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All Work and All Play: Participation in Leisure Activities in Academically Focused Afterschool Programming Is Linked
Jamie H Wu1,2, Hope O Akaeze1, Naikuan Yang1
1Community Evaluation Programs, University Outreach and Engagement, Michigan State University, U.S.A.
Journal of Healthy Eating and Active Living
|March 10, 2025
Summary
The 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) program
Area of Science:
- Education
- Child Development
- Afterschool Programs
Background:
- Federally funded 21st Century Community Learning Centers (CCLC) aim to improve academic outcomes for students in high-poverty, low-performing schools.
- The program offers both academic and non-academic (leisure) activities.
- Understanding the impact of different activity types on student grades is crucial for program effectiveness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the effects of participation in academic and leisure activities within Michigan 21st CCLC programs on seventh and eighth graders' English language arts (ELA) and mathematics grades.
- To identify demographic factors influencing academic performance in this student population.
Main Methods:
- Examined the relationship between participation dosage in academic and leisure activities and student grades in ELA and mathematics.
- Controlled for demographic variables including gender, socioeconomic status, academic risk, age, special education status, and English language learner status.
- Defined leisure activities broadly to include recreation, social time, physical movement, youth development, arts, and health/nutrition.
Main Results:
- Male, low-income, and academically at-risk students exhibited lower ELA and math grades.
- Increased dosage of leisure activities was positively associated with improved mathematics grades (approx. 0.02 GPA increase per 10 hours).
- Dosage of academic activities showed no significant link to ELA or mathematics grades after adjusting for covariates.
Conclusions:
- For students from disadvantaged backgrounds, balancing academic instruction with play and leisure activities in 21st CCLC programs may yield better outcomes.
- Leisure activities appear to be a beneficial component of afterschool programs for improving math performance.
- Further research can explore optimal balances between academic and leisure components for diverse student groups.
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