Extracurricular Events Research Articles

A TECHNOLOGY OF ENHANCING CREATIVITY IN ELEMENTARY SCHOOL TEACHERS

One of the most important issues in the educational system aimed at increasing the creative potential of elementary school students is the enhancement of creative abilities of students to obtain didactic systematic knowledge that they receive during classes and extracurricular events, and defining the scale and pace of continuous extensive scope and improvement of their skills. The teachers’ mission is, proceeding from their the didactical education, develop in students the highest level of professional knowledge and skills, enhance professional skills, creative potential, make it fit the requirements of the rapidly expanding pedagogical process, at the same time controlling his/her teaching activities, and, when needed and in accordance with its results, make appropriate corrections to the creative activi- ties. The uniqueness of the discipline of technological training, students’ practicing within the educational process and development of numerous methodologies, which allow the teacher not only analyze different pedagogical situ- ations, but also to solve the issues directly connected with educating and upbringing elementary school students, that may suddenly arise in the course of work; solving these issues require the teacher to have excellence, skills and broad experience.

Pristupi u proučavanju odnosa porodice i škole - primeri Srbije i Australije

Strong communication and cooperation between the family and the school is one of the most important factors contributing to students' learning, identity and well-being. This research aimed to support Serbian policy makers and school authorities to engage more effectively with families as children transition to the first years of school. By drawing on the experiences of Serbian parents who live in Australia and Australian teachers, and considering contemporary educational literature on family-school engagement, it was hoped to identify strategies that might be employed to encourage Serbian school communities to strengthen communication with families and foster improved cooperation between parents and teachers in the early years of school. This study used a qualitative research approach (semi-structured questionnaires and follow-up interviews) to explore parents' and teachers' perceptions and experiences of building and sustaining family-school partnerships in each context. Analyses of Serbian parents' and teachers' views of family-school interactions during the transition-to-school period indicated that families had limited, if any, communication with the school and were rarely involved in their children's learning, including classroom activities and extracurricular events. Analyses of Australian parents' and teachers' perceptions of their transition-to-school engagement experiences indicated that communication and cooperation between family and school were common and frequent. The findings from this study identified a range of suggestions that Serbian schools might adopt to strengthen and sustain communication, engagement and cooperation with families, particularly during the period when children begin school.

様々なイベントを経験する課外活動により大学生のイノベーション力を高める

様々なイベントを経験する課外活動により大学生のイノベーション力を高める

Extra credit and decision-making: Understanding college students’ motivation to attend on-campus events

This study examines undergraduate students’ perceptions of extra credit and its connection to attending events. Because some faculty offer extra credit to students to motivate participation outside the classroom, research is needed to evaluate students’ views and attitudes toward extra credit. Few studies examine the incentives that drive participation and to what degree students value them. Of the respondents surveyed, 73% placed significant value on extra credit and viewed it as a motivator. The majority (75%) “agreed” or “strongly agreed” all extra-curricular events should have extra credit attached to attendance. More attention should be paid to the idea that extra credit is perceived as an expectation. To best promote experiential learning outside the classroom, faculty are encouraged to embrace the practice of offering extra credit as a means to a pedagogically beneficial end. This study offers new categories faculty and administrators can use to communicate the value of events.

Интернациональный фестиваль русской культуры как эффективная форма внеучебной работы со студентами, изучающими русский язык как иностранный

The article considers the experience of organizing an extra-curricular event - International Russian Festival for foreign students studying Russian as a foreign language. The author reveals the basic stages of the event, proposes the most efficient forms of intercultural interaction, determines the approaches to extra-curricular event organization, describes the types of creative extra-curricular activities aimed to enhance foreign students’ sociocultural and linguistic adaptation to new linguistic and educational environment. Scientific originality of the study lies in the fact that the researcher proposes a model of organizing an extra-curricular event aimed to facilitate foreign students’ sociocultural and linguistic adaptation. The analysis indicates that foreign students participating in the event are more successful in adapting themselves to new educational and cultural environment.

FUTURE PRIMARY SCHOOL TEACHER TRAINING IN ORGANIZING EXTRACURRICULAR ACTIVITIES IN A FOREIGN LANGUAGE

The article is devoted to the issue of training primary school teachers to organize extracurricular activities in a foreign language. The author notes that the transformational changes which are taking place in modern Ukrainian society and the European integration processes make it necessary to pay special attention to teaching a foreign language. It has been found that developing primary school children’s foreign language communicative competence requires efficient methods and forms of learning that correspond to the development of pupils’ age-specific features.
 In this context, extracurricular activities in a foreign language become crucial for the realization of the communicative goals of mastering a foreign language. It is emphasized that extracurricular activities have a number of significant advantages, in particular, greater freedom for pupils in the course of completing assignments and the initiative of children in various creative types of work. In addition, children behave casually and emotionally. They look for their own methods of expressing thoughts. In this regard, special attention is paid to the organization of extracurricular activities as an essential component of the formation of younger schoolchildren’s foreign language communicative competence, which contributes to the creation of such an atmosphere that would promote positive communication and stimulate pupils’ speech activity. 
 The author analyzes the interpretation of the category «extracurricular activities» presented in the scientific research of Ukrainian scientists. The characteristics of various forms of extracurricular activities in a foreign language, in a particular individual, group, and mass are presented.
 The main components of the preparation of future primary school teachers for the organization of extracurricular work in a foreign language are highlighted. Thus, future teachers are introduced to the general principles of organizing extracurricular work in the process of studying the professionally-oriented academic disciplines «Introduction to the Specialty Primary Education»Є, «General Fundamentals of Pedagogy», «Didactics of Primary Education», «Theory and Methodology of Education». The specifics of the organization of extracurricular activities in a foreign language are mastered directly in the course of studying the discipline «Methods of Foreign Language Education». 
 The practical training of future primary school teachers takes place in the course of practice at school and doing assignments in the «Methods of Foreign Language Education» module. Students are offered to conduct an extracurricular event in a foreign language, in particular in the form of a quest.

National survey of schools of pharmacy on prevalence and description of wellness initiatives

IntroductionAlthough the importance of student wellness has been emphasized across health professions including pharmacy, there is a lack of information on the prevalence of such wellness programs in pharmacy schools. The objectives of this study were to determine the prevalence of student wellness programs in United States (US) schools of pharmacy and to describe their basic structure. MethodsDeans from the 143 US schools of pharmacy were asked to participate in this study by completing an electronic survey. Institutions with wellness programs were prompted to answer questions related to their program, including who initiated the program, who participated, where wellness principles were taught and incorporated, and what dimensions of wellness were promoted. ResultsForty-six responses were collected for a response rate of 32.2%. Thirty-four (73.9%) of respondents answered that they had a school wellness program. Similar numbers of private and public schools completed the survey at 24 (52.3%) and 22 (47.8%), respectively. The majority of programs targeted students (97.1%), faculty (79.4%), and staff (76.5%), were initiated by either the office of the dean (73.5%) and/or faculty (58.8%), and were comprised of faculty (88.2%), staff (82.4%), and office of the dean (67.6%). Wellness principles were most often taught and practiced during extracurricular events and didactic courses. ConclusionsThis descriptive, survey-based study provides a snapshot on the current incorporation of wellness initiatives across US schools of pharmacy. Further studies are needed to elucidate best wellness practices within pharmacy academia.

USING ARDUINO IN STUDYING THE SECTION "ALGORITHMIZATION AND PROGRAMMING" OF THE SCHOOL INFORMATICS COURSE AS A PREPARATION FOR LEARNING THE BASICS OF ENGINEERING

The article discusses the possibility of preparing schoolchildren for the study of the basics of engineering in the framework of training in the section "Algorithmization and programming" of the informatics course based on the Arduino platform. Such training can be organized by including in the material under study practical work on the creation of electronic controlled devices: a weather station, a "smart" night light, a traffic light, a music box, etc. A simple assembly system allows using the Arduino kit for 40-minute lessons: 10 to 20 minutes depending on the complexity of the project. Also, in the classroom, it is proposed to use Tinkercad, a free 3D modeling program that allows you to assemble an electronic device online, write a code, test it, make sure it works, and download a sketch code for further use. The article presents a methodology for carrying out work in the 10th grade to create a "music box" device in Arduino. The purpose of this work is to generalize and systematize the topic "One-dimensional arrays of integers". The practical part of the lesson involves working with light, sound, control, and rotation of the figure. Thus, the concept of "array", algorithmic structures "loop" and "branching" are repeated. This work can also be carried out as an extracurricular event, for example, within the framework of a subject week.

Does university attendance impact students' political tolerance and open-mindedness: the atypical case of Israel?

PurposeA major justification for the state subsidy of university education at public institutions (and, in some countries, of private universities too) is the economic and social benefits accruing to society as whole from a significantly university-educated workforce and citizenship. Based upon a broad range of research findings, a particular societal benefit emanating from higher education relates to good citizenship: that it leads to more open mindedness and tolerant political attitudes. We examined these issues using a representative sample of students from Israeli universities to clarify the extent to which these outcomes would be paralleled in the Israeli setting, where the university experience differs markedly from that found typically in the West.Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a comparison of political tolerance levels between first- and final-year students enrolled in regular undergraduate study programs (of four days a week or more). However since a change in tolerance is likely to be contingent also on the amount of time that the student spends on campus during the study year, we introduce, as a control group, students enrolled in compressed study programs (of three days a week or less) and compare changes in their tolerance levels with tolerance changes of students enrolled in regular programs. Research questionnaires were distributed to undergraduate students at three universities from the three major districts in Israel–north, south and center. The achieved sample size was 329 students.FindingsUsing Difference-in-Differences techniques, we looked for any changes in students' general political tolerance, over the course of their studies. Surprisingly, we found no such effect on political tolerance attitudes. Israeli students are older and often married and though nominally full-time students, they often hold down a full-time job. Thus they come and go to attend lectures but do not otherwise spend much time on campus. Given the somewhat perfunctory nature of the university experience for most Israeli students, it does not to lead to more open-minded and tolerant political attitudes.Practical implicationsSome broader, practical applications of the research, beyond the Israeli case, are presented, particularly related to distance learning and to the impact of COVID-19. Attention is given to more recent “Cancel culture” developments on university campuses.Originality/valueThe results have wider implications, to other university setting in other countries. Changes in political attitudes may occur in university settings where campus life is well developed, with opportunities for student interaction, formally in extra-curricular events or through social mixing outside the lecture hall. Where the university experience is more minimally confined to attendance at lectures these desirable outcomes may not be forth coming. These findings are relevant to other university frameworks where campus attendance is marginal, such as in open university education and, even more explicitly, in purely internet-based higher education study.

An LGBTQIA+ Symposium to Improve Care for Sexual and Gender Minority Youth.

Multilevel factors drive health disparities experienced by sexual and gender minority (SGM) populations. We developed a 3-hour symposium focusing on care for SGM youth to address this. The symposium was a free, extracurricular event open to the public, with an emphasis on health professional students and providers from all disciplines and involved interprofessional didactic and interactive components. Participants completed optional retrospective pre/postsurveys immediately and 10-months postsymposium. Surveys contained Likert-scale questions addressing five indicators of symposium effectiveness related to knowledge, confidence, and comfort in providing care for SGM populations. We used 1-tailed paired t tests to evaluate the effectiveness of the symposium, and analysis of variance tests to compare differences by professional role. Of 208 individuals who attended the symposium, 67 completed the initial survey, and 23 completed the 10-months postsymposium survey. Participants reported significantly higher ( P<.001) scores across all five measures of effectiveness from pre- to immediately postsymposium, and remained at significantly higher ( P<.05) scores across all measures from presymposium to 10 months postsymposium, except for comfort recommending care for SGM pediatric patients or clients. Results suggest that the symposium improved participants' perceived effectiveness in serving SGM pediatric patients, although selection bias is a concern. Dissemination of educational approaches that incorporate interprofessional didactic and active learning components may help improve workforce capacity to improve SGM health.

Development and implementation of extracurricilar environmental event for secondary school students

The results of the phased development and implementation of the educational environmental event "Elk Island - Clean Forest" are given as part of the environmental education of middle school students in garbage collection within the boundaries of a specially protected natural area, including legal, methodological and organizational stages, the implementation of which allowed for an extracurricular environmental event, identify problems of a methodological and organizational nature that require more detailed study, identify the effectiveness of individual components, and formulate some recommendations for similar events. The methodology of the ecological campaign "Clean Games", adapted for participants of secondary school age (12-16 years), as well as the development and results of an extracurricular environmental event "Elk Island - Clean Forest" are presented. The results obtained make it possible to assess the possibility of using the existing methodology and the need for its adjustment, taking into account the age characteristics of students, as well as the quality of learning material and the presence of increased interest of students in this problem.

Соотношение учебной и личностной познавательной активности студентов-дефектологов

This article presents the results of a study into the intensity, variability and interrelation of various components of Therapeutic Pedagogy students’ education-related cognitive activities. Based on the same data set, students’ cognitive activities were also used to assess their personality traits and investigate the relationship between the cognitive activities they demonstrated in their education and in life in general. Students’ educational and cognitive activities were assessed following an integrated method, which includes an expert survey and observation according to the standard education-related cognitive activity observation framework. The study of cognitive activity was carried out using the “unsolvable task” method. The results of an empirical study indicate that Therapeutic Pedagogy students are characterized by high learning motivation and diligence. This is combined with low supra-situational activities, such as completing training tasks or attending extracurricular events. High learning motivation and diligence are combined with low rate of integration of educational material, i. e. poor ability to apply the acquired knowledge in school or in life. Students of this specialization possess skills required to manage their educational activities, a high level of independence and are able to employ their willpower to manage their educational activities. Indicators of supra-situational activity and of integration of educational material vary greatly. Based on the results of correlation analysis, two sets of student learning motivations were identified. The first set combines such indicators as “interest in learning”, “comfort of learning”, “supra-situational activity” and “integration of educational material”, identified as the “interested” set. The second set includes: “volitional effort”, “study management” and “study independence” and represents the “obligatory” motivation of educational activities. Both sets demonstrate a positive correlation with indicators of students’ personal cognitive activity: “interest in learning” and “integration of material” for set 1, “volitional effort” and “study management” for set 2.

Predictors of Motivation to Coach in High School Students and Adult Coaches

We conducted two studies to investigate predictors of coaching motivation. In Study One, we focused on variables linked to coaching motivation and burnout in adult sports coaches. We examined high school extracurricular experiences, and coaching engagement. Positive interpersonal events experienced during high school predicted coaching motivation and a motivation. Positive interpersonal and performance events in high school predicted feelings of reduced accomplishment, while negative interpersonal and performance events in high school predicted physical exhaustion. Two aspects of coaching engagement, vigor and absorption predicted coaching motivation. Thus, coaches’ motivation was predicted by both high school and current coaching events. In Study Two, we examined whether the same high school events predicted a desire to coach in recent high school graduates. Participants retrospectively reported participation in high school sports or heavy investment in alternate activities (e.g., marching band). For both groups, identification with the activity and dedication to the activity predicted a desire to coach. A desire to coach was not predicted by high school extracurricular events. Our findings indicate that high school experiences exerted differential effects on recent graduates versus adult coaches in terms of attitudes toward coaching.

Types of Extracurricular Campus Activities and First-Year Students’ Academic Success

This research examines the relationships between first-year college students’ attendance at campus-sponsored extracurricular events and grade point average, persistence from fall to spring, and retention to the second year. Students’ attendance at various campus life events over the course of an academic year was tracked by scanning students’ identification cards. Hierarchical regression modeling revealed that first years attending events within a specific category of campus life programming called signature events had significantly higher cumulative grade point averages and better odds of persisting and retaining. The findings from this study add to the body of research on student involvement and engagement, with a specific focus on campus life activities.

Scaffolding Extracurricular Online Events to Support Distance Learning University Students

Studies about effective practice in Higher Education (HE), student retention, progression and attainment suggest that student engagement is a major factor in success. A sense of belonging to a community of students and academics is seen as key to creating effective engagement. Such studies have identified interventions that have proved successful in traditional HE contexts; however, ideas of belonging and community are considered problematic in distance learning contexts. Preliminary work by the doctoral research author showed that many Open and Distance Learning (ODL) students were successful in their studies without identifying as a student or interacting socially with others, calling into question the extent to which belonging and community are relevant in part-time and distance learning settings. In 2014, The Open University developed a platform, the Student Hub Live (SHL), to facilitate academic community. This research focuses on the value of attending the live online interactive events at the SHL that support part-time distance learning students outside the curriculum, and relating to their studies. Using an ethnographic approach and grounded theory methods, chat logs of events were analysed and the emergent themes informed semi-structured interviews with six participants. The overall findings were that although the curriculum was often a primary focus for students, learning how to apply academic skills more generally and learning from other students is important in ODL. The findings are relevant to other distance and face-to-face HE providers that are keen to engage students in virtual extracurricular spaces to support learning.

Devising a unique model for science outreach programmes with critical engagement from teachers across the 5-19 age range

This thesis utilises teachers’ reflections regarding their experiences of science outreach activities, they have encountered and identify features of these programmes that attracts schools to engage (or not engage) with these extra-curricular events. This is useful as science outreach work is considered a fun and satisfying venture which can enhance the learning experience, spark scientific interest in learners which can promote further engagement within the subject (Shanahan et al, 2011). Teachers are also an important group to focus upon within this field, as teachers are gatekeepers to these experiences. However, wider research warns that there is little evidence to suggest whether these types of activities achieve their overarching goal; to encourage people to enter and persist within science careers (Banerjee, 2018; Bogue et al, 2013; Van De Hurk et al, 2019). Therefore, this PhD aims to further explore which type of outreach activities participants believe to be the most successful in enthusing learners in science, to provide recommendations as to the future designs of these programmes. To do so, this PhD was divided into two Phases and collected data from participants across all formal educational levels (eg. from primary to college in the context of England). Phase One involved conducting questionnaires (n=52) and interviews (n=8) and generated both quantitative and qualitative data. Standard statistical analysis was used to determine who participants felt that science outreach should be aimed at and thematic analysis (Braun and Clarke, 2006) of the qualitative data provided a more detailed understanding of what teacher’s expectations are with regards to these programmes. Data revealed that despite wider research stating that children formed interests at a young age (Oppermann et al, 2018), participants felt that outreach was more important at higher educational levels. Participants did however agree that it was of equal important for both genders and those from a lower socio-economic background. Responses from the open-questions and interviews also revealed that although teachers value these types of activities to assist with the formal science curriculum, barriers such as time and cost may limit their engagement with these programmes. These findings, along with more focused wider literature, were then used to develop a preliminary model for the ‘optimum’ delivery of science outreach activities. Phase Two was designed to further refine the proposed model using principles of Modified Grounded Theory via conducting focus groups (n=4). As part of these focus groups participants were also specifically asked which aspects of the model would be most beneficial for those learning from lower socio-economic backgrounds. Findings from this phase of the PhD study indicated that the key to effective outreach work in science is to ensure that clear objectives are defined at the start of the design process to ensure that all key stakeholders such as teachers, parents and learners are included. It is anticipated that if this approach to developing outreach activities in science is adopted it will assist with removing some of the barriers to engaging with these events to increase engagement. Participants also perceived that by focusing on careers, making science relevant to the learners, providing relatable role models and engaging parents in science outreach events, would make these programmes more impactful, especially for those learners from disadvantaged background. When designing this model, a pragmatist approach was adopted as this allowed the researcher to focus on the strengths of the different paradigms (Johnson & Onwuegbuzie, 2004). This ensured that the data collected provided the most suitable information to create the ‘optimum science outreach model for lasting impact’ which translates data into a framework. Using this model as a framework will allow outreach providers to draw upon findings from this study more readily when designing age-appropriate outreach activities. Thus, this PhD provides further understanding as to what motivates teachers to engage with science outreach activities, which can be used to inform the design of subsequent programmes.

AN EXTRACURRICULAR EVENT “HISTORY OF INFORMATICS IN DATES

The article presents an extracurricular event “History of informatics in dates”, conducted using infographics. The article justifies why infographics will allow us to memorize historical events associated with the development of informatics. The dates and information from the history of the development of the Internet, computers, microprocessors and operating systems are given. The work with dates is carried out in a game form.

Medical student exposure to cardiothoracic surgery in the United Kingdom.

There has been declining interest in cardiothoracic surgery amongst medical graduates. This survey examines the exposure of British medical students to cardiothoracic surgery in various settings and its relationship with students' interest in the speciality. A questionnaire composed of 14 quantitative and qualitative items was distributed amongst 162 medical students. The survey included questions on demographics, interest in cardiothoracic surgery, mechanisms of exposure to the speciality and desire to pursue a career in cardiothoracic surgery before and after exposure. Amongst the surveyed students, 71.0% reported exposure to cardiothoracic surgery as part of their medical school curricula and 24.7% reported extracurricular exposure. Of the students, 46.7% reported clinical exposure. Overall, 27.1% of students reported interest in a career in cardiothoracic surgery, which was higher amongst students who had curricular (29.6%), clinical (35.5%) or extracurricular exposure (50.0%). Amongst interested students, 43.2% engaged in extracurricular cardiothoracic activities compared with 16.1% of students not interested in pursuing the speciality. Confidence in career choice after exposure increased more in interested students (20.4%) than not interested students (1.6%). Students rated exposure and mentorship as the most important factor in promoting a career in cardiothoracic surgery. Medical students with an interest in cardiothoracic surgery are more likely to organize independent attachments in the speciality and attend extracurricular events; however, many students might fail to identify cardiothoracic surgery as an area of interest because of the lack of exposure at medical school.

Civics Across Campus: Designing Effective Extracurricular Programming

This study focuses on examining the role that isolated extracurricular events can play in furthering students’ civic education; these one-time events require fewer resources to implement than courses and therefore provide valuable opportunities for faculty to engage new audiences on their campuses in the work of civic learning. In order to develop more effective civic learning in these isolated extracurricular activities, we follow a two-pronged approach. First, we use survey data to determine the audiences reached by extracurricular civic education events, as well as to assess event attendees’ levels of political knowledge, civic skills, democratic values, and feelings of efficacy. Second, we use insights drawn from this data to suggest strategies to design more effective programming, including identifying key audiences and targeting specific learning outcomes, and share the successful results we have had in implementing these strategies on our campus. In so doing, our work not only adds to the growing literature on civic learning, but also provides a model for how to practically organize successful, and manageable, one-time extracurricular civic education programs.

Bilingual practices as a means of intercultural communication under the globalization

The article is devoted to the problem of intercultural communication and identifying the significance of bilingual practices in the context of globalization. A review of the research on this issue proposes to consider bilingual practices as a means of intercultural communication. A review of the research on this issue proposes to consider bilingual practices as a means of intercultural communication. It is proved that the basis of bilingual practices of students of the university is social action. The results of a theoretical analysis of the problem and practical activities in this area confirm the possibility of designing bilingual practices as an effective means of intercultural communication. The novelty of the research consists in substantiating the potential of bilingual practices for solving intercultural communications that are significant for students of the university. The bases of this study performed on the methodological foundations of the activity and socio-cultural approaches. The results of the inclusion of bilingual practices as educational and extracurricular events in the communicative activities of students through training on the educational programs of the university, organization of project activities aimed at developing their intercultural competence are formulated