Race, extracurricular participation, and academic success among high school girls: the role of teacher perceptions

Abstract

Previous literature has noted that an achievement gap exist for students of color. Girls of color are often subjected to higher rates of exclusionary discipline and are often perceived as being disruptive and promiscuous by their teachers and peers. Researchers have found that participation in extracurricular activities has a positive influence on students by promoting positive social interactions with peers and teachers, and thus has the possibility of positively influencing student academic success. The Educational Longitudinal Study was utilized to explore the relationships between extracurricular participation and student academic success, while considering how teacher perceptions and student race may influence these factors. Bivariate analysis found that participating in interscholastic sports and clubs was associated with student GPA, but participation in intramural clubs was negatively related to student GPA. These findings varied by student race. Multivariate analysis indicated that teacher perceptions and participation in extracurricular activities are positively associated with student GPA. Multivariate analysis further revealed that while club participation was negatively associated with teacher perceptions for Latinas, participation in interscholastic sports and clubs was positively associated with GPA after controlling for teacher perceptions. This study expands on the literature that explores how student race influences academic success, while considering how teacher perceptions may play a role.