Date of Award

Spring 2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Doctor of Education (EdD)

Committee Chair

Dale Lamb

Abstract

This mixed methods study explored high school graduates’ perceptions of how participation in extracurricular activities influenced their college and career readiness. Grounded in Bandura’s (1986) Social Cognitive Theory and Deci and Ryan’s (1985) Self-Determination Theory, the study examined how experiences in athletics, clubs, organizations, and leadership roles contributed to graduates’ development of confidence, motivation, leadership skills, belonging, and real-world competencies. A sequential explanatory mixed methods design was employed. The quantitative phase consisted of a 20-item survey completed by 67 graduates of a rural South Carolina high school, with responses analyzed using descriptive statistics and chi-square goodness-of-fit tests. Reliability was further examined using Burke and Dunlap’s (2002) 60% agreement threshold. The qualitative phase included follow-up semi-structured interviews with 18 participants to explain and expand upon the survey findings. Inductive thematic analysis of the interviews revealed several key themes, including confidence developed through performance and public participation, academic accountability and motivation, mentorship and adult role modeling, peer belonging and social support, leadership development and agency, real-world skill development, and structural supports for participation. Integration of the quantitative and qualitative findings indicated strong alignment between survey responses and participant experiences, suggesting that extracurricular participation contributes significantly to students’ personal development and readiness for postsecondary education and career pathways. The findings suggest that schools that intentionally support extracurricular participation may enhance students’ confidence, leadership capacity, and workforce readiness.

Creative Commons License

Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial 4.0 License

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