Examining the Impact of School Type on Leisure Constraints in High School Students

Abstract

Changing education philosophies and technological advancement have altered the way educational content can be delivered to students. However, as new formats continue to emerge and gain in popularity, little is known about how the type of school a student attends impacts their out-of-school time recreation and leisure participation. As recreation and leisure pursuits have been shown to address many social, physical, emotional, and psychological issues, it is imperative that researchers continue to investigate factors that could constrain students’ regular participation in these activities. Therefore, the purpose of this study is to examine how attending online learning institutions, one of the fastest-growing alternatives to brick-and-mortar schools, affects leisure participation. Results of the study indicate that while students attending full-time multi-district online schools may initially experience constraints on their participation in out-of-school-time activities, these are not likely to be permanent.