The aim of the present study was to examine gender differences on the relationship between extracurricular activities involvement, self-concept indicators and performance among young students. Few studies have examined this relation among twelve years adolescents and particularly at Primary School. Thus the present research may contribute to literature adding knowledge on how important are gender differences on extracurricular activities, performance self-perception and achievement among young adolescents.

For adolescents, leisure is one of the major life settings besides homework, study, and personal relationships (Evans & Poole, 1991). Classifications of leisure activities have typically identified five to six general domains as socializing, music, culture and education oriented activities, sports, and technical oriented activities (Nolteernsting 1998; Silbereisen, Vaskovic, & Zinnecker, 1996), domains that have also been categorized as two more general factors: structured and non-structured activities (Valentine, Cooper, Bettencourt,  & DuBois, 2002).

In general, gender differences research have found discrepancies among males and females on extracurricular activities participation. Therefore, in line with former findings, we expect that female adolescents will engage more in socializing activities and  male adolescents will engage more in computer use and sports (Athenstaedt, Mikula, & Bredt, 2009). However, these gender differences on extracurricular activities will also be related to academic performance. Several studies have addressed whether extracurricular activities participation affect student achievement. In particular, results have shown a positive relationship between participation in structured out-of-school activities and academic grades after controlling for student characteristics as socioeconomic background, status and race (Valentine, Nye, & Lindsay, 1999). In addition, former results showed that adolescents’ activity involvement is related to their psychological and behavioral functioning (Bartko & Jacquelynne, 2002) and negatively with peer group affiliation and delinquency (Ellitot et al., 1996).This psychological functioning may be related to individuals self-view indicator as self-concept which is in part raised in both, academic and personal settings.

In the academic context, different effects related to extracurricular and leisure activities on performance have been found as for instance negative effects of watching television (Comstock, 1991), and time spent with peers in unstructured settings on lower achievement (Jordan and Nettles, 1999).

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