Dissertations and Theses @ UNI

Availability

Open Access Dissertation

Keywords

Student activities School environment--Evaluation; Multicultural education--Activity programs;

Abstract

The purpose of conducting this study was to examine the relationship between students' involvement in extracurricular activities and their perceptions of satisfaction with the components of school climate. Central to this study was the examination of the relationship between students' involvement in an extracurricular activity program developed for the promotion of intercultural harmony and their perceptions of satisfaction with school climate.

From the approximately 1,200 students of a Midwestern high school, more than 400 students were surveyed using the National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP) Student Satisfaction Survey to determine students' satisfaction with the components of their school climate. The 10 th through 12 th grade students were also given the Student Involvement in Extracurricular Activities Self-Disclosure Questionnaire to measure their levels of involvement in extracurricular activities.

The research hypotheses of this study were: (a) the greater the number of extracurricular activities in which students participate, the greater their level of satisfaction with school climate, and (b) students who participate as dialogue facilitators in the extracurricular activity program for the promotion of intercultural harmony will exhibit a greater level of satisfaction with school climate than students that do not participate in the Harmony Program. The data analysis yielded positive relationships among the variables that were interpreted as consistent with both research hypotheses.

Since the analysis of the data revealed positive relationships between student extracurricular activity participation and increased perceptions of student satisfaction with school climate, it follows that educational leaders should evaluate the impact of such programs on student satisfaction, school climate, and overall school effectiveness. As educators engage in school improvement policy decisions relative to extracurricular activities, they are sure to encounter issues and challenges in the implementation, support, and maintenance of these programs. In this time of increased expectations of public schools, combined with limited resources to educate an increasingly diverse population, educational and government leaders may be enlightened by the findings of this research.

Year of Submission

2002

Degree Name

Doctor of Education

Department

Department of Educational Leadership, Counseling, and Postsecondary Education

First Advisor

Dale R. Jackson, Chair

Date Original

5-2002

Object Description

1 PDF file (ix, 128 pages)

Language

en

File Format

application/pdf

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