Abstract
Purpose. The purpose of this study was to investigate the relationships of school size and socioeconomic level with student participation in extracurricular activities in California high schools. Methodology. A correlational research study tested the relationship of socioeconomic level, size and participation rates in intramural sports, interscholastic sports, and academic clubs. Linear and multiple regression analyses and a descriptive examination of the data were performed to test nine research hypotheses. Key findings. (1) As school size increased, participation in all extracurricular activities decreased. (2) There is a large variation in participation rates in schools of 150 reporting seniors or less. (3) A ceiling effect operates on schools that limits the degree of participation in activities. (4) Some very large schools have a higher participation rate than very small schools. (5) As school socioeconomic level increased, the percentage of seniors participating in extracurricular activities increased. (6) Some schools at all socioeconomic levels had high extra-curricular activity participation. (7) A high level of participation in one extra-curricular activity related positively to high participation in the other areas. (8) As school size increased and socioeconomic level declined, rates of participation declined. (9) Extra-curricular activity participation rates overall were less than 50 percent. (10) School size and socioeconomic level contribute only a moderately to the total variance of extracurricular participation. Discussion. (1) Participation rates in extracurricular activities will be the lowest in large, low socioeconomic schools. (2) Small schools do not inherently have high levels of participation. (3) High Schools, whatever their size or socioeconomic level, may be able to increase participation in extra-curricular activities. (4) Variables other than size and socioeconomic level have more impact on participation rates. (5) Schools, by addressing extra-curricular activities in one activity area, will be supporting the increase in participation in activities in other areas. (6) Efforts to increase extracurricular activity participation in the traditional ways may not be possible because of the ceiling effect and low participation rates.