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Do Extracurricular Activities Help Adolescents Develop Academic Self-Efficacy? Evidence for How and Why

Previous research has linked extracurricular activities to academic performance for adolescents, but it remains unclear through what mechanisms they are linked. I posit that extracurricular activities lead to the development of academic self-efficacy, which in turn improves academic performance. This study examines the nature of the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and academic self-efficacy for adolescents. Using data from the Educational Longitudinal Study of 2002, I find that academic self-efficacy is positively related to participation in extracurricular activities. Results indicate that participation in a diversity of types of extracurricular activities such as in both sports and student government is also related to greater academic self-efficacy. Additional analyses reveal that this effect levels out and begins to decrease at high levels of involvement, when the adolescent is involved in a high number of activities or spends a high number of hours per week in extracurricular activities. Implications for adolescents are discussed.

Identiferoai:union.ndltd.org:BGMYU2/oai:scholarsarchive.byu.edu:etd-4267
Date15 June 2012
CreatorsBurr, Brianne Louisa
PublisherBYU ScholarsArchive
Source SetsBrigham Young University
Detected LanguageEnglish
Typetext
Formatapplication/pdf
SourceTheses and Dissertations
Rightshttp://lib.byu.edu/about/copyright/

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