ERIC Number: EJ1018435
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2013
Pages: 16
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1551-0670
EISSN: N/A
Organized Activity Involvement among Rural Youth: Gender Differences in Associations between Activity Type and Developmental Outcomes
Ferris, Kaitlyn A.; Oosterhoff, Benjamin; Metzger, Aaron
Journal of Research in Rural Education, v28 n15 2013
The current study examined associations between organized activity involvement, academic achievement, and problem behavior in a sample of youth from a non-agricultural based rural community (M[subscript age] = 15.26, Age range = 11-19 years, N = 456). Analyses examined whether associations varied as a function of adolescent gender and age. Participants reported their involvement in a broad range of organized activities across multiple contexts, including community and school clubs, volunteering, arts/music, and church and sports involvement. Results from a multi-group structural equation model controlling for adolescent age and parental education indicated that for all youth, participation in school clubs was associated with higher grade point average (GPA), and church involvement was associated with lower problem behavior. For boys, church involvement and arts/music were associated with higher GPA, and volunteering was associated with lower GPA. For girls, participation on sports teams was associated with higher GPA and lower levels of problem behavior. Several of these findings differ from previous organized activity research on urban and suburban youth, indicating that involvement in organized activities provides unique developmental benefits for adolescent boys and girls living in a rural context.
Descriptors: Rural Youth, Gender Differences, Correlation, Student Participation, Academic Achievement, Structural Equation Models, Clubs, Team Sports, School Activities, Volunteers, Art, Music Activities, Grade Point Average, Churches, Extracurricular Activities, Behavior Problems, Adolescent Development, Measurement Techniques, Likert Scales, Middle School Students, High School Students, Delinquency, Age Differences, Substance Abuse, Parent Background
Penn State University College of Education, Center on Rural Education and Communities. 310B Rackley Building, University Park, PA 16802. Tel: 814-863-2031; Web site: http://www.jrre.psu.edu/
Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research
Education Level: Middle Schools; High Schools
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A