Die verband tussen deelname aan ekstrakurrikulêre aktiwiteite en psigiese welstand tydens adolessensie

Abstract

English: In spite of a new dispensation, violence, crime and social problems are still prevalent in many mainly black schools. The Minister of Education and other stakeholders are of the opinion that projects that promote the participation of especially black learners of a low socio-economic status in extracurricular activities, as a healthy alternative to antisocial behaviour, may be beneficial and improve their quality of life. The aim of this study is to investigate the relationship between participation in extracurricular activities and psychological well-being. Socio-economic status was investigated as a moderator in the relationship between the two variables. The study was conducted among Grade 11 and 12 black learners in two English-medium, secondary schools in the Motheo district. The two schools represent traditional Model C and township schools and both sexes. The Sense of Coherence Questionnaire and the Satisfaction with Life Questionnaire were used as measures of psychological well-being. Learners at both schools indicated an average level of satisfaction with life and an average sense of coherence. Significant relationships were found between sense of coherence and participation in extracurricular activities outside the school for both the total group and the township school, but the relationships were too small to be of practical value. Learners in the traditional Model C school presented with significantly higher socio-economic status levels than learners in the township school. In spite of this, socio-economic status did not have a significant influence on any of the relationships, and could thus not be identified as a moderator of the relationship between the psychological well-being of black learners and their participation in extracurricular activities in this study. It seems as if the promotion of participation in extracurricular activities both inside and outside of the curriculum, will not necessarily result in an improvement in the quality of life of especially learners with a low socio-economic status. The results could have been influenced by the fact that learners were required to answer the questionnaires in their second / third language and that they may have experienced difficulty in comprehending the standard of the language used in especially the Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, that was developed for use with adults. Key words: extracurricular activities, psychological well being, sense of coherence, satisfaction with life, socio-economic status, black adolescents, both sexes.

Afrikaans: Geweld, misdaad en sosiale probleme kom, ten spyte van ‘n nuwe bedeling, steeds in baie van die hoofsaaklik swart sekondêre skole voor. Die Minister van Onderwys en ander betrokkenes is van mening dat projekte wat deelname aan ekstrakurrikulêre aktiwiteite as ‘n gesonde alternatief tot anti-sosiale gedrag bevorder, by veral swart leerders van ‘n lae sosio-ekonomiese status voordelig mag wees en verbeterde lewenskwaliteit tot gevolg mag hê. Die doel van hierdie studie is om die verband tussen deelname aan ekstrakurrikulêre aktiwiteite en psigiese welstand, gekonseptualiseer as lewenstevredenheid (lewenskwaliteit) en koherensiesin, te ondersoek. Sosioekonomiese status is as ‘n moderator in die verband tussen die twee veranderlikes ondersoek. Die studie is onderneem op Graad 11 en 12 swart leerders aan twee Engels-medium, sekondêre skole in die Motheo-distrik. Die twee skole is verteenwoordigend van onderskeidelik tradisionele Model C- en “township”-skole en van beide geslagte. Psigiese welstand is gemeet met die Sense of Coherence Questionnaire en die Satisfaction with Life Questionnaire. By beide skole het leerders ‘n gemiddelde lewenstevredenheid en koherensiesin getoon. Beduidende verbande is tussen koherensiesin en deelname aan ekstrakurrikulêre aktiwiteite buite die skool by die groep as geheel en die “township”-skool gevind, maar was te gering om van praktiese waarde te wees. Leerders in die tradisionele Model C-skool het ‘n beduidende hoër mate van sosio-ekonomiese status as leerders in die “township”-skool ervaar. Sosio-ekonomiese status het egter op geen van die verbande ‘n beduidende effek uitgeoefen nie, en kan dus nie as moderator in die verband tussen swart leerders se psigiese welstand en hulle deelname aan ekstrakurrikulêre aktiwiteite met hierdie studie geïdentifiseer word nie. Dit lyk dus asof die bevordering van deelname aan ekstrakurrikulêre aktiwiteite, sowel binne as buite die kurrikulum, nie noodwendig die lewenskwaliteit van veral leerders met ‘n lae sosio-ekonomiese status sal verbeter nie. Belangrike faktore wat ‘n invloed kon uitoefen op die resultate, was die feit dat die leerders die vraelyste in hulle tweede / derde taal moes voltooi en probleme mag ondervind het om die vlak van taal in veral die Sense of Coherence Questionnaire, wat ontwikkel is vir gebruik met volwassenes, te begryp.