondents on the given

questionnaires will be analyzed comparatively with the

computed average grades in the second semester in order to

determine if there is a causal relationship between extra-

curricular activities and academic performance. The data

will be shown in graphs and tables to interpret it

effectively.
22
 23

Questionnaire

Name(Optional): __________________________________________
Grade &Section: ___________
Age: ____________
Religion: _____________
Sex: _________
 24

Ethnic Group: _____________

Socio-economic status: _______________

Directions: Read the questions carefully and answer it by

putting a check mark on the following choices.

1. Do you participate in any extra-curricular activities?

Yes

No

2. Have you ever joined school extracurricular activities

when a parent or teacher has told you to join?

Yes

No

3. Choose 2 or more activities in which you are actively

doing/ joining.

Journalism

Sports

Singing Contests

Dance Contests

BSP/GSP

School Band

SSG

If none of these, please specify: ________________________

 25

4. Do these activities act as an aide for the development

of your talents/ skills?

Yes

No

5. Do these help you become a sociable person, gaining a

lot of friends?

Yes

No

6. Do these help you avoid from smoking/drinking?

Yes

No

7. Do these make you feel motivated to study?

Yes

No

8. Do these increase your academic performance?

Yes

No

9. Do you maintain your grades in spite of joining extra-

curricular activities?
Yes

No

10. Are you not able to do your homework or projects

because of these activities?
Yes
 26

No

11. Are you experiencing frequent absences from class due

to involvement with these activities?
Yes

No

12. Have you experienced getting low grades because of

entering these activities?
Yes

No

13. Do you find it difficult to maintain your grades while

joining several extra-curricular activities?
Yes

No

[Link] extracurricular activities add to your stress?

Yes

No

15. Do you agree that some people who are immersed with
extra-curricular activities cannot maintain their
grades?
Yes

No

16. Is there a way to maintain your grades while joining

extra-curricular activities?
Yes

No
 27

17. Can time management be a solution to balance extra-

curricular activities and academics?
Yes

No

18. Can starting early with your works be of help in

balancing extra-curricular activities and academics?

Yes

No

19. Can avoiding procrastination be a positive factor in

balancing extra-curricular activities and academics?
Yes

No

20. Can learning how to say “no” sometimes to your

parents/ teachers help you lessen the stress in
overscheduled extra-curricular activities?
Yes

No
 28

References

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