Why do extracurricular activities prevent dropout more effectively in some high schools than in others? A mixed-method examination of organizational dynamics

Abstract

This study describes policies and practices implemented in 12 high schools (Quebec, Canada) that more or less effectively leveraged extracurricular activities (ECA) to prevent dropout among vulnerable students. Following an explanatory sequential mixed design, three school profiles (Effective, Ineffective, and Mixed) were derived based on quantitative student-reported data. Qualitative interviews with frontline staff revealed that in Effective schools, ECA had a unique overarching goal: to support school engagement and perseverance among all students, including vulnerable ones. Moreover, in these schools staff had access to sufficient resources—human and material—and implemented inclusive practices. In Ineffective schools, ECA were used as a means to attract well-functioning students from middle-class families, and substantial resources were channeled toward these students, with few efforts to include vulnerable ones. Schools with a Mixed profile had both strengths and weakness. Recommendations for school-level policies that bolster ECA’s ability to support students’ perseverance are provided.

Acknowledgments

We wish to thank Marc St-Pierre for his very helpful comments on the portions of the manuscript related to practical and policy recommendations.

Funding

J. McCabe was supported by a doctoral scholarship from the Fonds de recherche du Québec –Société et culture (FRQSC). Financial support for the quantitative data collection was provided to V. Dupéré by Canada’s Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council (SSHRC), Fonds de recherche du Québec – Santé (FRQS), FRQSC, and IRSPUM.