Question

Read the following excerpt from an essay that aims to persuade readers about the benefits of participating in extracurricular activities at school. The writer cites the work of others to support the claims in the essay. Look at the bibliography provided below the excerpt. It lists the works that the author cited in the essay. Evaluate the credibility of each of the sources listed in the bibliography. Do you think the source is credible? Why or why not? Extracurricular Activities and Academic Performance One of the benefits of extracurricular activities is that they can improve students’ academic performance. Students who are part of sports teams, theater groups, glee clubs, academic clubs, or other programs tend to earn better grades. A study by Fredricks and Eccles found that participation in extracurricular activities can result in higher test scores, improved grades, better academic engagement, and a higher tendency to live out academic aspirations.1 Students who are not involved in school programs receive comparatively poor grades. Mary Rombokas, in a 1995 study, proved that high school students who played for school sports teams received better grades than students who were not athletes.2 She further cites a survey by Durbin from 1984 that found that students who were part of school sports programs received higher grades than students who did not participate in such programs.3 Bibliography Fredricks, A. Jennifer and Jacquelynne S. Eccles. “Is Extracurricular Participation Associated with Beneficial Outcomes? Concurrent and Longitudinal Relations,” Developmental Psychology 42 (2006): 698-713. Rombokas, Mary. “High School Extracurricular Activities and College Grades,” Southeastern Conference of Counseling Center Personnel, Jekyll Island, GA. October 25-27, 1995. Durbin, B. B. “High School Athletics: a Valuable Educational Experience” NASSP Bulletin (1984): 32-34.

Answer 1

Source 1: This article was found in a journal published by the American Psychological Association. Because it’s printed in a peer-reviewed journal, it can be safe to assume that the article provides credible information. Moreover, the authors are professors in the Department of Human Development at Connecticut College, so they are experts in that field of research. Other studies and research papers have also cited this article.

Source 2: Mary Rombokas is an established expert who did a study of college-aged students to evaluate the impact of high school extracurricular activities on academic performance. Other studies and research papers have cited this source.

Source 3: This source has several features that add to its credibility: it’s a peer-reviewed study; it’s written by a well-known scholar in the field; it’s published in the established National Association of Secondary School Principals Bulletin; and it’s cited by several other studies and research papers.

Answer 2

This source is credible because they cited the sources. The essay is not opinionated. It didn't lack any information. It is a good persuasive essay :)

Hope this helps!