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INTRODUCTION

This section covers the introduction of the research study. It provides a background on

the topic of the study, states the main problem, shows how the theoretical and conceptual

framework were utilized, discusses the scope and limitation of the study, the importance of

the study, and contains a definition of the terms used and a review of the related literature to

broaden the study.

Background of the Study

Extracurricular activities are activities conducted outside the designated number

of class hours. The most common ones which were offered to Liceo de La Salle are

Student Activities Council (SAC), school publications such as Kapawa and Berdeng

Parola, sports, clubs, theatre, choral, dance, and religious organizations. These activities

promote school connectedness, application of skills in real-life situations, and the

development of the student. According to Republic Act No. 10533, engaging and

participating in these activities are not mandatory and will not be included in the grade

percentage of the students.

There has been a considerable amount of research devoted to studying the

relationship between student involvement in activities and student academic achievement. A

positive correlation has been shown in many of these studies and there are many perceived

benefits that extracurricular activities can give. On the contrary, educators who believe in the

academic perspective argue that time spent away from the classroom decreases the student's
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chances for success. Even those activities that don't require the loss of classroom time are

perceived to take away study time.

Moreover, since the integration of extracurricular activities in the educational system,

students are presented with the infamous time management dilemma. Managing time can be

one of the most challenging tasks for a student. Considering one’s physical, emotional, social,

spiritual, and mental concerns or issues and then allocating time to address each one may put

the student in an arduous situation (Career India, 2014). However, despite the possibility of

being in this kind of predicament, some students still choose to join their desired

extracurricular activities. This leads to the reason why this study is being conducted. The

researchers have observed that extracurricular activities had been deeply integrated with the

education system. Until now, these activities are still present in school programs and are

engaging a large number of students (Gallemit, 2017). This study will look into how

extracurricular activities can boost or limit a student’s academic performance.

The researchers would be studying the coping and management proficiency of Grade

11 STEM student of Liceo de La Salle - Bacolod City. The study would be focusing mainly

on the implications of a student’s engagement in extracurricular activities to the student’s

academic performance. It would also investigate the challenges that may or may not come

with it. The process would involve conducting a series of interviews with the students as

participants.

Statement of the Problem

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The main purpose of this study is to document how Grade 11 STEM students of Liceo

De La Salle find the balance between their academics and extracurricular activities. This

study aims to answer the following questions:

1. Why do students join extracurricular activities?

2. How is students’ engagement in the clubs encouraged or discouraged?

3. How can engagement in extracurricular activities influence the behavior of the

students in relation to their academic performance?

4. What are the problems encountered by a student joining extracurricular

activities?

5. What factors do students consider in choosing their priorities?

6. How do students balance both academic and extracurricular activities?

Theoretical Framework

The hypothetical establishment for looking at the effect that investment in

extracurricular exercises has on students’ accomplishment can be found in the Ecological

Systems Theory by the American psychologist, Urie Bronfenbrenner.

Based on the theory, the study of extracurricular activities has taken many forms in

secondary schools and made use of several theoretical frameworks. Although the targeted

theories are important, they are not enough to elaborate on the complex phenomenon of

extracurricular activity participation. They argued that an overarching theoretical framework

must be established in order to move the field of study forward in a unified direction. A

theory also stated that individual’s development could be affected through the different levels

of environmental influence.
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Ettekal & Mahoney (2017) proposed that this theory is valuable in guiding the study

of extracurricular activities given the complexity of the topic. Student participation and the

benefits they derive from that participation are the results of many different aspects of a

student’s environment.

Conceptual Framework

This study is directed to assess and decide whether the engagement of students to

extracurricular activities influences the increase or decrease of Grade 11- STEM students’

academic performance, A.Y. 2018-2019. Additionally, this study also aims to explain the

positive and negative impacts of students joining the different extracurricular activities in

school.

This study is significant for improving the understanding of the impacts of students

joining the different extracurricular activities in school. The students joining extracurricular

activities may be utilized to increase the students’ academic performance or the other way

around.

Schematic Diagram
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Figure 1. Schematic Diagram illustrating the negative and positive impacts of students joining extracurricular
activities in their academic performance.

Figure 1 describes the conceptual framework of the study wherein the input consists of

the following: the independent variable of the study which is the engagement in various

extracurricular activities of students and dependent variable which is the Grade 11 STEM

students of Liceo De La Salle Senior High School in relation to their academic performance.

The 25 respondents were selected through a purposive sampling with representatives from

each section of the STEM strand. Moreover, the process was done through a

phenomenological method of qualitative research, data gathering, the one-on-one interview as

the procedure used, data gathering method in where the researchers used open-ended

questions and video and audio recording, together with the analysis of data and the results and

discussion of this study. Towards the end of the study, the data was analyzed to identify the
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factors why students joined extracurricular activities, how it impacts their academics, and how

they manage and balance their time. The output is the effect of extracurricular activities to

students’ academic performance in a positive or in a negative way and their coping abilities.

Scope and Limitations

The study aims to determine how Liceo De La Salle Grade 11 STEM students A.Y.

2018-2019 find balance between joining different extracurricular activities and their academic

performance. The study is performed and conducted in the University of Saint La Salle –

Bacolod school campus on the month of February, in accord with the school’s calendar and

the allotted time given to the researchers. In addition, the respondents consist of twenty-five

(25) Grade 11 - STEM students with representatives from each section that had experience in

extracurricular activities. Moreover, the target respondents of this study are limited to those

students with prior experience in extracurricular activities. The study focuses only on the

effects of engagement in extracurricular activities on the academic performance of the

student. Other possible effects in other aspects of the students’ behavior or relations will not

be considered.

The analysis of the subject matter under consideration would be based on the answers

of the participants to the various items of the questionnaire that would be used by the

researchers during the interview process. However, the answers of the respondents are based

only on their understanding of the questions and may be inaccurate and contain errors.

Finally, the study is limited within the context and procedures that will be followed by

the researchers in the data collection. The conceptual framework of the study, as well as data

collected, will be employed in analyzing the data.

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Significance of the Study

The research deals with the difficulties of Grade 11 STEM students in finding the

balance between academics and extracurricular activities. The results of the study intend to

benefit the following:

To the Students. This study would help students to be aware of the positive and

negative impacts of joining different extracurricular activities in school pinpointed, and the

importance of it towards the student’s academic performance.

To the Parents. The study would help encourage the parents to understand the

positive and negative impacts of joining extracurricular activities in school. This study would

also help deepen the understanding of the parents of their child’s academic performance.

To the Teachers. The study would help encourage the teachers to develop more about

the understanding of the positive and negative impacts of joining extra-curricular activities of

research. The study would also help the teacher to understand the importance of their role

regarding the academic performance of the students.

To the School. This study would help the school to know, enhance and provide

protocols in line with the students joining the different extracurricular activities. This study

also would help encourage the school to understand the situations of students and the negative

and positive impacts of implementing different activities.

To the Future Researchers. The study could expose the researchers to problems

associated with the positive and negative impacts of students joining the different extra-

curricular activities in school. And the study could also act as a framework for future
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exploration by other students and as a reference to students who may be interested in bettering

the garnered results.

Definition of Terms

The following terms are applicable to this study:

Academic. It refers to being associated with an academy or school, especially of higher

learning. In this study, it is used to refer to the knowledge attained or skill developed in the

school subjects, usually designated by test scores or by marks assigned by teachers.

Extra-Curricular. The word “extracurricular” can be broken down into its roots for a literal

explanation: “extra” means “outside” and “curricular” refers to all of the work you do in the

classroom. So extracurricular activities are just activities that you do outside of class (Barge,

2018). In this study, it is used to refer to activities students usually participate in after school

hours and are usually done within the school premises.

Performance. It refers to the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action,

task, or function. In this study, it is used to refer to the actions done by a student or students in

the activity they are involved in.

Behavior. Response to external and internal stimuli, following the integration of sensory,

neural, endocrine, and effector components. Behavior has a genetic basis, hence is subject to

natural selection, and it commonly can be modified through experience (Starr & Taggart,

1992).In this study, it is used to refer how a student acts towards his or her academic life

because of the tiring activities they are engrossed in school.

Engagement. It refers to the act of engaging in any action or activity. In this study, it refers to

the student being involved in the said after-school activities within the school premises.
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Review of Related Literature

A considerable amount of literature was published on the concept of extracurricular

activities. According to a report from the U.S. Census Bureau (2015), fifty-seven percent of

children between 6 and 17 years old participate in at least one after-school extracurricular

activity. The report found that children were more likely to participate in sports (35 percent)

than clubs or lessons like music, dance and language (both around 29 percent). There are a

number of reasons why students involve themselves in extracurricular activities. Some joined

them for leisure and some to gain benefits like enhancement of skills and talents (Acar &

Gunduz, 2017). Whatever the reason may be, their engagement will bring about certain

effects. Extracurricular activities will help in the overall development of the student for

participation in it will increase a student’s grade average, sociability, and career preparation.

This section reviews literature on the following subtopics: (1) Students’ Grade

Average, (2) Sociability of Students, (3) Career Preparation, (4) Implications of Students’

Involvement and Participation, and (5) the Benefits.

Students’ Grade/Point Average

Several investigations regarding the average grades of students were

conducted. As studied by Craft (2012), students who were somehow involved with an

extracurricular activity got a higher grade-point average than those who did not

participate in any activities. Fujita (2016) agreed with this and noted that participation
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in the extracurricular activity, specifically sports and community services improved

academic performance. Extracurricular activities provide a way to integrate lessons

learned in class to actual application in life. Availability of these activities to all

students coming from various backgrounds should be addressed (Larupay & Pendon,

2016).

Sociability of Students

Social skills were one of the topics found in a series of researches. Gatchalian

(2015) identifies extracurricular activities as effective for it encourages students to

cultivate inclusive relationships with their mentors, fellow members in the clubs or

organizations, and the people they encounter. A sense of belonging and a bond

between the student and the school were developed. Students developed a connection

with others who shared the same interest in the activities that appealed to them

(Lozano, 2016). According to research by Cariaga & Molina (2016), in terms of the

impact, the social aspect got the highest ranking within the areas that were developed

because of extracurricular activities.According to Fredricks and Eccles(2015), students

who are involved in extracurricular activities help the students to determine or to

know how they use their time, choose their preferred peers or friends and guide in

building their character. Without a doubt, extracurricular activities helps a student

(who is part or involved in it) in determining and choosing one’s peers to help the

student in his or her growth and development especially in the stage of adolescence.

Career Preparation
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Based on previous studies, extracurricular activities aid in a student’s career

preparation. Bayat (2015) acknowledged that students developed a sense of ownership

in the clubs by having responsibilities and they develop leadership by having chances

to be a part of the club’s decision-making. Wilson (2019) largely agreed and stated

that participants in out-of-school activities can learn skills such as teamwork and

leadership. Additionally, other effects of extracurricular activities were the

development of the discipline, mental readiness (Gimeno & Salanap, 2016), time

allocation, and management (Gallemit, 2017). As discussed by Ramby (2017),

extracurricular activities can equip students with these qualities and it can be helpful

for students because graduates who are applying for an entry-level job will be more

likely to be accepted if they have prior experiences in extracurricular activities. It is

common for employers to expect students to already have experienced so having a list

of previous accomplishments and participation to show will increase their chances of

getting an entry-level position out of school (Sharp, 2012).

Implications of Students’ Involvement and Participation

Involvement means to cause someone to be included in an activity. Student

involvement is defined as to the amount of sensible and active efficiency that the

student uses for one’s academic experience. another study stated that participating in

extracurricular activities gives a student a greater sense of one’s school connection. In

another fact, involvement in extracurricular activities gives a positive effect on a

student, in terms of their academic and social life. According to the study and findings
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of Daba (2019), students who focus on participating in interscholastic athletics as an

extracurricular activity are more enhanced than involved with the student’s academic

aspirations or achievements. Similarly, there are three points on why students decide

to be a Student Volunteer: Growth,Friendship and Purpose. Through the different

organizations, the students can enhance their skills, earn camaraderie and they can be

drawn to the noble idea of service (Daba, 2019). On the other hand, there are also

researches that discusses the disadvantages of engagement in extracurricular activities.

Dijk, et al., (2014) speculated that middle school students might be more prone to

prioritizing physical activity over school-related work. A study by Tanner (2017)

agrees that extracurricular activities might interfere with time that could be spent

doing schoolwork. In addition, these activities may affect student performance in a

negative manner due to conflicting time requirements and competing schedules, even

if they do in fact enhance student persistence (Wang et. al., 2009).

Benefits

One study stated that extracurricular activities lessens the intake of substances

like drugs, alcohol and etc. even if the student’s peers influences one (Daba, 2019).

Another study stated that, it is an advantage of the student with higher socioeconomic

standing and greater academic ability when one participates in extracurricular

activities. Moreover, adolescents or teenagers are reported to have higher school

fulfillment or satisfaction when a particular student participates in greater numbers of

structured extracurricular activities. Extracurricular or after school activities gives a

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student positive benefits in his or her performance especially in balancing academics

and extracurricular activities. Furthermore, there are positive effects that a student

receives when he participates or gets involved in extracurricular activities namely: the

right attitude, good scores in one’s academics, school works achievement, becoming

mature with having the right values and morals, and lastly, knowing how to interact or

socialize others.

Synthesis

For years now, there had been ongoing discussions and researches that were done

about the concept of extracurricular activities. It was observed that these school or out-of-

school activities seem to be helpful in honing students’ skills and talents yet seem to bring

about extra work for students and may somehow become a hindrance to their education.

Several studies showed results where there was a higher grade-point average for those

students who joined extracurricular activities than those who did not. Similarly, because

students are trained to be disciplined in their respective extracurricular activities, they tend to

bring those qualities in schoolwork; which in turn, improved their academic performance and

their future career qualifications.

There were some studies however, where some proponents of the other side argue that

participation in extracurricular activities may draw attention away from academic endeavors

and they may have valid points. Indeed, there might be tendencies that students would divert

their focus from their schoolwork. Nevertheless, most researches that were conducted inclined

more to extracurricular benefits.

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In summary, the literature and related studies collected and reviewed have shown that

extracurricular activities can produce negative effects; however, they mainly lead to positive

results. The studies explored both sides of the effects of engaging in extracurricular activities

as there are many types of research done based on these topics, especially on the international

level. There seems to be a few however, on the coping mechanisms and management of the

student with regards to this matter and also few locally. This study will fill that gap while also

discussing the negative and positive effects of extracurricular activity involvement of Grade

11 STEM students as the results can be different from the results of the previous researches.
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METHODOLOGY

This chapter discusses what methods the researchers used to acquire the

information in supporting the study on how Grade 11 STEM students of Liceo de la Salle

Senior High School find the balance between their academic performance and

extracurricular activities. In addition, this section describes the components of the study

which relate to research methodologies such as the research design, respondents of the

study, research instrumentation, data gathering procedure, and ethical considerations.

Research Design

In this research study, the phenomenological model was applied. According to the

Center for Innovation in Research and Teaching (n.d.), “phenomenology is based on the

academic disciplines of psychology and has become a widely accepted method used to

describe how human beings experience a certain phenomenon”. It concedes the researcher

to probe into the perceptions and sentiments of those people who have actually

experienced or lived the phenomenon. Therefore, phenomenology can be defined as the

immediate investigation and description of phenomena as consciously experienced by

people living those experiences. Phenomenological research is typically conducted

through the use of in-depth interviews of small samples of participants.

The study is descriptive to help the researcher analyze the gathered information

from students and present it in an analytical manner to pinpoint what is the effect of

extracurricular activities to students’ academic performance. “Different people will have

remarkably different perceptions about any statistic, fact, or event because our unique
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experiences generate a different perspective of the data that we see" (Ayres, 2019). The

design is proposed due to the gathered data in existence which is more on the descriptive

method.

This study would first use one on one interview method which consists of twenty-

five (25) senior high school students of Liceo de La Salle. In which the students would be

given ten (10) questions to be answered. This technique would allow the researchers to

gather the data needed.

Respondents of the Study

In this study, in determining the sample size of the respondents, the researchers

made use of the purposive sampling method. It depended on the resources and time

available to conduct the study, as well as its research objectives.

The respondents of the study were the twenty-five STEM 11 students of Liceo de

La Salle from section A to P with one or two students each who joined extracurricular

activities and experienced throughout their life. These respondents were the ones who

were knowledgeable enough to answer the questions prepared by the researchers who

supply the information needed.

Instrument

The researchers made use of interviews to gather data for the study. The kind of

interview done was a structured-interview wherein the researchers made use of an

interview questionnaire that contains a set of questions to be answered by the respondents

and also to be recorded. The tools and materials used by the researchers throughout the
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data gathering were the Interview Questionnaire, the cellphones/recorders for

documentation and recording purposes, and laptops that were used in editing and research

work.

Data Gathering Procedure

In obtaining the data, the researchers: made criteria for selecting participants, made

questions to be asked to the participants in the study, made informed consent which was

given to the participants, checked and reviewed by the research instructor, brainstormed

about who to be used as participants, gave informed consent form to the selected

participants, and finalized the participants interviewed in the study. In the interview

proper, researchers asked for permission to record the information given by participants

before starting and to give a brief explanation about the study conducted. The information

given was listed down by each member of the group to ensure that all information will be

gathered and was transcribed and translated.

Ethical Consideration

Given the importance of ethics in conducting research, researchers must go to great

lengths to protect the dignity and safety of research participants (Silverman, 2009). In

recent years, educational researchers, in particular, have started showing more interest and

awareness towards ethical guidelines and codes while conducting educational researches.

The following formal ethical procedures were not required the researcher ensured that

research ethics adhered during the research process. Several ethical considerations were

taken into account to ensure that the study was conducted in an appropriate manner.
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To comply with ethical considerations in conducting research, all participants

provided written consent to be interviewed and to participate in the research. The

participants therefore willingly participated in the study after they were approached by the

researcher and the research purpose and process were explained to them through letters.

While it is common practice to request written consent and highly formalized ways of

securing consent should be avoided in favor of fostering relationships.

The purpose of the research was explained to the participants and they were told

that should they wish to withdraw at any point during the interview they could do so.

Permission to record the interview was also obtained from the participants and none of the

participants had difficulties with the tape recording of the interviews. It was further

explained to the participants that their information would remain confidential and that the

specific content of individual interviews would only be discussed by the team. As a result

of the personal nature of the content of the research interview, the researchers found it

appropriate to emphasize the confidentiality of the information and to establish trust with

the participants in the early phase of the interviews. While sharing the purpose of the

study with the participants, the researchers also shared their background including their

school, strand, and section as a student in where they come from.

At the end of the interview, both the participants and the researchers debriefed by

talking about the interview process itself and the impact of the interview. The aim of the

debriefing was to ensure that the participants were not left emotionally harmed from the

interview. The observable benefits of the study were immediate as the participants stated

that they had enjoyed the conversations. The participants all appeared to engage freely in
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the conversations and this indicates that the interview process allowed the participants to

share their stories in a safe environment and without being judged.

As outlined in Chapter 1, the researchers hope that this study would add to the

little literature on students engagements in extracurricular activities in line with their

academics. It is also hoped that the findings, although they cannot be generalized, would

be served as an additional value to the local population or maybe outside the vicinity in

general by providing insights on the challenges they faced as they engaged themselves in

the said activities.

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RESULTS AND DISCUSSION

This section of the study is where all the results from the data gathering procedures

would be discussed in detail. The study aims to know how students find the balance

between engagement in extracurricular activities and academic performance in school. In

the collection of data, the researchers gathered categories based on the ten interview

questions.

The main factors why respondents chose to join extracurricular activities are listed

in the table below. Engagement in extracurricular activities in school by students are

greatly influenced by the student’s background, hobbies, and future plans. Also, the

respondents may have more than one reason behind their participation in clubs,

organizations, or sport.

Table 1. The Reasons Why Students Join Extracurricular Activities

Reasons for Engagement

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

Interest/ R1 “…I'm also happy doing it at the same time…”

Happiness

Experience “…I engage in order for me to have experience in

R2 some things.…”

As determined by the answers of Respondents 1 and 2, there are similar views

among respondents. The students are inclined to join extracurricular activities because of
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their interests and hobbies which give them happiness. They see it as a way to venture out

of their supposed stress and dilemma in school-related tasks. It gives them relief and

relaxation because they can pursue their hobbies by engaging themselves in those

activities. In addition, their desire to gain experiences for their future using their possessed

abilities and talents is a reason they engaged in extracurricular activities, Moreover, this is

explained in a study of Sharp (2012) which implies that applicants with prior experiences

in extracurricular activities are more likely to be hired by employers.

Table 2 confers what benefits most respondents could gain in joining

extracurricular activities. These benefits affect their academic performance by giving them

these things that would help them personally and academically. They are more likely to

develop necessary characteristics and receive extra points in their grades.

Table 2. Some Examples that Extracurricular Activities Help the Students’

Academic

Benefits of Extracurricular Activities

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

Develop “…I gain certain characteristics from

values and R20 extracurricular activities like time management,
traits competitiveness, efficiency and many others…”

Incentives or R3 “…Somehow they gave us incentive in our PE

additional class like they give us plus points…”
points to
students’
grades
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Most of the respondents responded that their academic were affected positively

because they developed several traits that gave them an advantage in doing schoolwork.

The values and characteristics that the students developed were the product of developing

a social camaraderie amongst their rivals. The result resembles the study of Cariaga &

Molina (2016) where they stated that the social features got the highest ranking within the

fields that were generated because of extracurricular activities. By grasping how to deal

with diverse sets of people, a student can become a great leader during projects. He or she

would be more likely to transcend with these characteristics than those who are not

exposed to extracurricular activities as stated by a research done by Craft (2012).

Table 3 exhibits the time or period when the respondents commenced joining

various extracurricular activities. It is also directly stated by the participants how they

engaged in that said activities as their follow-up statements to the situations.

Table 3: The Grade Levels of Student Who Start Joining Extracurricular Activities

Theme: Beginning of Engagement

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

Elementary R10 “...since grade 1 kay didto sa amon daw damo

mga activities nga dapat intrahan mung…”

Secondary R3 “...just before liceolympics...”

As viewed in the table, the students’ engagement in extracurricular activities grants

him or her to develop and become competent in the real world and for the future (Finn, 2012).
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As the respondents joined extracurricular activities as far back as Elementary, it signifies that

they had the requisite support they needed to join these activities up until the present. On the

other hand, for those respondents who just started to join these activities in Senior High

School during Liceo’s Liceolympics, the activities offered by the school encouraged and

piqued their interests. As these activities require time, effort, and financial support, it can be

said that the respondents have these essential requirements to be able to participate in their

sports, organizations, etc.

Table 4 demonstrates how extracurricular activities affect a students’ overall

academic performance and all relevant data is presented in the table. The respondents’

preferences and balance are impacted by activities such as athletics, sports, clubs, and

organization. Additionally, it shows the problems and difficulties they encounter since

joining several specific activities with their academic. These difficulties were the ones that

might discourage them to continue in their chosen extracurricular activities sometimes as

the table below has shown. Joining extracurricular activities would affect students’ school

performances. The table shows the effects of extracurricular activities on the students’

students or academics whether these could be in a positive way or in a negative way.

Table 4: Influence of Engagement in Extracurricular Activities to the Student’s

Academic Performance

Theme: Impacts on Academic Performance

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

“… Gina prioritize ko akon academics gid and

Positive R12 then ang akon nga sports is it just gives me
motivation for another day. …”
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- motivation “… I think it affects my academic performance in

-Can socialize R9 a positive way since if I join activities, I can
others interact and learn more outside the classroom…”

“… Because I’m tired from my extracurricular

R2 activities and I have no time for my
Negative academics…”

“...because of the practice and training, we

-Less time for
finish up late and we arrive at our home very
schoolworks R3
late also and we have very little time to do our
works like assignments, our PT's and stuff...”
-Less time for
sleep “… I found that my time is not enough for me
R4 and for myself and especially for my academic
and my academic track. …”

“ for example, may test kamo subung tapos

R10 pagkabwas bih may activities kamo. So daw
nabudlayan ka mag manage.”

R11 “… It gives me less time to study…”

R12 “… Well sleep deprivation is no. 1 kay 7:30

classes namon every day wala gd ko 10:30
classes and then not because time lang but ang
kakapuyon bala sa physical kay ang training
namon is not only simple but very tiring gd siya
kay conditioning of the body and mentally
draining …”

There are a few positive effects of extracurricular activities but based on the results

and respondents’ statements, there are more negative effects to the academic performance

of students than positive. This solidifies the study of Wang et. al. (2009) which states that

engagement in extracurricular activities affect student performance negatively because

there is a conflict in time requirements and schedules. For this inference, they perceived

that finding the balance is significant to minimize, if not to overcome, the barriers they
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mentioned. The respondents addressed the situations wherein their time for school works

and academics are taken away because of their engagement in extracurricular activities.

As stated by Respondents 3 and 10, they cannot efficiently do their tasks and uphold their

responsibilities in their academics because they are already worn out by their

extracurricular activities. This corresponds to the study of Tanner (2017) stating that

students’ time for schoolworks might be taken by extracurricular activities by interfering

with the time spent doing a schoolwork. Lack of time for schoolwork and lack of sleep are

some of the problems that students encountered since they joined extracurricular activities.

For Respondent 4, since the time he joined in particular extracurricular activities, he found

out that he always had a lack of time primarily in doing some schoolwork. At the same

time, according to Respondent 12, the number one deprivation for him is the lack of sleep.

He also appended that the schedule of his class hours does not allow much-needed time

for leisure and therefore causes him to experience this kind of struggle throughout being a

student.

Table 5 shows how often a student experience facing certain challenges and having

to deal with their chosen extracurricular activities. Specifically, it is stated there that some

students experienced difficulties not most of the time, however, there are also students

who are experiencing recurring difficulties while joining the said activities.

Table 5. The Types of Student’s Difficulties in Joining Extracurricular Activities

Theme: Frequency of Difficulties

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

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Seasonal R19 “…it’s only seasonal because there's a time

where all deadlines are close together…”

Constant R4 “…be constant since the time that I had spent is

greater than the time…”

The table comprises the recurrence of difficulties they endured since they joined

extracurricular activities. Towards the interview, the researchers ventured to ask the

respondents to evoke how frequent they suffered certain difficulties in the term of their

engagement in extracurricular activities. They only need to respond the question in two ways:

recurring and constant, meaning they started to have these specific problems since they first

join the activities, or seasonal, which means that the struggles are only for a specific period.

As what the table exposes, two of the participants were chosen to have important answers.

Respondent 4 stated that the difficulties he had in joining extracurricular activities were

recurring and constant. The organization she joined requires a lot of her time every day and a

constant amount of time. Also, Respondent 19 expressed his view that the problems he faced

were only seasonal since the time he spent in academics is greater than the time he spent in

his extracurricular activities. The difficulties only come when they have certain competitions

on specific terms.

Table 6 presents students’ partiality and reflection about the things they must put first

when, in case, they have coinciding schedules. Some students are suffering from the things to

where would be their first priority due to some conflicts in their everyday schedules.

Table 6. Student’s Priorities When Having an Overlapping Schedules

Theme: Students’ priorities

 27

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

Weight of R3 “…weigh the pro's and con's especially I what is

Importance the most important it's all about priorities…”

Academic R16 “… prioritize academic than extracurricular

activities for it is important to me and for my …”

As shown by the illustration above, it tells here the priorities of the students in case

they have overlapping schedules. For instance, there are times that their academic-related

tasks compete with their extracurricular activities. The reason why the researchers decided

to ask this kind of question is to know how they can cope up with this situation.

Specifically, Respondents 3 and 16 believed that they can handle their time in different

ways. One said that he can manage his priorities by weighing the levels of significance or

importance. This means he analyzes the upcoming deadlines and sees which should be

done first. On the other hand, one said he mainly chooses to prioritize academics

regardless of deadlines.

Table 7 depicts the claims of how crucial balancing academics and extracurricular

activities is to the respondents’ essence of academic performance and hierarchy of

priorities. For the researchers to know why there is a need to balance the two

involvements, the respondents would have to formulate their perceptions about this as the

table below attested.

Table 7: The Reasons Why Students Need to Balance Their Academics Together with

Their Chosen Extracurricular Activities

 28

Theme: Balancing Cruciality

Sub-themes Participants Significant Answers

Affects the “… Because balancing academics and

quality of R21 extracurricular activities is important because it
performance could affect the quality of performance of a
student, especially in academics. …”
Helps to R4 “… Time management is very important when you
identify join extracurricular activities because within this
priorities way, you can balance yourself and your time to
academic and extracurricular activities. …”
R1 “… You have to find a way to balance it so you
can focus sa academics para at the same time
maka focus ka man simo sports. Kung may scale
ka even lang bala gyapon haw. That's what's
important in management …”

The table explains the vital role of balancing the students’ academic and

extracurricular activities. The respondents stated that they should find the balance between the

two because there could be outgrowths if they would not try to find it. The students’ way of

balancing their engagement together with their academics can affect their performance nature

in school as what Respondent 21 affirmed in the table above. Another reason they need to

balance the two is for them to be able to know their priority better in life; whether they would

prefer to focus on their academics or in their chosen extracurricular activities. Based on what

the participants’ statements, the researchers can infer that balance plays an important part in

the life of a student. It corresponds to the study by Dijk et. al. (2009) which shows that those

students who have extracurricular activities experience difficulties in choosing what to

prioritize. It also shows the problems they encounter in managing their time in academics and

extracurricular activity and exemplifies why there is a need for time management when

students engage themselves in extracurricular activities. Respondent 4 stated that it is vital to

 29

have time management for him to balance himself and his time with academics and

extracurricular activities. In order to be able to have both without sacrificing the other, time

management is the solution. Additionally, as seen in the table, Respondent 1 also themed

about time management as a way for him to find balance and to have focus in both areas of

interest. This also further proves the study of Dijk et al. (2014) that explains how students are

prone to prioritize extracurricular activities over academics.

 30

CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS

Conclusions

Analysis of the survey data obtained in this research shows how engagement in the

different extracurricular activities in school greatly affects the student’s academic

performance. Joining extracurricular activities in school can also bring good effects or

impacts to the student because students can learn how to be healthy and at the same become a

sociable person. This is because of the conclusion that it made the participants more

responsible and independent (Craf, 2012). However, some students who are engaged in the

different extracurricular activities experienced failures in their academics. It has been learned

through different researches that majority of the students who are re-engaged in the different

extracurricular activities that experienced failures in their academics are the ones who cannot

or do not know how to balance both academics and extracurricular activities. Furthermore, the

results gathered points to a more negative impact of extracurricular activities to students’

academics. Being committed to both can have good impacts but students must know how to

balance the two. That is why time management is very essential especially to those students

who are engaged in both academics and extracurricular activities.

Recommendations

This study provides some information regarding the issue of extracurricular activities

and whether they benefit or hinder the academic performance of students who participate.

With the survey performed, it was recognized that lack of time management was the

preeminent matter of how to find the balance between academics and extracurricular
 31

activities. The research displayed chose not to seize the personal issues surrounding the

participants and focused more on general experiences. Similarly, after reviewing the

literature, there are some recommendations for the school and for future researchers.

It is necessary for the school to know the outcomes that student involvement in

extracurricular activities can have on the student and learning environment. Schools that offer

some sort of programs for students who are at-risk may attain extracurricular activities could

be a precautionary interference. They could uphold for those students who might be over-

scheduled or advocate for those who are participating in activities of little or no interest.

Schools could consider a longitudinal process of monitoring student participation to

determine how it impacted the student's academic performance. By following students after

high school to determine if they had practiced their leadership skills manifested through

extracurricular activities, researchers may find that these activities provided motivation for

them or these could just affect them negatively.

For future researchers, it is advised that personal issues were to be discussed

thoroughly to open other angles in the aforementioned research. More research is needed to

determine what motivates students to find a reason to get up and come to school. The future

researches can also consider participants who are student-athletes or students who are

engaged in the different activities in school to determine the effects of engagement in

extracurricular activities to their academic performance. Finally, the research can also include

in-depth questions and follow-up interviews for the betterment of the research studied.
 32

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 36

APPENDICES

Appendix A. Interview Guide Questions

INTERVIEW GUIDE QUESTIONS:

1. What are the reasons why you engage yourself in extracurricular activities?

2. Can you give examples on how extracurricular activities help you in your academics?

3. When did you begin to join extracurricular activities?

4. How does your engagement in extracurricular activities take away your time for

schoolworks?

5. How does joining extracurricular activities affect your academic performance?

6. Why is balancing academics and extracurricular activities crucial for a student?

7. Why is time management important when you join extracurricular activities?

8. Can you specify the problems you encountered since joining your chosen

extracurricular activities?

9. Are those difficulties constant and recurring or only seasonal?

10. What are the things you consider before choosing what to put first when you have

overlapping schedules?

Appendix B-1. Letter to the Respondents

 37

Captured by: Christelle Lou Diala, student researcher

Appendix B-2. Consent Form for Interview

 38

Captured by: Christelle Lou Diala, student researcher

Appendix C. Sample Responses During Interview

 39

Interviewee: Respondent 19
Time Started: 2:30 PM
Time Ended: 2:45 PM
Venue: USLS Grandstand

Subject: Finding the Balance Between Academic and Extracurricular Activities

Time Questions Responses

Allotted

30 secs – 1
min Q1. What are the reasons why you “Well my main reason in
engage yourself in extracurricular engaging in extracurricular
activities? activities is because I find it
as a new challenge I think it
will help me grow as a
person.”

30 secs-1
min Q2. Can you give examples on how “In terms of academics I
extracurricular activities help you in think it helps me manage my
your academics? time time more and focus
better but all in all I don’t
think it has any benefits in
terms of academics.”

15 secs-25
secs Q3. When did you begin to join “I think grade 9.”
extracurricular activities?
 40

30 secs-1
min Q4. How does your engagement in
extracurricular activities take away
your time for school works?
“I mean joining in
extracurricular activities has
various demands especially
when that activity is almost
everyday and it takes away
my time to do other stuff
especially schoolworks and
projects.”

1-2 mins
Q5. How does joining extracurricular
activities affect your academic
performance?
“Well if well the
extracurricular activity I was
engaged in was in junior
high was particularly
demanding and sometimes
the deadlines are close
together and it overlaps with
other schoolworks and
projects and especially
exams

30 secs-1 Q6. Why is balancing academics and

min extracurricular activities crucial for a in my own opinion I think
student? it’s crucial to balance both
because if you don’t
sometimes you will get
stressed out and another
importance for it is so that
you can manage your time
well and you can put priority
on what is the most
important.”
 41

30 secs-1
min Q7. Why is time management important For me it is important
when you join extracurricular because as a student we
activities? have various things to do not
only just that and we cannot
say that we only focus on
that because if we do others
will fall behind and you
won’t be able to do them as
well as you do first.”

15 secs-30
secs Q8. Can you specify the problems you
encountered since joining your chosen
extracurricular activities?
“I think the number one
would be time management
and another would be stress
and lastly I think would its
effects on my health.”

15 secs-30
secs Q9. Are those difficulties constant and “I can say that it’s only
recurring or only seasonal? seasonal because there's a
time where all deadlines are
close together especially
when exams are near and/or
there is another activity that
also overlaps with the
deadlines.”

15 secs-30
secs Q10. What are the things you consider
before choosing what to put first when
you have overlapping schedules?
“Well my main reason in
engaging in extracurricular
activities is because I find it
as a new challenge I think it
will help me grow as a
person.”