Advantages of extracurricular activities for rural environment students

Resumo

Extracurricular activities refer to the activities that students undertake outside the core school curriculum. They are characterized by a structure, an organization and adult supervision. The extracurricular activities are expected to enrich students’ experiences, develop their abilities, help them to face different situations, etc. Therefore, many research studies focus on identifying the benefits derived from students’ participation in these activities. The present study is aimed at determining, through an interpretative approach, the advantages of extracurricular activities and their relationship with academic achievement for rural environment students. The sample consists of 321 students who reside in rural areas and are enrolled in the 5th and 6th year of Primary Education. The results of the study show that the majority of students (92.8%) attend extracurricular activities, the most common being academic activities and sports (26.8%). In addition, both parents and children find participation in extracurricular activities useful (98% and 90.9%, respectively) and report that, for example, these activities promote self-management, self-responsibility, autonomy, organizational skills (15.6%), as well as social skills (14.1%). Finally, attendance at extracurricular activities is related to a higher academic performance in the field of foreign language learning (p=.040).