EDU580:

CO-CURRICULUM MANAGEMENT

ARTICLE REVIEW

MUHAMMAD AMIR AKRAM BIN SABRI

2016376451

ED2606B

MADAM LINA MURSYIDAH HAMZAH

Introduction:

In abstract study, researcher want to investigated the effect of co-curricular activities on

the student’s academic performance. The researcher states that “Development of child’s body and

mind demand proper nurturing of its physical and intellectual qualities as few of the major

determinants of his personality”. Children need a proper nurturing of its physical and intellectual

qualities to make their body and mind develop perfectly. The process of education is not something

static or one times measure rather, continuous and lifelong endeavor that can be divided in two

parts; curricular activities and co-curricular activities. Co-curricular can refers as activities,

program, and learning experiences that complement, in some way, what students are learning in

school, example like experiences that are connected to or mirror the academic curriculum.

According to Gyanunlimited.com (2019), co-curricular activities are defined as the

activities that enable to supplement and complement the curricular or main syllabus activities.

These are the very important part and parcel of educational institutions to develop the students’

personality as well as to strengthen the classroom learning. The researcher states that co-curricular

activities are not directly related with the prescribed curriculum and include; sports, athletics,

scouting, cubing, various hobbies, excursions literary societies, dramatics, and debates to bring

social and physical adjustment in the child. Researcher concluded that in wholesome the overall

effect of co-curricular on the student’s academic performance and personality development is

positive.
 In introduction study, the researcher stated the function of education which is to bring

change in child behavior and personality in a more desirable form. According to Victor (2018),

education is essential for every society and individual which it enables an individual to realize his

highest self and goal. The basic idea behind such activities in educational institutions is the

building up of the student character and personality as well as training of their mind that may help

or facilitate academic achievement of the child. In fact, before 1900, educators were skeptical of

participation in extracurricular activities, believing that “school should focus solely on narrowly

defined academic outcomes.

Co-curricular activities (CCAs) before this known as Extracurricular Activities (ECA)

which activities that educational organizations in some part of the world create for school students.

For example, in Singapore, the policy was introduced by the Ministry of Education, which believes

extra activities for school students are a means to enhance social interaction, leadership, healthy

recreation, self-discipline and self-confidence. Researcher stated Co-curricular activities are also

referred as Extra-curricular activities, in grammatically, there is a difference between the two.

Extra-curricular is self-explanatory, like example, activities which are extra or additional to

curricular but is more leisure oriented than learning oriented.

Co-curricular helps to develop the all-round personality of the students to face the

undaunted task and turbulent world of future. In this article, aim of curricular activities is to make

the student fit for the future time and develop a sense of competitive spirit, cooperation, leadership,

diligence, punctuality, team spirit as well as to provide a backdrop for the development of their

creative talents. Competitions may also be organized to create a competitive environment and

group with an objective to work towards a better society and the world as well.
 In instrumentation, the tool used for data collection of the present study was the checklist

developed by the researcher itself which aimed to find the impact of co-curricular activities on the

academic achievement of student. This tool was found to be appropriate and statistically acceptable

for studying the relationship between academic achievement and co-curricular activities of

students. The population for the study consisted of 11th class students of schools of Allahabad city.

The sample consisted of a total 100 students, in which 30 were boys and 70 were girls. Researcher

use non-probability sampling method for the selection of the sample for the present study. The

student taken for the study of the present research were identical in geographical location, board

of study and socio-economic background.

For data analysis, the collection of the data the researcher let the respondents be seated in

natural classroom environment. The total numbers of participation out of all 45 items were added

for each student and their marks in all 4 subjects were also listed separately as well as total. The

researcher clearly presented the purpose of the study and carefully instructed regarding the

checklist given to the students. After that, data was collected from 100 students from both gender

and correlation coefficient was computed between level of participation in co-curricular activities

and academic achievement in different subject by Pearson Product Moment Method and their

significance was tested at the level of 0.05 and 0.01. The significance difference between

Correlation Coefficient between boys and girls were also computed by t-test.

In finding and conclusion, researcher stated that there is significance difference between

the academic achievement of boys and girls in various subjects as low correlation between the

academic achievement in science subject and level of participation in co-curricular activities of

students and here is significant relationship between the academic achievement in mathematics

and level of participation in co-curricular activities.

 The study concluded that student (boys and girls) have differences in their academic

achievement in various subject and also have difference in their level of participation in co-

curricular activities. Also, the overall effect of co-curricular activities on the student’s academic

performance and personality development is positive. Co-curricular activities do not obstruct in

academic output rather it facilitates in increasing their knowledge and develops competitive spirit

that foster students resolve in examinations. Students taking part in co-curricular activities mostly

carry healthy habits and appreciable potential of social adjustment.

Strength of Research:

In this study, researcher use the informative abstract which present and explains all the

main arguments and the important results and evidence in the paper. While researcher still do not

critique or evaluate a work, he does more than describe it. An informative abstract includes the

information that can be found in a descriptive abstract (purpose, method, scope) but it also included

the results and conclusion of the research and the recommendations of the author. The length varies

according to discipline, but an informative abstract is no more than 300 words in length (USC

Libraries,2019).

Weakness of Research:

Firstly, the title of this study is “Effect of Co-curricular Activities on Academic

Achievement of Students” but the researcher did not explain clearly about the effect of co-

curricular in this paper. For example, the aim of curricular activities is to make the students fit for

the future time and to develop a sense of competitive spirit, cooperation, leadership, diligence,

punctuality, team spirit as well as to provide a backdrop for the development of their creative
talent. The researcher always repeated the point of effect of co-curricular activities but he did not

explain it clearly.

Next, researcher use the out to date literature review in this study which the citation and

reference start in 1996 until 2005. The researcher published his study in March,2017 where all the

citation not valid for his study. The citation that I have find citation that related on this study is,

Huang & Chang (2014) stated that student should be involved in both academic and co-curricular

activities as much as possible to maximize cognitive and affective growth. The point in literature

review that researcher stated was good and have related with the study but hard to attract for those

want to use this study as reference.

In sampling, the researcher has stated that he used non-probability sampling method was

adopted for the selection of the sample for the study. The sample consisted of a total 100 student,

in which 30 were boys and 70 were girls. For sampling, the total respondent should be 120 students

for the survey. The survey also needed to change which checklist did not shows the effect of co-

curricular in student achievement. Researcher should use Likert scale or answer yes-no survey and

also might ask more open-ended question.

The researcher also was not explained the result clearly about the result from collected

survey. In data analysis, researchers stated that he computed the result by t-test but he did not state

he using SPSS to computed the result. The function of using SPSS to readers known the survey

that we make was good to use for survey and reference for other researchers to make survey. Using

SPSS also need to use the up to date version like SPSS version 20th and above to make clarify our

survey.
Discussion:

According to Guest and Schneider (2003), there are positive association between

participation in co-curricular activities and academic performance of the students. Most of the co-

curricular activities have found to be good in constructing and enhancing academic performance

of the students although they do not have direct relationship with their academic subjects. The

research explored this fact that the students who participate in co-curricular activities also perform

well in their academics as compared to those students who do not participate in such activities

(Marsh and Kleitman, 2002).

Darling et al. (2005) also conducted the study to find out the association between the

involvement in co-curricular activities and the enhancement in the performance of the student in

their academics. The effect of sport activities on the student achievement, few say it has positive

effect while others say it has negative impact on the studies. According to Broh (2002), recent

studies on the impact of the sports activities on the studies produced the result which seems to be

inconsistent. The conclusions of one study stated that involvement in sport activities is generally

not associated to the educational attainment of the students.

Other researcher thinks that involvement in sport activities enhances student’s

development and social bond among them, their parents, and school’s and these are the factor

which produce positive effect on their performance in their studies. Research has shown that the

involvement in sport activities does not guarantee good marks in the examination but it may be

possible good students are involved in sports related activities. Recent studies have shown that

there exist selections bias of good students who participate in the co-curricular activities as well

as sports (Broh, 2002).

Suggestion:

For suggestion, the researchers need to explain more about the effect of co-curricular on

student achievement. Some readers may use the explanation to make reference or continue this

study to achieve more great result. The good explanation can make everyone know the beneficial

of co-curricular to society. Every student performs in the studies at his best while taking part in

other positive activities, so we should not expect extra ordinary performance from every student

because he or she is also taking part in other positive activities which is not helpful for the

development of his or her health but also it creates balance in his or her personality.

Researcher also need to use other research to make reference for making a survey. Survey

is important key to make the data analysis which we known, no result, no data analysis. With that,

use other research as reference to make a survey can enhance the researcher idea to make the best

quality question. We can test the survey by using SPSS test to study comparison between students

who are actively involved in co-curricular activities with student who are less involved in co-

curricular activities.

Conclusion:

Co-curricular activities serve at a large for the development in the academic, social, mental,

and character of students, and every student should be provided with the chance to take part in at

least one healthy and positive activity. Parents should allow their children to choose their

cocurricular activity and they should have check on their activities. These are the parents who have

the essential role in the development of the character and health of their children. They should

provide their children with the best available facilities so that they become able to perform well in

both academics and in ground.

Reference:

Broh, B.A. (2002). Linking extracurricular programming to academic achievement: who benefits

and why? Sociology of Education, 75, 6996.

Darling, N., Caldwell, L.L. & Smith, R. (2005). Participation in school-based extracurricular

activities and adolescent adjustment. J. Leisure Research, 37, 51-77.

Daniyal, M., Nawaz, T., Hassan, A., & Mubeen, I. (2012). THE EFFECT OF CO-CURRICULAR

ACTIVITIES ON THE ACADEMIC PERFORMANCES OF THE STUDENTS: A CASE

STUDY OF THE ISLAMIA UNIVERSITY OF BAHAWALPUR, PAKISTAN. Bulgarian

Journal of Science & Education Policy, 6(2).

Guest, A. & Schneider, B. (2003). Adolescents’ extracurricular participation in context: the

mediating effects of schools, communities, and identity. Sociology of Education, 76, 89-

105.

Huang, Y.-R., & Chang, S.-M. (2004). Academic and cocurricular involvement: Their relationship

and the best combinations for student growth. Journal of College Student Development,

45(4), 391–406.

Marsh, H.W. & Kleitman, S. (2002). Extracurricular activities: the good, the bad, and the

nonlinear. Harvard Educational Review, 72, 464-512.

Singh, A. (2017). Effect of Co-Curricular Activities on Academic Achievement of Students. IRA

International Journal of Education and Multidisciplinary Studies (ISSN 2455-2526), 6(3),

241-254.