Hypothesis: Self-disclosure of the therapist improves eating disorder treatment
Hypothesis: Self-disclosure of the therapist improves eating disorder treatment
Milestone three draft of introduction and literature review
A description of the general topic I am researching involves that of student involvement with extracurricular activities. The problem statement to which I am interested in researching is whether prolonged exposure of student involvement to extracurricular activities has a residual effect on the students’ academic career. In other words, does student involvement with extracurricular activities have an effect on the students’ academic curriculum? Students’ academic curriculum, would include such items as course selection, students G.P.A, attendance, and likelihood of dropping out.
The importance and relevance a discussion of topics of this design to real world issues, should be quite apparent. Real world issues, such as the dropout rate of high-school students, would benefit greatly by knowing whether a correlation exists between student involvement and continuing education. Knowing that preventative measures could be incorporated, such as that of encouraging students to participate in extracurricular activities, stimulates a student to learn, and embrace the learning style of students. Therefore, studying involvement in extracurricular, has the potential to increase students’ academic curriculum participation.
Existing research on this particular topic of discussion are integrated in the following peer-review, which encompasses that of student involvement in a plethora of extracurricular activities. Many articles utilized in this analysis, were from Developmental Psychology, and Journal of Educational Psychology, and demonstrate a wealth of knowledge on this research methodology. The key themes from the articles discuss student engagement in playing videogames; internet usage; film, television and music preferences; sports involvement, and the potential beneficial effects of student’s involvement on the student’s current and future academic career.
Potential benefits of student involvement with extracurricular activities seem to be rather limitless. Based on the existing research pertaining to educational benefits of student engagement in extracurricular activities is statistically linked to increased curricular involvement, grade point averages, future academic involvement, and decreased likelihood of dropping out. Students who participate in non-academic, as well as academic extracurricular activities, such as music programs, student organizations, and sports teams, have a greater probability of graduating high school, and continuing their academic careers with a college education.
Analysis of different research designs of the previously conducted research argues the potential advantages and disadvantages to conducting research using this defined methodology. The majority of previously conducted research was conducted using questionnaires, and empirical research through observation, as well as longitudinal studies. Examples of research conducted previously, consists of a wide array of different styles, including but not limited to a survey data from the Alfred P. Sloan Study of Youth and Social Development, a gaming comparison to Darwinian survival of the fittest, a longitudinal study, and observational techniques.
Such observational techniques included requesting the participants within a specific research methodology, to read multiple passages, either aloud or silently, to analyze the influence of reading purpose (for entertainment or study) on inference generation. The reading did not influence off-line behavior but did influence on-line behavior. Whereas, another study measured the quality of extracurricular activities, which is said to decline with the transition to middle school, by assessing students perceptions. In accordance with the stage–environment fit approach, extracurricular activities are supposed to promote motivation.
Disadvantages and potential advantages to utilizing a research study with a similar methodology are centered upon the research flaws. No existing study or research conducted today, or previously, is without limitations. However, the problem is discovering ways in which to work around the existing flaws in research methodology. Existing disadvantages within the current research on the subject of extracurricular activities and their effects on student curriculum, is centered on that of high school, or middle school students. Many researchers overlook the simple fact that extracurricular activities for many students begin earlier and extend further.
Utilizing longitudinal studies, a current student’s involvement could be studied for a longer duration. Therefore, over the lifetime of a student, a researcher would potentially gain beneficial knowledge of the average students participation and involvement in extracurricular activities, and the effects those activities have on the students’ academic performance. Advantages of the previously conducted research is centered on the extensive research available, which cover a range of different subjects covered under the topic of extracurricular activities. These advantages have unlimited potential for conducting extensive research on this subject worldwide.
