Extracurricular Activities as a Factor of Students’ Academic Success: A Sociological Analysis

The article presents the results of a sociological study conducted among 2,511 full-time students at Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University. The study aims to identify the nature and strength of the relationship between students’ participation in various types of extracurricular activities (e.g. scientific, sports, cultural and creative, social) and their academic performance. The research methods employed include an online survey, Spearman’s correlation analysis, and k-means clustering. A significant positive, albeit moderate, correlation was established between involvement in extracurricular activities and academic success. Engagement in research activities shows the strongest association with high grades (45% of straight-A students are engaged in this type of extracurricular activities). Using cluster analysis, three types of students were identified: “academically successful” (52.5%), “socially active” (27.2%), and “indifferent” (20.3%). It is shown that living in a dormitory and being female are factors that increase student engagement in learning activities. Practical recommendations are proposed for targeted support of different student groups.