Electives in schools is a topic that education professionals discuss often. Some are in favor of schools offering a wide variety of elective classes to students in middle and high school, while others think such classes should be the first to go when schools and school districts are faced with budget cuts each year. Read on to learn more about electives in schools.
Elective classes are not specifically part of grade promotion or graduation requirements for students in middle and high school. Electives are offered as a way to offer an element of choice to students who want input into their education. But electives also can be viewed as valuable vehicles for reinforcing core content classes and supporting the achievement of academic standards. Electives have a significant impact on the academic experience of students.
Electives allow students to challenge themselves in a way that core content classes might not; lectures and textbooks do not necessarily provide the kind of stimulation, inspiration, or motivation students hope to have. They can help students focus and achieve in ways they might not otherwise. Further, electives often reveal different skill sets that students never realized they had. This points to students benefiting from electives in terms of both cognitive skills and interpersonal skills.
Electives are also key, according to many different studies and associated statistics, when it comes to reinforcing content presented to students in core classes. Researchers have found that there is a very strong relationship between participation in elective classes (e.g., computer programming, medical skills, physical fitness, creative writing, art, music, etc.) and overall academic achievement. They have shown a correlation between some classes and higher grade point averages and standardized test scores.
Elective classes are an important part of education. They are valuable because they do more than simply fill schedule gaps for students. Electives provide opportunities for students to explore their interests, investigate possible future career fields, and build other non-academic skills as well.
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FOR MORE INFORMATION…
“Studying a Foreign Language Can Help on ACT, SAT”
“The Association Between School-Based Physical Activity, Including Physical Education, and Academic Performance”
https://www.cdc.gov/healthyyouth/health_and_academics/pdf/pa-pe_paper.pdf
“CS helps students outperform in school, college, and workplace”
https://codeorg.medium.com/cs-helps-students-outperform-in-school-college-and-workplace-66dd64a69536
“The Effects of Theatre Education”
“Arts Facts: SAT Scores and the Arts 1999 – 2015”
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