Extracurricular activities: Look into the future

• Main Authors: Vidulin Sabina, Pejić-Papak Petra
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Fakultet umetnosti u Nišu 2018-01-01
• Series: Artefact
• Subjects: current situation; extracurricular activities; free time; perspectives; school; suggestions; students
• Online Access: https://scindeks-clanci.ceon.rs/data/pdf/2406-3134/2018/2406-31341801015V.pdf

The role of the school and its organizational and pedagogical solutions is expanding with an active students' participation in the extracurricular activities. They thus perceive, observe and evaluate worlds cultural, artistic, scientific, sports and technical heritage, knowing the quality and aesthetically value for the civilizational development. Therefore, it is essential to stimulate children and young people for qualitative free time spending, creating favorable conditions for the development of their interests and preferences. The school is the perfect place for it. The children get support in accordance with their capabilities, improving their competences, socialize with peers, becoming creative and open for mutual cooperation. An important task for teacher is to design and offer a stimulating activity content, determine the students' affinity and focus them in creative expression with an open and flexible approach. The program should be aligned with the wishes of students, but also reflecting the cultural life of the community. The leaders of extracurricular activities are organizers, coordinators, mediators and partners in learning. Since we encountered various difficulties in the implementation of extracurricular activities, in the article we discuss several questions: about unstimulated teachers who do not have sufficient material and technical support, a small number of hours per week for the implementation of activities, but also about diverse students' interests. Certainly, better working conditions with a quality program, different approaches to the implementation of the program and the positive atmosphere would contribute to more effective promotion and development of students' creativity and better inclusion of extracurricular activities in the school system. The application of knowledge about the importance of planning, programming, implementation and evaluation of extracurricular activities could be not only new feature of planning and organization of education in extracurricular activities, but also an effective solution for the reforms which will improve the organization of the extracurricular activities. The progress in the implementation and realization of these activities is possible if they affect the immediate practical children's achievements, if attention is given to the study of the extracurricular activities phenomenon, and thus a theoretical generating of the new templates which successfulness and practicality will be checked. The future depends on creativity, enthusiasm and professionalism of the teacher and students' interest. The promotion of extracurricular activities should be expressive, and deserve greater role and place in the school system.