Student engagement in organising extracurricular activities: Does it matter to academic achievement?

Abstract

This retrospective correlational study aimed to clarify the relationship between student engagement in organising extracurricular activities (ECAs) and academic achievement among pre-clerkship students. Data were from pre-clerkship students who enrolled during the 2012–2016 academic years at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University. Each cohort was followed for three consecutive years from the first to the third year of their 6-year program. The dependent variable was academic achievement, measured by grade point average (GPA). The independent variable was the level of involvement in organising ECAs, divided into breadth and intensity for each type of involvement. The results revealed that academic achievement had a linear correlation with the frequency of organising educational activities (r[1463] = 0.10; p < 0.001) and the frequency of organising community development and volunteering activities (r[1463] = −0.057; p = 0.030). Additionally, academic achievement had a curvilinear relationship with the frequency of organising recreational and miscellaneous activities, with a point of diminishing return at 1 activity per 3 following years. In summary, there were three relationships – positive linear, negative linear, and curvilinear – between academic achievement and student engagement in ECAs, based on the type of activity. Each should be supported in different ways to improve academic achievement.

Keywords:

• Academic achievement
• extracurricular activities
• student engagement

Acknowledgements

Dr. Jaranit Kaewkungwal and Dr. Cherdsak Iramaneerat, for statistical suggestions, Miss Kanlaya Limhoglai, Miss Sirirumphai Suwattanakoop and Mr. Jakkrid Sappawat, for data collection, Mr. Sira Vachatimanont, for figure adjusting, Mr. David Park, for English-language editing,

Ethical approval

This study was approved by the Institutional Review Board of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and the Human Research Protection Unit, Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University.

Author contributions

SL: Conceptualisation, methodology construction, data collection and analysis, visualisation, and manuscript writing (first draft). YD, DW: Conceptualisation, methodology construction, visualisation, and manuscript writing (review and editing of drafts).

Disclosure statement

No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author(s).

Glossary

Student engagement: Is an interaction between students and institutions. Students should put their effort into activities, while institutions should provide an opportunity for them.

Types of ECAs: Are different according to their specific contexts of ECAs which provide unique experience to students. For example, in this study, types of ECAs were classified into academic activities, sports and health promotion activities, Thai cultural activities, community development and volunteering, and recreation and miscellaneous according to student affairs’ classification.

Breadth of ECAs: Is a quantitative range of context in which students involve. It can be measured with a total number of types of activities in which students participate. For example, in this study, if a student participates in organizing ECAs in both the academic activities and the Thai cultural activities, the breadth of this student is two.

Additional information

Notes on contributors

Surachai Leksuwankun

Surachai Leksuwankun, MD, is studying for a Master of Science (Health Science Education) at the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University. Previously, he was the President of the Students’ Union of the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University and the secretary of a committee preparing for the ASPIRE award for Excellence in Student Engagement in the curriculum and the medical school. His current research in medical education focuses on the student engagement in medical school, educational psychology, and technology-enhanced learning.

Yodying Dangprapai

Yodying Dangprapai, MD, PhD, is an assistant professor of medical education at the Faculty of Medicine Siriraj Hospital, Mahidol University, Thailand. His current research focuses on the well-being of students, including burnout, at medical schools.

Danai Wangsaturaka

Danai Wangsaturaka, MD, MMEd, PhD, is currently an assistant professor of medical education and an assistant dean for academic affairs at the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Thailand. He has been a key person in curriculum planning, curriculum evaluation, faculty development and student engagement at his institution. His long-standing contribution to student engagement resulted in the Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University receiving the ASPIRE award for Excellence in Student Engagement in 2015 and him being awarded the National Role Model Teacher in Student Engagement in 2017.