Social Values and Behavioural Change: two Aspects Influenced by Participating in Extracurricular Activities – a Study of Some Higher Educational Institutes

Purpose: Extracurricular activities are those that are conducted apart from the mandatory syllabus in the educational organizations. These include sports, organisations, voluntary community service, literary activities, music, the arts, and dramatisation etc. This study was conducted with the aim of exploring the constructive influence of participation in extracurricular activities on the social values and behaviour of students pursuing different professional undergraduate and postgraduate programmes. Method: A descriptive analysis was conducted in which a mail-in questionnaire was distributed to 525 students via a simple random sampling technique. Using SPSS software and relevant statistical procedures, the acquired data was analysed to assess the research hypotheses. SEM data, one-way ANOVA, and T-test reports were used to document the outcomes of the analysis. Results: The results of the research supported improved social values and positive behavioural changes among the students who opted for extracurricular activities. Implications: The major implication of this research lies with the students, higher education institutes, and parents to understand the importance of extracurricular activities in generating individuals with excellent leadership qualities, greater societal concern, and strong ethical values, who are well disciplined, self-dependent, and also know time management. Originality/Value: In view of contemporary reports, this study examines how participation in extracurricular activities positively affects the social values and behavioural change of students pursuing professional higher education programmes. It may help the higher educational institutes improve their educational curricula by incorporating more extracurricular activities in order to produce better citizens with a disciplined attitude.