Extracurricular Activities and their Influence on Academic Performance of Students in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike

Abstract

This study adopted a survey design to determine the influence of extracurricular activities on academic performance of students in Michael Okpara University of Agriculture, Umudike. The study adopted the random sampling technique in which two hundred students were randomly sampled from the ten colleges. The instrument used for collecting the data was questionnaire which was validated by an expert in the department of agricultural education. This was based on three research questions formulated. The data collected were analyzed using percentage for the research questions. The findings made include the high level participation of students in extracurricular activities, high Grade Point Average (GPA) of students that participate in extracurricular activities and inability of some students to balance extracurricular activities and academic performance. The study recommended that students should participate in academic and formal extracurricular activities to empower them improve their academic performance, aspiration and GPA. Time management, seminars should be held regularly for student, so that they will appreciate the importance of managing their time well to enhance their academic performance.