Leisure Activity, Motivation, and Academic Achievement in High School Students

Abstract

The present study investigated the reciprocal relationship between high school students' school achievement, on the one hand, and their leisure activities and motivation, on the other. Reciprocal relationship refers to the assertion that leisure activities and motivation for learning may influence school achievement, and at the same time school activities may generate interests that result in leisure activities. The leisure-oriented motivation variables investigated were self-efficacy for learning from oneself and intrinsic intellectual motivation. Leisure activity variables predicted school achievement, but relatively weakly compared to motivation variables, which in turn were relatively weak predictors compared with goals for college. Academic leisure activities were only slightly stronger predictors of GPA than all leisure activities. The study suggested that school experience can create leisure interests through continuing motivation (when students become so interested in a classroom topic that they then pursue it on their own outside of school), but that continuing motivation occurs at a low rate. Students who experienced continuing motivation reported greater intrinsic intellectual motivation and more leisure activities, but were no higher in achievement than other students.