Engagement in Co-Curricular and Academic Performance Among Students

Co-curricular activities are programs and experiences that complement the academic curriculum by providing students with opportunities to develop skills beyond the classroom. These activities include clubs, sports, leadership programs, and cultural engagements that foster personal growth, teamwork, and social responsibility. This study adopted a quantitative descriptive–correlational research design to determine the level of engagement in co-curricular activities among students at Yumbing National High School during the School Year 2025–2026 and to examine its relationship with students’ academic performance. Data were gathered through a validated and reliable survey questionnaire, supplemented by casual interviews to enrich the quantitative findings. The respondents of the study were Senior High School students from Grade 11 and Grade 12. Statistical tools such as frequency counts, percentages, weighted mean, standard deviation, Fisher’s test of correlation, and Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) were utilized in analyzing the data. The results revealed that most of the respondents were 17 years old, belonged to low-income but not poor households, and were predominantly enrolled in the Humanities and Social Sciences strand. Findings further showed that students’ engagement in co-curricular activities was to a lesser extent, while their academic performance was described as excellent. A significant relationship was found between students’ academic performance and their engagement in co-curricular activities, indicating a moderate positive correlation. This suggests that increased participation in co-curricular activities is associated with higher academic achievement. However, no significant difference was found in the extent of engagement in co-curricular activities when respondents were grouped according to age and family monthly income, while a significant difference was observed when grouped according to academic strand.