The Well-Rounded Student
The importance of electives and extracurriculars
Education in core subjects is essential as it provides a strong foundation of knowledge and skills that are necessary to succeed in various fields. Educators use their expertise to create learning opportunities for students that promise to enrich students' minds and build a skill set in vital areas of study.
Core subjects like mathematics, science, and language arts provide students with the ability to understand and analyze the world around them. Math helps develop problem-solving skills; science provides a deeper understanding of the natural world, and language arts improves communication skills.
Education in core subjects promotes the development of critical thinking and literacy skills vital to success in the workplace and in life. No one disputes the importance and relevance of skills acquired in core subject areas.
Most would agree, though, that a robust education includes knowledge and skills gleaned from studying or participating in a wider range of learning programs. Supplemental, and certainly complementary, to a strong core study are courses and activities offered by schools that address student interests and talents beyond basic skills. These are electives and extracurriculars.
Unfortunately, in the educational realm today, there can be some pretty hefty barriers to thriving elective and extracurricular programs. When high-stakes testing and budget cuts abound, the first spaces to suffer in a school are usually non-core subjects.
Priorities of state legislatures, school district bureaucrats, and a disenfranchised public often lead to the elimination of courses or the downright downfall of an entire program.
Luckily, teachers, parents, and education experts have weighed in, and although elective and extracurricular opportunities still take a back seat to academic offerings and testing achievement, cuts to beloved programs often meet outcry that can't be ignored. The reason? We know what electives and extracurriculars can do in the lives of students!
Let's explore the impact of electives and extracurriculars for a close look at why these offerings should always be a standard in student learning.
Electives as Opportunity
Electives are an essential part of a student's education because they allow students to explore their interests and passions outside of core academic subjects.
Electives can range from music, art, drama, and dance to more technical subjects such as computer programming, robotics, and engineering. These courses provide students with hands-on experiences that can help them develop practical skills that they can use in their future careers.
Electives can also help students develop critical thinking, problem-solving, and collaboration skills. By working on group projects or presenting their work to their peers, students learn to communicate effectively and work together to achieve common goals.
In addition to the academic benefits, electives can help students discover new talents and interests that they may not have otherwise explored. This can be especially important for students who are unsure about their potential career choices or who may be interested in pursuing non-traditional pathways.
Another byproduct of studying elective subjects is the way they support instruction in core classrooms. When students are thriving in one area, that success often overlaps and positively affects performance in another area. For example, a student in an elective drama class may begin to emerge as a better speaker in language arts, or a student learning robotics in a technology elective may test well on engineering topics in a science class.
As Education World notes in their article, "Elevating Electives: Why They Matter so Much," this leads to developing metacognition and connections that spread across multiple disciplines.
"Another important consideration is that when students enjoy one class, they are more likely to begin seeing what works (or doesn't) about their other classes. This ability to analyze instruction, think about what makes us successful learners, and apply our victories in one area to another builds learner identity beyond just one elective course." (1)
Electives naturally offer the opportunity for students to understand and tap into their preferred learning styles, resulting in the potential to reach a more profound understanding and higher engagement and productivity in core classes.
Electives also allow students to enjoy an element of control in their learning.
Choice and Student Success
While core classes make up what's required of students to study, electives allow for an integral component tied to student achievement: choice.
Celebrated educational theorist, researcher, and writer Robert Marzano advocates for student choice as a catalyst for improving intrinsic motivation, effort, and subsequent learning. (2)
Student choice results in:
Authentic ownership of learning
True differentiation
Building stronger connections
Higher engagement
Exploration in a low-risk environment
When students feel a sense of autonomy, they're more likely to take learning seriously and experience lasting benefits.
Extracurriculars: After School Enrichment
Extracurricular activities are activities that take place outside of the regular academic curriculum and are designed to enhance students' learning experiences. Most often scheduled after school, these activities offer students opportunities to pursue their interests and passions beyond the classroom, develop new skills, and socialize with peers who share similar interests.
The benefits of extracurricular activities are numerous and extend beyond just having fun. Participating in extracurricular activities can help students build self-confidence, leadership skills, and a sense of responsibility. They can also develop time-management skills as they learn to balance their academic workload with their extracurricular activities.
Extracurricular activities come in various forms and can range from sports teams to music clubs, drama clubs, debate clubs, volunteering, and much more. (3)
The perks of extracurriculars include:
Improved physical and mental health
Expanded post grad opportunities
Scholarship offerings
Community engagement
Teamwork and character-building opportunities
Extracurriculars are the perfect blend of school-supported learning and hands-on experience.
Both Boost Admissions and Scholarship Opportunities
When making decisions for acceptance or awarding scholarships, many colleges and universities take into account a student's activity outside of core classes.
Electives and extracurricular activities demonstrate a student's interests, passions, and commitment to their community, making them stand out in the admission or scholarship selection process.
While success on tests and grade achievement is admirable and even necessary in a competitive college climate, extracurriculars add to "the big picture," allowing institutions to see who the student is as a person, providing valuable insight into their character, interests, and talents.
Enhanced Educational Experience
Variety, interest, curiosity, and engagement are just some of what appeals to students when it comes to electives and extracurriculars. Simply put, these learning opportunities can be the best part of a student's day.
Where it can be easy to lack motivation to perform in a course that seems irrelevant, even reluctant learners thrive when presented with a topic that appeals to their interest. And, as previously noted, that spark can ignite learning in core areas.
Public Opinion and Participation Matter
Although we do have a department of education at the national level, the majority of budgeting decisions and coursework/curriculum mapping take place at the district or school levels.
Most times, this means that elected officials, responsible for acting in the best interest of their communities, are making decisions that directly affect the funding and scheduling of elective courses and extracurricular programs.
At the district level, expressing your opinions through written correspondence or by attending school board meetings shows your support for schools. When educational topics matter to constituents, officials are more apt to take note.
At the school level, most schools are delighted to have volunteers willing to contribute their time and resources. If you have a talent or skill set that lends itself to supporting an elective or extracurricular, contact your neighborhood school to find ways you can contribute to students in that area.
Scholarship Awards for Students
Even more localized, make a direct impact on specific students in your community with the help of philanthropic organizations. The Michelle Young Foundation offers the chance for individuals to be a part of funding scholarships for students who need support.
Particularly in underserved communities, students can lack the resources needed to participate in activities that enhance their core education. The Educator Champion's Fund aims to alleviate the monetary responsibility that many educators take on by awarding scholarship money to worthy students for exploring various interests.
Student exploration and learning opportunities outside of core subject areas play important roles in education. It matters that all students have a chance to enjoy the many benefits of electives and extracurriculars.
Plotinsky, Miriam. "Elevating Electives: Why They Matter So Much." Education World, 2022.
Wolpert-Gawron, Heather. "The Case for Electives in Schools." Edutopia, 27 June 2018, www.edutopia.org/article/case-electives-schools/.
"Extracurriculars Matter — To You and To Colleges." Big Future, bigfuture.collegeboard.org/.