Anticipated Date of Graduation

Summer 2022

Document Type

Thesis

Degree Name

Master of Science in Mathematical Sciences

Department

Mathematical Sciences

First Advisor

Douglas Darbro

Abstract

Extracurricular activities play a big role in developing some students into well-rounded adults, while other students choose to not participate in any. This study was performed to show a specific relationship between participating in extracurricular activities and higher test scores on the geometry state test in Ohio. This study was conducted at a rural high school in northwest Ohio, with a sample of 145 students who took both the geometry state test and the eighth-grade standardized test. With this data and the data of which of these students participated in which extracurricular activity, if any, this study could then answer questions about what are some significant predictors of the geometry state test scores or if being involved in a certain type of extracurricular activity has a significantly different mean geometry state test score. Results were found by running two different tests in the data. For the first result, the geometry state test scores were recoded to be zero if the score indicated that the student failed or one of the scores indicated that the student passed. Then a Logistic Regression model was run to find any significant predictors for the geometry state test scores from gender, the student’s eighth-grade standardized math scores, or the type of extracurricular activity a student was involved in. The next test was an ANOVA model to look at the differences in mean scores across the different types of extracurricular activities. From these two tests, there was a small but significant relationship showing that participating in an extracurricular activity is beneficial for students’ geometry state test scores. This implies that students at Edgerton High School should be a part of some type of extracurricular activity if they would want to increase their geometry state test scores. The two types that showed the most promise were the individual-based extracurricular activities (Cross-country, Golf, Wrestling, Track) and the team-based extracurricular activities (Football, Volleyball, Basketball, Softball, Baseball).

Included in

Mathematics Commons

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