VOLUME 23 ISSUE 1

The International Journal of

Early Childhood
Learning
__________________________________________________________________________

Bibliometric Analysis
The Influence of Extracurricular Activities on the Academic
Performance

ANTONIO LÓPEZ CASTEDO, LUCÍA LOMBA PORTELA, MARGARITA PINO JUSTE,

AND LUCÍA PUMARES LAVANDEIRA

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LEARNING www.thelearner.com

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ISSN: 2327-7939

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 Bibliometric Analysis: The Influence of
Extracurricular Activities on the Academic
Performance
Antonio López Castedo, University of Vigo, Spain
Lucía Lomba Portela, University of Vigo, Spain
Margarita Pino Juste, University of Vigo, Spain
Lucía Pumares Lavandeira, University of Vigo, Spain

Abstract: It is difficult to assess students’ academic performance because there are a number of factors that influence it:
intelligence, motivation, socioeconomic aspects, family, environment, self-concept, self-esteem, education reforms and
policies. For this reason, numerous studies try to define all these concepts involved in academic performance. However,
there are few studies on the relationship between extracurricular activities and academic performance. This research
study describes, through a bibliometric and thematic analysis of the scientific production over the past decade, the results
of these studies regarding the influence of different extracurricular activities on academic performance. The conclusions
of the study suggest that a moderate involvement in extracurricular activities is beneficial. In addition, the majority of the
research reviewed in the current study defends the benefits of sports activities, supported especially in terms of
prevention of cardiovascular diseases in childhood and adolescence.

Keywords: Academic Achievement, Extracurricular Activities, Out-of-School Activities, Physical Activity, Academic
Outcomes.

Introduction

O ne of the lines of research regarding extracurricular activities has focused on their

influence on academic performance of students. The first studies were published as early
as 1961, starting with Coleman’s work, titled The Adolescent Society. This study is
aimed at determining the characteristics of the scientific work that analyzed the relationship
between academic performance and extracurricular activities over the past ten years.
The literature suggests that participation in extracurricular activities may be positively
associated with a good academic, social, emotional and behavioral performance (Fredricks and
Eccles 2005; Ferris, Oosterhoff, and Metzger 2013). Therefore, extracurricular activities are
beneficial for both academic performance and psychological functions, besides favoring a lower
tendency toward substance abuse such as drugs or alcohol, and even a lower truancy rate
(Simpkins et al. 2005; Wilson et al. 2010; Rasberry et al. 2011; Cladellas Pros et al. 2013;
González and Portolés 2014; Guèvremont, Findlay, and Kohen 2014; Farb and Matjasko 2012).
Extracurricular activities can be defined as those which take place outside school hours. The
purpose of these activities is to support, complement and enhance both students’ academic
performance and their own personal development, along with other aspects (leisure, health,
values, etc.) (Moriana et al. 2006).
However, the association between participation in extracurricular activities and academic
performance varies a great deal when other factors are taken into account, such as families’
socioeconomic status (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child
Care Research Network 2004; Farb and Matjasko 2012; Dumais 2008; Catterall, Dumais, and
Hampden-Thompson 2012; Correa-Burrows et al. 2014; Covay and Carbonaro 2010), family
structure (Lipscomb 2007; Cosden et al. 2004), parents’ educational level (National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network 2004; Covay and
Carbonaro 2010), parenting style (Guberman 2004; Lagacé-Séguin and Case 2010), relationship

The International Journal of Early Childhood Learning

Volume 23, Issue 1, 2015, www.thelearner.com, ISSN 2327-7939
© Common Ground, Antonio López Castedo, Lucía Lomba Portela, Margarita Pino Juste,
and Lucía Pumares Lavandeira, All Rights Reserved
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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

with their peers (Fredricks and Eccles 2005), gender (Sinha 2010; Correa-Burrows et al. 2014;
Chambers and Schreiber 2004; Irvin et al. 2010; Ferris, Oosterhoff, and Metzger 2013), ethnicity
or race (Zeiser 2011; Baker 2008; Guberman 2004; Chambers and Schreiber 2004), environment
in which they live (Irvin et al. 2010; Ferris, Oosterhoff, and Metzger 2013), culture (Won and
Han 2010; Chen and Lu 2009), type of extracurricular activity (Shulruf 2010; Metzger, Crean,
and Forbes-Jones 2009), number of hours attending extracurricular activities (Derous and Ryan
2008; Fredricks 2012), students’ characteristics (Simpkins et al. 2005), etc.
It can be stated that both cognitive and emotional aspects may influence academic
performance (Vahedi and Nikdel 2011). Consequently, it is observed that certain skills, implicitly
improved through extracurricular activities, stand out: social skills, self-esteem, leadership, self-
discipline, persistence, self-management, responsibility, etc. (Wilson et al. 2010; Carmona
Rodríguez, Sánchez Delgado, and Bakieva 2011; Covay and Carbonaro 2010; Porres-Dausá
2013; Degé et al. 2014; Guèvremont, Findlay, and Kohen 2014). In many research studies it is
also noted that there is a stronger connection to school, a lower truancy rate and even less school
failure by those students attending extracurricular activities (Howard and Ziomek-Daigle 2009;
Dotterer, McHale, and Crouter 2007; Farb and Matjasko 2012). However, there are also studies
which do not find a significantly positive relationship between extracurricular activities and
academic performance (Shamsudin et al. 2014; Shulruf, Tumen, and Tolley 2008; Shulruf 2010;
Rasberry et al. 2011; Guèvremont, Findlay, and Kohen 2014).
Another aspect analyzed by various authors is the relationship between academic
performance and extracurricular sports activities or physical activity. Although there are
contradictory results in the literature, different analysis variables should be taken into account:
for example, when analyzing the benefits of attending these sports activities for men and women
(Ferris, Oosterhoff, and Metzger 2013) and different races (Zeiser 2011). There is also
controversy between research studies discussing such issues as substance abuse, the consumption
of drugs and alcohol among students practicing sports (Guèvremont, Findlay, and Kohen 2014;
Fredricks and Eccles 2005). In addition, there is no agreement regarding the positive relationship
between academic performance and this type of extracurricular activities (Dick 2010; Baker
2008; Rasberry et al. 2011; Lipscomb 2007; Gonzalez et al. 2014; Correa-Burrows et al. 2014;
Wilson et al. 2010).
In the literature review performed by Rasberry et al. in 2011, a total of 50 studies were
analyzed, finding 251 associations between physical activity and academic performance. Out of
these associations, more than half were positive, 48% were not significant and only 1.5% were
found to be negative. Therefore, despite not being able to state firmly the positive connection
between sports activities and academic performance, what does seem clear in this study is the
absence of negative relations between both variables.
All in all, among the numerous studies analyzing the relationship between extracurricular
activities and academic performance, the factors which influence both aspects seem to determine
the results reached by the different studies. This is mainly due to the fact that academic
performance is difficult to measure as it is influenced by many other factors such as: intelligence,
motivation, socioeconomic aspects, family, environment, self-concept, self-esteem, political and
education reforms, etc. (Carmona Rodríguez, Sánchez Delgado, and Bakieva 2011; Cladellas
Pros et al. 2013; Farb and Matjasko 2012).
Therefore, the performed study is immediately applicable, as it allows finding out the
repercussion achieved by the topics analyzed by the scientific community, as well as their
evolution, international impact or visibility, scientific collaboration networks, etc. It also allows
an objective approximation to a complex and multifaceted reality and new contributions to the
body of knowledge of scientific literature.

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 LÓPEZ CASTEDO ET AL.: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Method
The current study arises from a retrospective ex post facto design (Montero and León 2002, 503-
508) through a thematic and bibliometric analysis. Bibliometrics is defined as a set of techniques
and procedures used to study the nature and behavior of a discipline through the systematization
and analysis of various aspects of written communication (Pérez Serrano et al. 2003).
The purpose of this research study is to determine the characteristics of the scientific production
that analyzed the relationship between academic performance and extracurricular activities over
the past ten years.
To this end, a search has been conducted in three international databases: ERIC, WOS and
SCOPUS. The last two are interdisciplinary, whereas the first is specialized in education. The
terms employed were as follows: academic achievement, extracurricular activities and out-of-
school activities, and several combinations thereof were tried (“`academic* achievement´ and
`extracurricular activit*´ or `out of school activit*´”, and “`academic* achievement´ and
`extracurricular activit*´ or `out of school activit*´ no `university´”).
In order to carry out a selection of the research studies to be analyzed, the following criteria
were established: studies ranging from 2004-2014, published in English (because this is the most
commonly used language in high-impact factor scientific production), quantitative studies,
primary and secondary research studies, whose focal point, for the sample population, had to be
compulsory education and the topic had to be related to extracurricular activities and academic
performance.
Once the search was performed and the review of the results was obtained, the final selection
of the studies to be analyzed was conducted. Thus, out of 47 articles initially selected, a total of
30 were chosen for the analysis. The remaining 17 bibliometric analyses from different time
periods did not conform to our specific topic, within the scope of compulsory education, or they
proved to be reports for the purpose of information only.

Results
This review analyzes the results of 30 articles which examined the relationship between
extracurricular activities and academic performance. Out of these, 23 studies were conducted in
the United States, one of them makes a comparison between Korean and American students, and
the rest were performed in the following countries: New Zealand, Taiwan, Spain, Finland,
Germany and Chile.
In addition, over the period 2004-2014, the most productive years in terms of publications on
this topic are: 2005, 2010 and 2014 with 5, 8 and 4 research studies, respectively. However, no
study dating from 2011 and meeting our selection criteria was found. The journals which
published most frequently on this topic in the described period are: Journal of Youth and
Adolescence with 5 studies, and Journal of Early Adolescence, Journal of Research in Rural
Education and Trevecca Nazarene University, each with two studies.
Moreover, out of the analyzed studies, three of them do not specify the sample because they
are based on data collected by other reports (Sinha 2010; Simpkins et al. 2005; Guèvremont,
Findlay, and Kohen 2014), the study with the smallest sample size covers a total of 72 Primary
Education students (Lagacé-Séguin and Case 2010) and, the study with the largest sample size
collects data from 21,260 Primary Education students (Covay and Carbonaro 2010). Therefore, it
is observed that the sampling trend over the past ten years is to include less than 600 participants,
since most studies fall in this range, although the arithmetic mean is 3817.
Furthermore, a total of 24 articles refer to Secondary Education, 5 to Primary Education and
only 1 collects data from both stages. Primary Education studies were conducted mainly in the
United States (National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care
Research Network 2004; Simpkins et al. 2005; Lagacé-Séguin and Case 2010; Covay and

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

Carbonaro 2010), except for one carried out in Finland (Metsäpelto and Pulkkinen 2012). In the
case of the research study with data from Primary and Secondary Education, a comparison is
performed between Korean and American students (Won and Han 2010). Regarding the studies
on Secondary Education, 19 were carried out in the United States and the 5 remaining in the
following countries: Spain (Moriana et al. 2006), New Zealand (Shulruf, Tumen, and Tolley
2008), Taiwan (Chen and Lu 2009), Chile (Correa-Burrows et al. 2014) and Germany (Degé et
al. 2014).
The objectives set in each of the studies analyze the relationship between the attendance at
different types of extracurricular activities (Moriana et al. 2006; Zwart 2007; Shulruf, Tumen,
and Tolley 2008; Streb 2009; Irvin et al. 2010; Wilson et al. 2010; Sinha 2010; Won and Han
2010; Fredricks 2012; Degé et al. 2014; Correa-Burrows et al. 2014; Chambers and Schreiber
2004), while taking into account other aspects such as: after school child care (National Institute
of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network 2004),
relationships with their peers (Fredricks and Eccles 2005), children’s characteristics (Simpkins et
al. 2005), expectations of higher education (Dumais 2009; Lipscomb 2007), behavior problems
and school attendance (Metzger, Crean, and Forbes-Jones 2009; Denault and Poulin 2009; Dick
2010; Vitucci 2010; Knifsend and Graham 2012; Metsäpelto and Pulkkinen 2012; Ferris,
Oosterhoff, and Metzger 2013; Guèvremont, Findlay, and Kohen 2014; Himelfarb, Lac, and
Baharav 2014; Dotterer, McHale, and Crouter 2007), welfare levels (Chen and Lu 2009; Lagacé-
Séguin and Case 2010) and socioeconomic status (Covay and Carbonaro 2010).
The assessment of academic performance is usually performed through the average grade of
the course, cycle or stage (GPA: Grade Point Average) or through different standardized test
scores (TIMSS: Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study; STAR: Standardized
Testing and Reporting Program; ACT: American College Testing; TCAP: Tennessee
Comprehensive Assessment Program, etc.) for various subjects (Mathematics, Music, Language,
etc.). Despite the fact that all articles are focused on the same topic, many of them are aimed at
analyzing the influence of sports activities on academic performance, among other variables.
Thus, out of the 30 studies reviewed, 14 associated, to a certain extent, extracurricular physical
activity with academic performance, behavior problems or the use of substances such as tobacco,
drugs or alcohol. However, there are also 16 studies which analyze the academic performance
based on attendance at other school activities: tutoring, artistic activities, music, church activities,
volunteering, clubs, etc.
The 30 selected studies are analyzed as follows, grouped into three sections: first, the studies
showing positive educational outcomes for students who participate in extracurricular activities;
second, those pointing out negative aspects; and, finally, those studies whose findings are neutral.

Positive Effects

There are many studies showing that sports activities correlate with students’ academic
performance. For example, the study carried out by Moriana et al. (2006) with a sample of 222
Secondary Education students, concluded that attendance at private tutoring, academic
reinforcement activities or joint (sport and academic) activities had a positive effect on
performance. In fact, the authors stated that students involved in joint activities obtained better
academic results compared with those who only attended sports activities. This did not apply if
the data were compared with those who only performed academic activities. This research study
also refers to the adverse effects associated with enrolling children in too many extracurricular
activities, such as fatigue, loss of concentration, saturation, stress, etc.
Zwart’s study (2007) was aimed at evaluating the effect of participation in athletic and
musical extracurricular activities on the academic performance of 75 Secondary Education
students. It was determined that students attending athletic or musical extracurricular activities
had a better academic performance than those who did not participate in any kind of activity.

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 LÓPEZ CASTEDO ET AL.: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

This assessment was performed through standardized tests in Mathematics, English and Artistic
Language (STAR: Standardized Testing and Reporting Program) and also through grade
averages (GPA: Grade Point Average).
Similarly to the research study mentioned above, Correa-Burrows et al. (2014) suggested
that adolescents with greater dedication to physical exercise had better results in Mathematics
and Language compared to inactive students. In addition, it was noted in this study that only 18%
of the adolescents in the sample (620 Chilean Secondary Education students) were physically
active for more than four hours a week. However, significant academic benefits associated with
the physical activity may help promote and support behavioral lifestyle changes.

There is a vast amount of evidence indicating that physical inactivity in childhood and
adolescence is a leading cause of cardiovascular and metabolic disorders, as well as a
contributor to other risk factors, including obesity, hypertension and glucose alteration.
(Correa-Burrows et al. 2014, 1634)

Streb (2009) concluded in his research that there was a relationship between participation in
extracurricular activities and academic performance of the 492 Secondary Education students
tested. This author showed that students attending service activities (such as voluntary work)
obtained significantly higher scores on the University entrance examinations (ACT), compared to
those who participated in athletic activities. He also noted that participants in artistic activities
did not experience a significant improvement in these tests compared to those who performed
athletic activities. Students attending fine arts activities had significantly higher Grade Point
Average (GPA) than those attending athletic activities or service activities. Lipscomb (2007)
made a similar observation, stating that participating in any kind of extracurricular activity was
associated with 5% more expectations to pursue a degree.
Additionally, attending sports and dancing were associated with an improvement in non-
cognitive skills of 21,260 American students in their first year of Primary Education. However,
the relationship between activities and performance also varied depending on their family
socioeconomic status (SES) and, for students with low SES, it was translated into higher scores
in Mathematics compared to non-participants of the same socioeconomic status. As for those
with high SES attending sports activities, it was noted they obtained lower scores in Reading
(Covay and Carbonaro 2010).
Lipscomb (2007) stated that, regardless of the individual ability, athletic participation is
associated with a 2% increase in Mathematics scores, and participation in a club with a 1%
increase in the above-mentioned scores. This author also found that involvement in any kind of
activity was linked to 5% more expectations of going to university, although attending a certain
sport or club may lead to variations in results.
Ferris, Oosterhoff and Metzger (2013) examined the associations between participation in
organized activities, academic performance and behavior problems in a sample of 456 Secondary
Education students. These authors suggested that participation in academic clubs was associated
with higher Grade Point Average (GPA) and attending church activities was associated with
fewer behavioral problems. Furthermore, a distinction between boys and girls was carried out,
concluding that boys involved in church, arts and music had higher Grade Point Averages (GPA)
than those performing volunteer activities. However, girls’ highest Grade Point Averages and
lowest levels of behavioral problems were linked to participating in team sports.
The study conducted by Guévremont, Findlay, and Kohen (2014), also in the U.S., reflected
the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities at school and outside of school
and academic performance, social-emotional aspects and drugs, alcohol and marijuana use. The
authors pointed out that young people participating in extracurricular activities at school, outside
of it, or both, had better social-emotional outcomes. Students who did not attend sports activities
weekly, regardless of the context, were less likely to try cigarettes, alcohol or marijuana. The

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

weekly participation in sports activities at school was associated with a higher rate of grade
retention, and attending sports outside of school weekly showed a stronger link to trying alcohol.
Simpkins et al. (2005) used data from two programs: CAB (Childhood and Beyond Study)
and New Hope. Researchers analyzed these data to ascertain whether participation in
extracurricular activities and academic performance were associated with different activities
depending on the family and child characteristics. The study results indicated that attending
various sports was associated with a high performance level and low levels of behavioral
problems or criminal behavior. Thus, in both samples, sports participation is a consistent
predictor of academic success and of a low level of behavioral problems.
On the other hand, the thesis conducted by Dick (2010) examined the possible relationships
between participation in extracurricular activities and academic performance, school attendance
and behavior of 275 students from the U.S. It was concluded that, although there was no
significant relationship between students’ participation in such activities and school attendance or
behavior, what seemed clear was that participating in extracurricular activities influenced
positively on academic Grade Point Averages (GPA). In addition, it was also intuited that
students who did not participate in these activities attended school more regularly and those who
only practiced sports were more disciplined. Similarly, students from families with higher
socioeconomic status (SES) were more likely to participate in extracurricular activities, just as
white students compared to Hispanics or from other racial groups.
The research study conducted by Fredricks and Eccles (2005) examined the relationship
between attendance at school activities and indicators of positive and negative development
through different contexts of activities. The purpose was to test the association between
participation in extracurricular activities, relationships with peers and development. These
authors used data from CAB and claimed that participation in extracurricular activities was
positively associated with academic, psychosocial and behavioral performance, conclusions
varying according to the activity and results. Moreover, participating in sport and school
activities was associated with a greater sense of belonging to the school and with lower levels of
depression. Participants in artistic activities and academic clubs had lower levels of alcohol
consumption and more favorable perceptions of their peer groups.
Denault and Poulin (2009) reported in the results of their research that young people with
higher levels of participation were more committed to school and developed more positive values
towards society. Therefore, it was suggested that a high level of participation in these activities,
during early adolescence, was important for long-term achievements. Similarly, Dotterer,
McHale, and Crouter (2007) analyzed the connection between extracurricular activities and the
sense of belonging to the school of 140 African-American students enrolled in Secondary
Education. The authors determined that spending more time in extracurricular activities was
associated with higher self-esteem and a sense of belonging to the school, whereas watching
television was associated with lower self-esteem and a lower sense of belonging to the school. In
addition, the time devoted to doing homework was associated with a greater sense of belonging
to the school for boys.
Fredricks, and Knifsend and Graham’s studies, both performed in 2012, reflected that a
moderate participation in extracurricular activities provided a more positive effect. Knifsend and
Graham (2012) claimed that participating in few activities promoted the relationship with the
school and a good academic performance, considering how important it was that students felt
comfortable at school so that they could have an optimal academic performance.
Similarly to Fredricks (2012) and Sinha (2010), the study performed by the National
Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network (2004)
stated that children who participated in extracurricular activities during kindergarten and the first
year of Primary School, obtained higher scores on standardized Mathematics tests than those
who were less involved in such activities. This research study also pointed out that family factors
were the predictors of children’s participation in extracurricular activities. Therefore, as Dick

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 LÓPEZ CASTEDO ET AL.: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

(2010) noted, students were more involved in these activities if the family income were high and
mothers had a higher educational level.
Regarding the artistic extracurricular activities, the thesis carried out by Vitucci (2010)
determined that students participating in the school band had higher levels of performance than
those who did not. In addition, a 2012-Finnish study examined the participation of students aged
from 9 to 11 years, of both genders, in extracurricular activities, their social-emotional behavior
and their academic performance. This study concluded that participation in arts and music is
associated with greater adaptability, higher academic achievement and better work skills
(Metsäpelto and Pulkkinen 2012).
Finally, the positive effects of music were also analyzed in relation to the academic self-
concept in the study conducted by Degé et al. (2014). These authors found a significant
correlation between music lessons and self-concept.

Negative Effects

Not all studies which examine the influence of the participation in extracurricular activities on
academic performance are positive, for example, within our bibliometric analysis, there are two
studies which point out this inverse relationship.
A study performed in the U.S. carried out an analysis of the results and experiences of those
students participating in football and basketball games, compared to those attending other sports
or none. It was concluded therein that attendance at football and basketball games was related to
rather negative experiences and results (Wilson et al. 2010).
However, this was not the only study which focused on negative experiences related to
sports activities. The research conducted by Metzger, Crean, and Forbes-Jones (2009) examined
organized activity patterns and their associations with academic performance, behavioral
problems and perception of adult support. The results of this study showed that, on a population
of 2495 American Secondary Education students, community and sports are associated with
more behavioral problems (expulsions from school, delinquency, drug use, etc.).

Neutral Effects

Among the studies that showed a neutral effect of participation in extracurricular activities, the
study conducted by Won and Han (2010) should be especially pointed out, in which a
comparison between 5309 Korean students and 8912 American students was performed. Sports
were positively associated with academic performance of American students, but negatively with
that of Korean students. However, doing homework had a positive influence on the latter and a
negative one on the former, and yet reading books was an aspect positively correlated with
academic performance in both nations. It was also pointed out that the type of activity and its link
to academic performance differs by gender and level of achievement.
Fredricks (2012) examined the association between the amount and time spent in
extracurricular activities by 13,130 U.S. 10th-grade students. The author concluded that 3.3% of
the students said they devoted 20 or more hours performing extracurricular activities, while 35%
said they did not participate in any such activities. Although participation in extracurricular
activities was correlated with performance in mathematics, it was determined that being too
involved in these activities was not necessarily beneficial. Thus, enrolling children in many
activities does not always guarantee successful results because students may sometimes suffer
from fatigue, loss of concentration, stress, etc. (Moriana et al. 2006).
Moreover, the work conducted by Sinha (2010), which used TCAP, ThinkLink and GPA as
measuring instruments, noted that participants in extracurricular activities had better academic
results than non-participants, in both Mathematics and Artistic Language. In addition, parental
pressure and support along with participation in extracurricular activities are positive predictors
of well-being and academic proficiency of students (Lagacé-Séguin and Case 2010). These

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THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

authors established differences between children who participated in few or many extracurricular
activities, finding that parental support was positively associated with the welfare of students
attending high levels of extracurricular activities, unlike those attending few. As a result,
researchers determined the existence of negative interactions between parental pressure and the
welfare of students involved in a great number of extracurricular activities, unlike those
participating in few activities. They also found a negative correlation between parental pressure
and academic competition of the children attending a small number of extracurricular activities,
unlike those participating in many activities. Finally, the research study performed by Lagacé-
Séguin and Case (2010), also revealed a positive relationship between parental support and
academic competition for students who attended few extracurricular activities, but negative for
those participating in many.
The study carried out by Dumais (2009) focused on the influence of extracurricular activities
in Mathematics. The association between such activities and the following two variables is
discussed: Mathematics performance and expectations of going to university. The sample size of
this study included a total of 15,850 American students enrolled in the 1990s and 2000s. In this
study, a comparison between students from both decades was made, and it was determined that
Mathematics performance was positively associated with time spent with friends for students
from the 1990s, but negatively for those from the 2000s. However, the use of computers
increased Mathematics performance in both decades, as well as school activities regarding
expectations of going to college.
The time spent on private tutoring was analyzed in order to predict the academic
performance and depression symptoms of a total of 10,347 Taiwanese Secondary Education
students (Chen and Lu 2009). The results confirmed that these classes had a positive influence on
academic performance of young people. However, the time spent on these classes was also
negatively associated with psychological well-being. In contrast to this, the findings of Fredricks
and Eccles (2005) reported that participating in team sports and school activities increased the
sense of belonging to the school and decreased levels of depression.
Following the line of research focused on the relationship between academic activities and
students’ performance, the Secondary Education study conducted by Chambers and Schreiber
(2004) examined this relationship in 4382 American girls of different ethnicities. The authors
estimated that academic activities organized at school were positively associated with academic
performance, whereas non-organized extracurricular activities had a negative influence.
Therefore, it was shown that participating in academic activities was beneficial. However, getting
involved in extracurricular activities did not have the same impact for students from different
ethnic groups, school years or contexts.
In addition, Himelfarb, Lac, and Baharav (2014) estimated that attendance at arts, clubs,
sports and volunteering predicted better grades. However, private tutoring was negatively
associated with academic performance. The attendance and involvement in extracurricular
activities had a positive influence on the social-emotional aspect: stronger sense of belonging to
the school, less negative self-concept and higher level of adult support.
Involvement in school and church activities was analyzed by Irvin et al. (2010), who
determined that the students under study had better academic performance and higher
interpersonal competence. In addition, the variables related to gender and attendance at more
school activities, along with interpersonal competence were the predictors of a higher academic
performance. However, students attending community music activities presented a lower
performance.
Finally, despite there being a high number of research studies which find a positive
correlation between extracurricular activities and academic performance (National Institute of
Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network 2004; Fredricks and
Eccles 2005; Simpkins et al. 2005; Moriana et al. 2006; Zwart 2007; Lipscomb 2007; Denault
and Poulin 2009; Chen and Lu 2009; Irvin et al. 2010; Dick 2010; Vitucci 2010; Sinha 2010;

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 LÓPEZ CASTEDO ET AL.: BIBLIOMETRIC ANALYSIS

Knifsend and Graham 2012; Fredricks 2012; Metsäpelto and Pulkkinen 2012; Ferris, Oosterhoff,
and Metzger 2013; Correa-Burrows et al. 2014; Himelfarb, Lac, and Baharav 2014), a study from
2008, with a sample size of 555 Secondary Education students from New Zealand, determined
that there was no conclusive evidence of the effect of such extracurricular activities on academic
performance (Shulruf, Tumen, and Tolley 2008). However, these authors pointed out that only
the participation in team sports was significantly associated with increased performance in
language.

Discussion
Research in extracurricular activities and academic performance is a topic that has been evolving
and presenting new knowledge and variables which has influenced it over the years. The above-
mentioned data are aimed at providing a broad overview of this line of research over the past
decade.
The results obtained in this bibliometric and thematic analysis show that the scientific
production in the databases used is not very broad.
When assessing academic performance, GPA has been the most common form, although
scores obtained by students in different tests such as TIMSS, STAR, ACT, TCAP, etc. have also
been used.
It should be noted that most of the studies published in the analyzed period were performed
in the United States. As a result, it has become apparent there is a need for research of this topic
in other countries, so that the results obtained so far can be contrasted and compared.
There are basically two topics on which the analyzed studies are focused: the relationship
between the extracurricular physical activity and academic performance, and the one between
performance and other school activities (tutoring, artistic activities, music, church activities,
volunteering, clubs, etc.).
In relation to the studies on sports activities, there are certain controversies. Most of them
establish a positive relationship between these activities and academic performance (Moriana et
al. 2006; Zwart 2007), including an improvement in Mathematics or Language scores (Correa-
Burrows et al. 2014; Lipscomb 2007) or, in the case of the study carried out by Won and Han
(2010), comparing the benefits of sports activities for Korean and American students, concluding
that the results were positive only for the American students. However, 3 articles which
examined the influence of extracurricular physical activity on academic performance obtain
negative results. In these examples, students attending sports activities show lower Grade Point
Averages (GPA) than those attending artistic activities (Streb 2009), lower scores in Reading
(Covay and Carbonaro 2010), or negative results for only part of the sample under study (Won
and Han 2010).
Other studies associate these extracurricular sports activities with behavior problems. There
seems to be a positive association between team sports and behavior problems in women (Ferris,
Oosterhoff, and Metzger 2013); sports, academic performance, behavior problems and criminal
behavior (Simpkins et al. 2005); sports and discipline (Dick 2010); and sports, a sense of
belonging to the school and depression levels (Fredricks and Eccles 2005).
However, three studies make reference to negative relationships between sports activities
and other variables. On the one hand, there is a negative relationship between sports, grade
retention and alcohol (Guèvremont, Findlay, and Kohen 2014). There is also a negative
association between practicing football and basketball and the obtained results and experiences
(Wilson et al. 2010). And finally, there are negative associations between sports, school
expulsions, crime, drug use, etc. (Metzger, Crean, and Forbes-Jones 2009).
In short, there is no consensus on the benefits or drawbacks of participating in
extracurricular physical activities, academic performance or behavior problems. Despite the
previous findings, it is shown that the scientific production of the past decade is mostly in favor

23
THE INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LEARNING

of the participation in these activities (8 positive studies, 5 negative studies and 1 with results
which depend on the nationality of individuals). Furthermore, the consequences of physical
inactivity in childhood and adolescence are the most important reason to promote and support the
practice of physical and sports activities (Correa-Burrows et al. 2014).
With regard to the research studies associating the participation in non-sports extracurricular
activities with academic performance, the results are also controversial. In the context of the
analysis of the levels of student participation in these activities, it is concluded that a high level
of participation during early adolescence positively affects long-term achievements (Denault and
Poulin 2009). In addition, spending more time in extracurricular activities is associated with
higher self-esteem and a sense of belonging to the school (Dotterer, McHale, and Crouter 2007).
However, a moderate participation in extracurricular activities also provides a more positive
effect (Knifsend and Graham 2012), since being too involved in such activities is not necessarily
beneficial (Fredricks 2012).
Likewise, other studies on extracurricular non-sport activities have found benefits in terms
of: higher academic results (Chen and Lu 2009; Chambers and Schreiber 2004; Vitucci 2010;
Himelfarb, Lac, and Baharav 2014) both in Mathematics and Artistic Language (Sinha 2010);
welfare and academic competence (Lagacé-Séguin and Case 2010); higher Mathematics skills
(National Institute of Child Health and Human Development Early Child Care Research Network
2004); high expectations of going to university (Dumais 2009); greater adaptability, academic
achievement and work skills (Metsäpelto and Pulkkinen 2012); better academic self-concept
(Degé et al. 2014); and higher academic performance and interpersonal competence (Irvin et al.
2010).
Furthermore, three of these studies also reveal negative effects of participating in
extracurricular non-sport activities: Chen and Lu (2009) stated that the time spent in private
tutoring was negatively associated with psychological well-being; Chambers and Schreiber
(2004) noted that extracurricular non-academic non-organized activities were negatively
associated with academic performance; and Irvin et al. (2010) found that students attending
community music activities had a lower performance. Nonetheless, only the study conducted by
Shulruf, Tumen, and Tolley (2008) concluded that there was insufficient evidence on the effect
of extracurricular activities on academic performance, despite having found a positive and
significant relationship between attendance at team sports and higher performance in Language.
In conclusion, it can be deduced that moderate participation in extracurricular activities
produces positive effects on academic performance because, as shown by Moriana et al. (2006),
attendance at too many activities will cause fatigue, loss of concentration and stress.

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ABOUT THE AUTHORS

Antonio López Castedo: Professor, Educational Sciences Faculty, University of Vigo, Orense,
Galicia, Spain

Lucía Lomba Portela: PhD researcher, Education, School Organization and Research Methods,
University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

Margarita Pino Juste: Professor, Education, School Organization and Research Methods,
University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

Lucía Pumares Lavandeira: PhD Researcher, Education, School Organization and Research
Methods, University of Vigo, Pontevedra, Galicia, Spain

28
The International Journal of Early Childhood
Learning is one of ten thematically focused journals in
the collection of journals that support The Learner
knowledge community—its journals, book series,
conference and online community.

The journal investigates the dynamics of learning in the

first seven years of life.

As well as papers of a traditional scholarly type, this

journal invites presentations of practice—including
documentation of early childhood learning practices
and exegeses of the effects of those practices.

The International Journal of Early Childhood Learning

is a peer-reviewed, scholarly journal.

ISSN: 2327-7939