Extracurricular Activities and Adolescent Development
Abstract
In this article, we summarize: (a) the arguments linking participation in structured leisure activities to positive youth development, (b) our findings on the association of extracurricular activity involvement with both educational and risky behavior outcomes during adolescence and young adulthood, and (c) our findings regarding possible mediating mechanisms of these associations. Participants in most extracurricular activities achieved better educational outcomes than non‐participants even after controlling for social class, gender, and intellectual aptitude. Participation in service and religious activities predicted lower rates of drinking and drug use. Participation on school sports teams predicted both better educational outcomes and higher rates of drinking. The mediating mechanisms we discuss relate to identity formation, peer group membership, and attachment to non‐familial adults .
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ECA may support achievement by providing structured, adult-supervised contexts that foster self-regulation, persistence, motivation, peer integration and school engagement.
“ECA may support achievement by providing structured, adult-supervised contexts that foster self-regulation, persistence, motivation, peer integration and school engagement (Contreras-Osorio et al., 2021;Donnelly et al., 2016;Eccles et al., 2003;Fredricks & Eccles, 2006;Román-Caballero et al., 2022;Singh et al., 2019;Váradi, 2022).”
From Participation in extracurricular activities predicts academic growth and mediates socioeconomic inequalities in primary school (2026) · cites this paper as Eccles et al., 2003
Sports were not associated with achievement levels once early performance was controlled but remained related to academic change over time.
“Overall, sports were not associated with achievement levels once early performance was controlled but remained related to academic change over time, consistent with research showing that ECA relate more to trajectories and engagement than to point-in-time achievement (Eccles et al., 2003;Fredricks & Eccles, 2006;Lipscomb, 2007;Marsh & Kleitman, 2003).”
From Participation in extracurricular activities predicts academic growth and mediates socioeconomic inequalities in primary school (2026) · cites this paper as Eccles et al., 2003
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Brunet, L., Rémeau, M., Houdé, O., & Borst, G. (2026) · British Journal of Educational Psychology · doi:10.1111/bjep.70127
- Authors
- Eccles, J. S., Barber, B. L., Stone, M., & Hunt, J.
- Affiliations
- University of Michigan (US)
- University of Arizona (US)
- Corresponding author
- Eccles, Jacquelynne S.
- Venue
- Journal of Social Issues
- Publisher
- Wiley
- Published
- 2003-11-18
- Volume
- 59
- Issue
- 4
- Pages
- 865-889
- ISSN
- 0022-4537 (ISSN-L)
- 1540-4560
- OpenAlex
- W2086044761
- Cited by
- 1,450
- References
- 0
- Citations by year
- 2026: 47 · 2025: 50 · 2024: 61 · 2023: 57 · 2022: 50 · 2021: 73 · 2020: 120 · 2019: 106 · 2018: 80 · 2017: 80 · 2016: 88 · 2015: 79 · 2014: 89 · 2013: 71 · 2012: 82
- FWCI
- 50.43
- Type
- journal article
- Language
- en
- Open access
- closed
- Locations
- Journal of Social Issues (publishedVersion)
- Topics
- Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
- Social Sciences › Sociology and Political Science › Crime Patterns and Interventions
- Social Sciences › Psychology › Social Psychology › Recreation, Leisure, Wilderness Management
- Keywords
- extracurricular activities, positive youth development, adolescent development, educational outcomes, risk-taking, alcohol consumption, drug use, school sports teams, service activities, religious activities, identity construction, peer group membership, early adulthood
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