CoChat
Sign Up
Cited by 0Youth Development and Social SupportParental Involvement in EducationSchool Choice and Performance

Participation in extracurricular activities predicts academic growth and mediates socioeconomic inequalities in primary school

Open access
Brunet, Lys‐Andréa, Rémeau, Margot, Houdé, Olivier, Borst, Grégoire·2026·British Journal of Educational Psychology
DOI 10.1111/bjep.70127
Open this paper in CoChat — free accountOpen PDF

Abstract

Background: Inequalities in achievement related to family socioeconomic status (SES) emerge early and often widen during out‐of‐school periods, partly due to disparities in access to educational resources such as extracurricular activities (ECA). Yet, the contribution of ECA to achievement trajectories and academic inequalities during primary school remains underexplored. Aims: The aims of the study are to explore the role of participation in ECA in Grade 1 on (a) intra‐individual change in academic achievement between Grade 1 and Grade 5 and, (b) in mediating the association between SES and Grade 5 academic achievement. Sample: We use a nationally representative sample of 14,513 French children. Methods: Data were collected on SES, academic achievement and participation in three types of ECA (music/dance, library and sports). We used latent change score and mediation analyses. Results: We found that ECA participation in Grade 1 was associated with better academic trajectories, with the effects being strongest for sports and music/dance participation. Family SES predicted participation in music/dance, library and sports activities in Grade 1. Participation in library and music/dance mediated 3.1% of SES's total effect in Grade 5 achievement. Supplementary domain‐specific analyses indicated that this mediation was stronger for literacy via library and music/dance participation, whereas sports participation was comparatively more related to numeracy. Conclusion: Extracurricular activities (ECA) not only contributes to the academic trajectories in primary school, it also mediates the association between SES and academic achievement. Promoting equitable ECA access may thus represent a lever for reducing educational inequalities.

AI snapshot

Written from the paper’s full text.

TL;DR

Using a nationally representative French cohort of 14,513 children followed from Grade 1 to Grade 5, this study finds that Grade 1 participation in extracurricular activities predicts better academic trajectories and partly mediates socioeconomic inequalities in later achievement. Library and music/dance participation mediated 3.1% of the total SES effect on Grade 5 achievement, while sports did not mediate once baseline achievement was controlled.

Key findings

  • Grade 1 participation in music/dance, library, and sports predicted academic improvement from Grade 1 to Grade 5: music/dance β = .08, library β = .06, sports β = .08, all p < .001; sports and music/dance had stronger effects than library (χ²(2) = 7.14, p = .03).
  • Higher family SES predicted greater Grade 1 participation in music/dance (a1 = .23), library (a2 = .18), and sports (a3 = .31), all p < .001.
  • Music/dance and library participation significantly mediated the SES–Grade 5 achievement association (indirect effects = .01, p < .001 each), accounting for 1.78% and 1.32% of the total effect, respectively; sports did not mediate (IE = .001, p = .558).
  • Supplementary domain-specific analyses indicated mediation was stronger for literacy via library and music/dance, whereas sports participation was comparatively more related to numeracy.

Methods

  • Data came from the Panel d’élèves 2011, a nationally representative French longitudinal study by DEPP; the initial cohort comprised 15,188 students from 919 schools, and the analytic sample was 14,513 children with data in Grades 1 and 5.
  • Measures included parent-reported Grade 1 participation in three binary ECA types (music/dance, public library, sports), family SES indexed by parental education and occupation via PCA, and standardized literacy/numeracy scores in Grades 1 and 5 combined into academic achievement indices via PCA.
  • Analyses used structural equation modelling in R/lavaan: latent change score models for intra-individual academic change and mediation models for SES → ECA → Grade 5 achievement, controlling for Grade 1 achievement, gender, and age; missing data were handled with FIML and Bonferroni correction was applied.

Limitations

  • The paper states: no detailed family-practice measures; SES captured education/occupation rather than income, material hardship, or neighbourhood deprivation; achievement was a composite literacy–numeracy score that may mask domain-specific associations; standardized scores were available only at Grades 1 and 5, so full trajectories and non-linear patterns across Grades 2–4 could not be modelled.
  • The paper also states: ECA was measured as a binary Grade 1 indicator only, preventing analysis of intensity, duration, continuity, or multiple participation; only three activity types were examined; non-academic mediators such as motivation, self-regulation, peer relationships, or school engagement were not assessed; unobserved selection effects may bias associations; and effect sizes were small.
  • Evident from the text: the design is observational and not preregistered, so causal claims are not supported; ECA and SES measures rely on parent-reported questionnaire items; missingness was systematic and handled under a MAR assumption; and because scores were standardized separately at each wave, the latent change score reflects relative standing rather than absolute curricular gains.

Model-written summary. Check it against the paper before relying on it.

Integrity signals

Registry

Crossref · 10.1111/bjep.70127

Cites

104 of 104 references verified0 citation errors · 0 not checkable

Statistics

Claims the paper makes

8 of 83 cited sources checked · 4 supported · 0 flagged · accuracy not yet measured

  • Premisecitation

    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).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim2 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Contreras-Osorio et al., 2021 source

      The Introduction (page unavailable) links executive function with school success and associates its development with sport. The Discussion (page unavailable) says sports can encourage emotional and social development and personal commitment, while section 4.3 discusses self-control. The paper examines sport interventions, not ECA generally, and does not establish the claimed adult-supervised pathway or outcomes of peer integration and school engagement. (LLM, conf=0.84)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Donnelly et al., 2016 source

      The Introduction links physical activity, executive function and self-regulation to learning, and the Conclusions report associations with academic achievement. But the Results state that no sports-program studies met the review’s inclusion criteria; the paper does not establish that structured, adult-supervised extracurricular activities foster persistence, motivation, peer integration or school engagement. (LLM, conf=0.88)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Eccles et al., 2003 source
  • Interpretationcitation

    Children relying more on libraries may also have fewer books at home.

    “Access to books is highly stratified by SES (Galea et al., 2025), so children relying more on libraries may also have fewer books at home.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Galea et al., 2025 source

      The Discussion reports that 10 of 13 studies considering SES found an association with the home literacy environment or child developmental outcomes. It does not establish that access to books specifically is highly stratified by SES. The suggestion about library use follows the citation and is the citing authors’ inference, not a finding attributed to Galea et al. (LLM, conf=0.80)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
  • Study design and conductcitation

    The study lacked detailed measures of family practices, which may independently shape academic trajectories.

    “First, although key demographics were controlled, we lacked detailed measures of family practices, which may independently shape academic trajectories (Lareau & Cox 2011;Xiao et al., 2025).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Lareau & Cox 2011

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Xiao et al., 2025 source
  • Findingown data

    Family SES predicts participation in music/dance, library and sports activities in Grade 1.

    “Family SES predicted participation in music/dance, library and sports activities in Grade 1.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Findingown data

    Library activities predicted changes in academic achievement from Grade 1 to 5 (β = .06, p < .001).

    “These ECA also predicted changes in academic achievement from Grade 1 to 5. Specifically, music/dance activities (β = .08,p < .001),library activities (β = .06,p < .001)and sports (β = .08,p < .001)contributed to academic improvement over time.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim
  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. 50
  • May combine two claims. 26

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    ECA appears more strongly linked to achievement among higher-SES students in other studies, potentially reinforcing existing socioeconomic disparities.

    “In other studies, ECA appears more strongly linked to achievement among higher-SES students, potentially reinforcing existing socioeconomic disparities (Dyer et al., 2017;Palou et al., 2024).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Dyer et al., 2017 source
    • cites Palou et al., 2024 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    High-SES parents tend to organize children's out-of-school time around formal activities, whereas working-class families more often rely on informal or unstructured contexts.

    “These parents tend to organize children' out-of-school time around formal activities, whereas working-class families more often rely on informal or unstructured contexts, reflecting differences in norms, constraints and institutional familiarity rather than lower interest (Bennett et al., 2012;Hjalmarsson, 2023).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Bennett et al., 2012 source

      The Social Class Differences and Financial and Institutional Constraints sections report more out-of-school structured activity participation among middle-class children and link the gap to financial and neighborhood resources, not simply lower interest. But the paper also says working-class children routinely participate in structured activities, especially religious ones; it does not establish that their families more often rely on informal or unstructured contexts, or identify institutional familiarity as a cause. Page numbers are unavailable in our copy. (LLM, conf=0.88)

      Experimental — accuracy not yet measured
    • cites Hjalmarsson, 2023

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    In the French context, parental occupation and education are particularly common indicators of social background in educational statistics.

    “In the French context, parental occupation and education are particularly common indicators of social background in educational statistics (Rémeau et al., 2025, Rémeau, Raffy, & Borst 2026, Rémeau, Schmitt, & Borst 2026).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Rémeau et al., 2025

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Rémeau, Raffy, & Borst 2026 source
    • cites Rémeau, Schmitt, & Borst 2026

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    Gender and age were included in both models for the academic achievement variables due to their influence on academic outcomes.

    “Gender and age were also included in both models for the academic achievement variables due to their influence on academic outcomes (Cioldi et al., 2025;Urruticoechea et al., 2021;Voyer & Voyer, 2014).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim1 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Cioldi et al., 2025

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Urruticoechea et al., 2021 source
    • cites Voyer & Voyer, 2014 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    SES index was positively correlated with participation in music/dance (r = .23, p < .001), library (r = .18, p < .001), and sports (r = .30, p < .001).

    “SES index showed positive correlations with participation in music/dance (r = .23,p < .001),library (r = .18,p < .001)and sports (r = .30,p < .001),highlighting that children from higher-SES backgrounds are more likely to engage in these activities.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Participation in extracurricular activities (ECA) in Grade 1 is associated with better academic trajectories between Grade 1 and Grade 5, with the effects being strongest for sports and music/dance participation.

    “We found that ECA participation in Grade 1 was associated with better academic trajectories, with the effects being strongest for sports and music/dance participation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    The mediation of SES's effect on Grade 5 achievement by library and music/dance participation is stronger for literacy, whereas sports participation is comparatively more related to numeracy.

    “Supplementary domain-specific analyses indicated that this mediation was stronger for literacy via library and music/dance participation, whereas sports participation was comparatively more related to numeracy.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Findingreasoning

    A pronounced regression-to-the-mean pattern was observed for Grade 1 achievement predicting change.

    “This is a common feature of standardized achievement panels but should be kept in mind when interpreting the magnitude and direction of change-related coefficients, including the pronounced regression-to-the-mean pattern observed for Grade 1 achievement predicting change.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Sports were not related to Grade 5 achievement and did not mediate the SES-achievement link once baseline performance was controlled.

    “By contrast, sports were not related to Grade 5 achievement and did not mediate the SES-achievement link once baseline performance was controlled.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Mediation analyses showed that SES influenced achievement partly through participation in music/dance and library activities, accounting for 1.78% and 1.32% of the total association, respectively, whereas sports did not mediate the link once baseline achievement was controlled.

    “Mediation analyses showed that SES influenced achievement partly through participation in music/ dance and library activities, accounting for 1.78% and 1.32% of the total association, respectively, whereas sports did not mediate the link once baseline achievement was controlled.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingown data

    Supplementary domain-specific analyses confirmed that sports participation was more strongly related to numeracy, whereas library and music/dance participation were more strongly related to literacy.

    “Supplementary domain-specific mediation and latent change score analyses confirmed this: sports participation was more strongly related to numeracy, whereas library and music/dance participation were more strongly related to literacy (see Supplementary Materials S1 and S2).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Findingcitation

    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).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Eccles et al., 2003 source
    • cites Fredricks & Eccles, 2006 source
    • cites Lipscomb, 2007

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductown data

    The latent change score model demonstrated acceptable fit indices indicating an adequate model fit.

    “The latent change score model (see Figure 1) demonstrated acceptable fit indices indicating an adequate model fit (see Table 3).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductcitation

    Model fit was assessed using standard indices: CFI values ≥ .90, and RMSEA and SRMR values ≤ .08.

    “Overall model fit was assessed by using standard indices: Comparative Fit Index (CFI) values ≥.90, and Root Mean Square Error of Approximation (RMSEA) and Standardized Root Mean Square Residual (SRMR) values ≤.08 (Hu & Bentler, 1999).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Hu & Bentler, 1999 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Among sports, arts and community service activities, only sports activities are related to GPA in American eleventh grade students.

    “Among sports, arts and community service activities (i.e.school-or community-based volunteering), only sports activities are related to GPA in American eleventh grade student (Camacho & Fuligni, 2015).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Camacho & Fuligni, 2015

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductcitation

    FIML with robust standard errors was used to handle missing data and account for potential non-normality.

    “We therefore used FIML with robust standard errors to handle missing data and account for potential non-normality (Asparouhov & Muthén, 2016).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Asparouhov & Muthén, 2016

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • The authors state this as an assumption: Data are missing at random (MAR).

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisereasoning

    Less is known about the role of ECA in shaping socioeconomic disparities during primary school in France.

    “Moreover, less is known about the role of ECA in shaping socioeconomic disparities during primary school in France, a non-Anglo-Saxon context characterized by pronounced socioeconomic inequalities in achievement and where extracurricular provision is institutionally distinct from schooling.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Sports participation is more strongly related to noncognitive skills among higher-SES students, and artistic activities show stronger associations for lower-SES students.

    “For example Covay and Carbonaro (2010) reported variation in associations across activity domains and socioeconomic subgroups, with sports participation more strongly related to noncognitive skills among higher-SES students and artistic activities showing stronger associations for lower-SES students.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Covay and Carbonaro (2010) source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    The sample includes students from diverse geographical contexts and educational sectors and is representative of the French school-aged population.

    “The sample includes students from diverse geographical contexts and educational sectors and is representative of the French school-aged population.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductcitation

    Academic achievement measures were based on scores developed by the statistical department of the Ministry of Education.

    “All academic achievement measures in this study were based on scores developed by the statistical department of the Ministry of Education (Fleury et al., 2022).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Fleury et al., 2022

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Parental education and occupational status form part of the standard 'big three' SES dimensions, together with household income, and capture complementary aspects of family resources.

    “These indicators form part of the standard 'big three' SES dimensions, together with household income, and capture complementary aspects of family resources (Antonoplis, 2023;Oakes & Rossi, 2003).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Antonoplis, 2023

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Oakes & Rossi, 2003 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Premisereasoning

    Fewer studies have investigated whether early extracurricular participation predicts intra-individual academic change during primary school from the beginning to the end of this educational period.

    “fewer studies have investigated whether early extracurricular participation predicts intra-individual academic change during primary school from the beginning to the end of this educational period.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    Gender was included as a control variable for each ECA score, given its effect on participation in such activities.

    “For the latent change score and mediation models, gender was included as a control variable for each ECA score, given its effect on participation in such activities (Meier et al., 2018).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Meier et al., 2018 source

      Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Supplementary domain-specific mediation and latent change score models were conducted because the main analyses relied on a composite achievement index combining literacy and numeracy.

    “Because the main analyses relied on a composite achievement index combining literacy and numeracy, we additionally conducted supplementary domain-specific mediation and latent change score models, in which literacy and numeracy were modelled as distinct, simultaneously estimated outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    Some studies among adolescents show no relation between ECA and achievement, while others documented a positive association.

    “Some studies among adolescents show no relation (Foster & Jenkins, 2017;Rees & Sabia, 2010) while others documented a positive association (Broh, 2002;Busseri et al., 2006;Cooper et al., 1999;Lipscomb, 2007).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Foster & Jenkins, 2017 source
    • cites Rees & Sabia, 2010 source
    • cites Broh, 2002 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductcitation

    A Bonferroni correction was applied to control for multiple testing, setting the significance threshold at α = .003.

    “A Bonferroni correction was applied to control for multiple testing, setting the significance threshold at α = .003(.05 divided by the sixteen tests performed in the SEM for the mediation analysis and .05divided by the fifteen tests performed for the latent change score analysis) (Bonferroni, 1936).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Bonferroni, 1936

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Disentangling developmental effects from selection processes remains a challenge in this literature.

    “Disentangling developmental effects from selection processes remains a challenge in this literature (Baldwin & O'Flaherty, 2018;Bohnert et al., 2010).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Baldwin & O'Flaherty, 2018

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Bohnert et al., 2010 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Breadth of organized ECA in preschool is positively associated with early cognitive and academic skills.

    “Finally, breadth of organized ECA in preschool is positively associated with early cognitive and academic skills (Ren et al., 2020).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Ren et al., 2020 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductown data

    Psychometric analyses confirmed strong internal consistency across grade levels and domains, with McDonald's omega coefficients ranging from .87 to .98.

    “Psychometric analyses confirmed strong internal consistency across grade levels and domains, with McDonald's omega coefficients ranging from .87 to .98.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    These results indicate that missingness could be explained by observed covariates, consistent with a MAR mechanism.

    “These results indicate that missingness could be explained by observed covariates, consistent with a MAR mechanism.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductnone given

    The panel was approved by the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS; visa no.2021A091ED), ensuring compliance with national ethical, statistical and confidentiality requirements.

    “The panel was approved by the National Council for Statistical Information (CNIS; visa no.2021A091ED), ensuring compliance with national ethical, statistical and confidentiality requirements.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Combining different ECA appears to be more beneficial for school success.

    “Although ECA contribute differently to achievement, combining different ECA appears to be more beneficial for school success (Cabane et al., 2016).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Cabane et al., 2016 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The music/dance indicator was defined in the original questionnaire as a single item; therefore, music and dance participation could not be distinguished.

    “The music/dance indicator was defined in the original questionnaire as a single item; therefore, music and dance participation could not be distinguished.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisereasoning

    ECA may either mitigate or reproduce socioeconomic inequalities, depending on activity type, intensity and contextual factors.

    “These contrasting findings suggest that ECA may either mitigate or reproduce socioeconomic inequalities, depending on activity type, intensity and contextual factors.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    ECA appears more strongly associated with academic outcomes among students from disadvantaged backgrounds in some studies, suggesting a potential compensatory pattern.

    “In some cases, ECA appears more strongly associated with academic outcomes among students from disadvantaged backgrounds, suggesting a potential compensatory pattern (Heath et al., 2018;Morris, 2015;O'Donnell et al., 2020).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Heath et al., 2018 source
    • cites Morris, 2015

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites O'Donnell et al., 2020 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    Higher scores on the SES index indicate a more advantaged family socio-educational and socio-occupational position.

    “Higher scores therefore indicate a more advantaged family socio-educational and socio-occupational position.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    SES-related disparities in academic achievement widen during primary school, particularly in mathematics.

    “These disparities widen during primary school, particularly in mathematics (Murat, 2024).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Murat, 2024 source

      Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    The effect of ECA on academic achievement has been debated with inconsistent results reported in the literature.

    “The effect of ECA on academic achievement has been debated with inconsistent results reported in the literature (Baldwin & O'Flaherty, 2018;Seow & Pan, 2014;Shulruf, 2010).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Baldwin & O'Flaherty, 2018

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Seow & Pan, 2014 source
    • cites Shulruf, 2010 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisenone given

    Few studies have tested whether ECA participation mediates the association between family SES and later achievement while controlling for baseline academic performance.

    “In addition, few studies have tested whether ECA participation mediates the association between family SES and later achievement while controlling for baseline academic performance, which provides a more conservative test of the contribution of ECA to socioeconomic inequalities.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    In French middle school students, sports activities are associated with better math performance, while library and music activities with better language and math ones.

    “In French middle school students, sports activities are associated with better math performance, while library and music activities with better language and math ones (Coulangeon, 2018).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Coulangeon, 2018 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim. May combine two claims.

    Premisenone given

    Much of the existing evidence on ECA and achievement has been produced in the United States and has focused primarily on adolescents.

    “Importantly, much of the existing evidence has been produced in the United States and has focused primarily on adolescents.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Premisecitation

    Sustained engagement in ECA is linked to more positive behavioural indicators such as prosociality, compared to increasing or declining participation in primary school.

    “Moreover, sustained engagement in ECA is linked to more positive behavioural indicators such as prosociality, compared to increasing or declining participation in primary school (Aumetre & Poulin, 2015).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Aumetre & Poulin, 2015 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    In France, SES-related inequalities account for 21% of math and 17% of reading acquisition by age 15.

    “account for 21% of math and 17% of reading acquisition by age 15 (OECD, 2023)”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites OECD, 2023 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductreasoning

    The parent-reported binary indicators capture access to specific structured extracurricular settings.

    “These parent-reported binary indicators capture access to specific structured extracurricular settings, which is central to examining socioeconomic inequalities in participation.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • May combine two claims.

    Interpretationown data

    Extracurricular activities contribute to academic trajectories in primary school and mediate the association between SES and academic achievement.

    “Extracurricular activities (ECA) not only contributes to the academic trajectories in primary school, it also mediates the association between SES and academic achievement.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductcitation

    Family SES was operationalized using parental education and occupational status, two widely used indicators of socioeconomic position in educational research.

    “Family SES was operationalized using parental education and occupational status, two widely used indicators of socioeconomic position in educational research (Antonoplis, 2023;Avvisati, 2020;Oakes & Rossi, 2003).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Antonoplis, 2023

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Avvisati, 2020 source

      Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

    • cites Oakes & Rossi, 2003 source

  • May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    SES disparities in primary school children are particularly pronounced in organized, fee-based activities (e.g. sports clubs), less so in unstructured daily activities.

    “recent systematic evidence in primary school children further indicates that SES disparities are particularly pronounced in organized, fee-based activities (e.g.sports clubs), less so in unstructured daily activities (Ziegeldorf et al., 2024)”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Ziegeldorf et al., 2024 source

      Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing). May combine two claims.

    Premisecitation

    School engagement and socioemotional adjustment are associated with both the level and change in participation intensity across adolescence.

    “School engagement and socioemotional adjustment are associated with both the level and change in participation intensity across adolescence (Denault & Poulin, 2009).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Denault & Poulin, 2009 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    SES index was included as a control variable for baseline academic achievement scores in Grade 1.

    “In the latent change score model, SES index was included as a control variable for baseline academic achievement scores, specifically in Grade 1 (Liu et al., 2022;Sirin, 2005).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 2 sources checked
    • cites Liu et al., 2022 source
    • cites Sirin, 2005 source

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Premisecitation

    Socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement emerge early in development.

    “socioeconomic disparities in academic achievement emerge early in development (Cioldi et al., 2025;Dearden et al., 2011;Garcia, 2015)”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim0 of 3 sources checked
    • cites Cioldi et al., 2025 source

      Checked before — its earlier verdict is held back until a new check runs.

    • cites Dearden et al., 2011

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

    • cites Garcia, 2015

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Parental education may shape ECA participation through cultural capital, educational expectations, knowledge of available opportunities, and familiarity with institutional settings.

    “Parental education may shape ECA participation through cultural capital, educational expectations, knowledge of available opportunities and familiarity with institutional settings.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Combining literacy and numeracy may have obscured domain-specific effects.

    “Combining literacy and numeracy may have obscured such domain-specific effects.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Study design and conductown data

    The mediation analysis showed good fit indices indicating an adequate model fit.

    “The mediation analysis (see Figure 2) showed good fit indices indicating an adequate model fit (see Table 3).”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    The study did not assess non-academic mediators such as motivation, self-regulation, peer relationships, or school engagement.

    “We also did not assess non-academic mediators, such as motivation, self-regulation, peer relationships or school engagement, which should be included in future research (Rémeau & Borst, 2026).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Rémeau & Borst, 2026

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductown data

    Measurement was limited to three activity types.

    “Measurement was also limited to three activity types, whereas other forms of enrichment, such as STEM clubs (Daraz et al., 2025), arts (Schneider & Rohmann, 2021) or school-based programs (Meier et al., 2018), may also support academic outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing), S4 (based).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Parental occupational status may influence participation through work schedules, social networks, and access to institutional resources.

    “Parental occupational status may also influence participation through work schedules, social networks and access to institutional resources that facilitate enrolment and sustained involvement in structured activities.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Classified as probably not a substantial claim.

    Interpretationown data

    Library and music/dance participation have potential as equity-oriented policy levers.

    “Our mediation analyses further indicate that library and music/dance participation partly mediate the SES-achievement association, highlighting their potential as equity-oriented policy levers.”
    Quote in the paperSubstantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductnone given

    SES was operationalized using parental education and occupational status, which capture family socio-educational and socio-occupational position rather than income, material hardship or neighbourhood deprivation.

    “Relatedly, SES was operationalized using parental education and occupational status, which capture family socio-educational and socio-occupational position rather than income, material hardship or neighbourhood deprivation.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    Because SES was indexed by parental education and occupational status, the associations may reflect socio-educational and socio-occupational mechanisms rather than income alone.

    “Because SES was indexed in the present study by parental education and occupational status, these associations may reflect socio-educational and socio-occupational mechanisms rather than income alone.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    Unobserved selection effects may bias associations, as self-selection driven by motivation, parental aspirations or access constraints could confound results.

    “Fourth, unobserved selection effects may bias associations, as self-selection driven by motivation, parental aspirations or access constraints could confound results (Carbonaro & Maloney, 2019).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Carbonaro & Maloney, 2019 source

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S2 (checkable).

    Interpretationown data

    Improving access to library and music/dance activities may help reduce socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes.

    “These findings suggest that improving access to library and music/dance activities may help reduce socioeconomic disparities in educational outcomes.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Study design and conductcitation

    Achievement was operationalized as a composite literacy-numeracy score, which may mask domain-specific associations.

    “Second, achievement was operationalized as a composite literacy-numeracy score, which may mask domain-specific associations, such as stronger links between sports and mathematics (Owen et al., 2024).”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim0 of 1 sources checked
    • cites Owen et al., 2024

      Couldn’t be matched to a paper in Crossref, so it can’t be checked.

  • Probably not a substantial claim: may not pass S3 (load-bearing).

    Interpretationreasoning

    The binary sports category may include children with very different levels of involvement, ranging from one low-intensity weekly activity to multiple organized or competitive sports.

    “This limitation is particularly relevant for sports participation, as the same binary category may include children with very different levels of involvement, ranging from one low-intensity weekly activity to multiple organized or competitive sports.”
    Quote in the paperNot a substantial claim
63 of 63

  • The authors state this as an assumption.

    Data are missing at random (MAR).

    “To assess the plausibility of the Missing At Random (MAR) assumption”
    “Under this assumption, full information maximum likelihood (FIML) estimation yields unbiased parameter estimates”
1 of 1

Statistics recomputed

Every reported test result, recomputed from its test statistic and degrees of freedom. A result shows as not adding up only once an independent check has confirmed it.

  • Consistentχ²(2) = 7.14reported p = .03 · recomputed p = .028

    “χ 2 (2) = 7.14, p = .03”

  • Consistentχ²(2) = 4.55reported p = .1 · recomputed p = .103

    “χ 2 (2) = 4.55, p = .10”

2 of 2

Self-check

Percentages, sums and reported differences re-computed from the paper’s own numbers.

Each contradiction between two passages listed here was confirmed by an independent check.

  • School-type missing percentage does not match its count

    Minor

    The four school-type counts sum to the analytical sample of 14,513. The 3,514 students with missing school type therefore represent 24.21%, not 24.60%.

    Reported 24.6 · recomputed 24.212775

  • Reported SES correlations disagree with Table 2

    Minor

    The results give SES correlations of .18 with library participation and .30 with sports participation; the corresponding Table 2 entries are .17 and .32.

  • Tables give different mean ages for the same Grade 5 students

    Minor

    Table 1 gives a mean age of 10.50 years for 13,126 students, while Table 2 gives 11.50 years for its age variable, also with N = 13,126.

3 of 3

Cites

Flagged first, then by citations

Research works printed but not linked: 10

  1. 10.3102/0034654317745840 · DOI
  2. Bonferroni C., 1936, Teoria statistica delle classi e calcolo delle probabilità, Pubblicazioni del R. Istituto Superiore di Scienze Economiche e Commerciali di Firenze, 8, 3
  3. Bourdieu P., 1973, Knowledge, education, and cultural change
  4. Daraz U., 2025, Beyond the classroom: The impact of extracurricular STEM programs on student engagement and achievement, Journal of Social Signs Review, 3, 128
  5. Hoppers W., 2006, Non‐formal education and basic education reform: A conceptual review
  6. Lareau A., 2003, Unequal childhoods: Class, race, and family life
  7. Lareau A., 2011, Social class and the transition to adulthood, Social class and changing families in an unequal America, 134, 134
  8. R Core Team, 2023, R: A language and environment for statistical computing
  9. Snellman K., 2015, Inequity outside the classroom: Growing class differences in participation in extracurricular activities, Voices in Urban Education, 40, 7
  10. Stanfield A. G., 2013, The relationship between school library circulation and student achievement in reading: A multilevel analysis, School Library Research, 16, 1

Cited by

Still being checked.

Related

Authors
Brunet, L., Rémeau, M., Houdé, O., & Borst, G.
Affiliations
Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique (FR)
Corresponding author
  • Brunet, Lys‐Andréa
  • Rémeau, Margot
ORCID
Venue
British Journal of Educational Psychology
Publisher
Wiley
Published
2026-09-17
ISSN
  • 0007-0998 (ISSN-L)
  • 2044-8279
DOI
10.1111/bjep.70127
OpenAlex
W7213547729
Cited by
0
References
71
FWCI
0.00
Type
journal article
Language
en
Open access
Licence
Locations
  • British Journal of Educational Psychology (publishedVersion, cc-by-nc)
  • PubMed (publishedVersion)
Funders
Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR-21-ESRE-0034)
Topics
  • Social Sciences › Safety Research › Youth Development and Social Support
  • Social Sciences › Education › Parental Involvement in Education
  • Social Sciences › Education › School Choice and Performance
Keywords
extracurricular activities, socioeconomic status, educational inequality, academic performance, elementary school, mediation, sports participation, library participation, literacy, numeracy, achievement trajectories, early childhood

About these checks

Registry, retraction, Cites and statistics results are computed, not judged, with one exception: a printed reference that no index lists is read once by a model before it counts as a citation error. Claims are extracted by a model and kept only when their quote appears verbatim in the text; each cited source is then checked, with a model’s help, for whether it says what the claim relies on. Those verdicts can be wrong — read the claim’s quote and the cited source before relying on one.

Claims read by deepseek-v4.1-flash under definition version 3 (extract-v3) on 2026-11-03.

Classified by jev-1.13-20260917 (gold-guideline-v0.2) on 2026-11-03.

Cited sources are checked by gpt-6-sol.

Statistics and arithmetic are recomputed, not judged.

Confidence bands are shown only for fields calibrated on our annotated test set. None is calibrated yet, so no band is shown.

What counts as a claim ›How we measure confidence ›How we check this ›

Are you an author, or do you see a problem with this page? Request a review