Selioti K. The Role of Extracurricular Involvement in Academic Success and Subjective Well-being at School

Statement of the problem. Participation in extracurricular activities (ECA) has been associated with positive academic outcomes and enhanced well-being for school-aged children and adolescents. Understanding the factors that influence the relationship between involvement in ECA, academic outcomes and well-being may extend the benefits of these activities for students. 

The purpose of the study was to examine the links between engagement in ECA, educational attainment, and subjective well-being at school. 

Methods and respondents. The research study had a cross-sectional survey design. Participants included a total of 754 schoolchildren at Russian public schools and their parents. Students completed the Survey of Subjective Well-being in School and provided details about their involvement in activities. They also reported their final year grades for the previous year in six main school subjects and answered demographic questions. Parents offered information about the family and their strategies and aspirations around participation in organised activities. 

Findings. Academic achievement and subjective well-being at school were positively, although weakly, correlated regardless of engagement in activities or not. There was also a positive association between these two theoretical constructs for schoolchildren from socioeconomically disadvantaged and non-disadvantaged backgrounds. Concerning school performance, disadvantaged students who were involved in ECA scored significantly higher than disadvantaged schoolchildren who were not involved in any activity. Moreover, non-disadvantaged students who participated in ECA scored significantly higher than all other student groups (non-disadvantaged non-participants, disadvantaged participants, disadvantaged non-participants). Further analysis will consider specific activity contexts, features of structured activities, and student characteristics to extend these preliminary results.

Key words: extracurricular activities, academic achievement, subjective well-being, well-being at school, disadvantaged children 

For citation: Selioti, K. (2025). The Role of Extracurricular Involvement in Academic Success and Subjective Well-being at School. New Psychological Research, No. 4., 255–282. DOI: 10.51217/npsyresearch_2025_05_04_13

Acknowledgement 

This article is an output of a research project implemented as part of the Basic Research Programme at the National Research University Higher School of Economics (HSE University).