ISSN 0798 1015

Vol. 40 (Number 44) Year 2019. Page 4

Educating teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular activities at school

Educar a los futuros profesores para realizar actividades extracurriculares en la escuela

MATUSZAK, Alla 1; PAVLOVA, Olga 2; KALUGINA, Elizaveta 3; KUSARBAEV, Rinat 4 y UVARINA, Natalya 5

Received: 22/06/2019 • Approved: 04/12/2019 • Published 28/12/19

Contents

1. Introduction

2. Methodology

3. Results

4. Discussion

5. Conclusion

Bibliographic references

Annex

1. Introduction

According to the requirements of the Ministry of Education in the Russian Federation teachers have to acquire skills to conduct extracurricular activities at school (Frantsuzova, 2007; Kuznetsova, 2010; Moiseeva, 2016; Pavlovskaya, 2018). These activities include the following directions of personality development: moral education, physical training, social development, intellectual development, cultural education (Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, 2010).

Teacher Training Universities have the task to teach students to conduct extracurricular activities at school (Mylova, 2016; Zheleznova, 2016). Higher schools have developed certain experience on training teachers-to-be to organize extracurricular work (Abramova, 2007; Matuszak et al., 2018; Pavlova et al., 2018).

The purpose of the paper is to propose a model about how to train teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular activities at school. It addresses the research question “What is the most effective way to train teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular work?”. In this research, this question will be split into several questions, reflecting each step of the study.

2.1. The representatives of the sample

The research sample consisted of South Ural State Humanitarian-Pedagogical University students enrolled in the programs of Pedagogy. All the students are studying in the programs training primary, secondary and high school teachers. In the present paper they will be referred to as “teachers-to-be”. The researchers proceeded from the assumption that the larger the sample, the more representative it is, and the more likely that the observer’s role is of a participant nature (Cohen et al., 2007).

To conduct the survey, a group of respondents (n=182) has been engaged: junior pedagogical undergraduate students (n=88), and senior pedagogical undergraduate students (n=94). Teachers-to-be have been enrolled in teacher-training programs “Teacher of History and English”, “Elementary school teacher and the English language teacher”, “Primary school teacher and the English language teacher”, “Teacher of Physics and English”, “Teacher of IT and English”. Groups of respondents were ramdomly chosen. The sample (groups of respondents) is drawn on a simple random basis, consequently, it is qualified as a probability sample.

2.2. The standard error

To be sure to what extent the proportion in the sample is representative of the whole University, a simple calculation of the standard error was made (Cohen et al., 2007):

Where:

P = the percentage in favour;

Q = 100 per cent − P;

N = the sample size.

The standard error was calculated at the initial stage of the research: SE = 3,69.

2.3. Case study

The method of case study envisages the random selection of a Pedagogical University and the respondents within the University. South Ural State Humanitarian-Pedagogical University has been selected as a Pedagogical higher school. Students from different faculties enrolled in undergraduate teacher training programs have been engaged in the research. Since participant observation was qualified by L. Cohen, L. Manion & K. Morrison to be “the best” as the type of case study (Cohen et al., 2007), it was chosen as the strategy of the research. This means that the interviewers took an active part on training teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular activities.

2.4. Pedagogical modeling

To teach pedagogical students to conduct extracurricular work pedagogical modeling has been implemented. A pedagogical model was worked out by the research group in spring 2015. Several practical issues of its implementation in Foreign Language teaching have been discussed in literatre (Pavlova et al., 2018). It was named The Model of Training Teachers-to-be to Conduct Extracurricular Work (TTCEW-model). The researchers implemented the TTCEW model for the whole period of the training program realization during 2015-2019.

2.5. Pedagogical survey

Pedagogical survey was specified designed viewing the requirements to the surveys described in pedagogical literature (Brzeziński, 2000; Krüger, 2007). An interview survey has been implemented in the research. The interview survey, as described in literature (Cohen et al., 2007), is characterized by a “potential lack of standardization”, which offers additional opportunities for learning from the respondents’ opinions.

Within the phase one of the interview survey, the primary objective of the project (“What is the most effective way to train teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular work?”) was identified. At phase two, the subsidiary topics (types of activities, level of activities, aspects of upbringing involved) were clarified.

2.6. Data collecting and processing

The quantitative data were obtained from conversational interviewing. The interviews were carried out at the beginning of the research during the academic year 2015-2016, and in April 2019. The validity analysis of interview questions has been based on data source triangulation. The three sources of data sets have been: University staff experts (n=10), graduate student experts (n=3), experts from undergraduate students (n=20), in the field of Pedagogy. The experts confirmed the interview questions validity.

Participant observation also allowed to determine the actual levels of readiness to conduct extracurricular activities. The validity of criteria, indicators and levels of readiness to conduct extracurricular activities were assessed by the experts from South Ural State Humanitarian-Pedagogical University staff (n=10).

Statistical data processing was performed in the MS Excel 2010 environment (Khalafyan, 2017). The McNemar’s test, McNemar’s test with Yates correction, McNemar’s test with Edwards’ correction were implemented (Petrov, 2013).

2.7. The study narratives

2.7.1. Analysis of the level of teachers’-to-be readiness to conduct extracurricular work

The research question addressed to at this part of the study was: What is the level of teachers’-to-be skills to conduct extracurricular work in case these skills are not purposefully taught?

To answer the research´s question a proper interview survey was implemented (the example of the interview is presented in the Annex). The respondents (n=182) expressed their opinions on the following issues: students’ decisions about the urgency of skills acquisition, the inventory of extracurricular activities implemented at school, the significance of extracurricular activities in different upbringing aspects.

The Russian pedagogical educational context suggests that teachers have an obligation to conduct extracurricular activities. This requirement resulted in 100% of the respondents’ persuasion about the necessity of these skills in teacher’s work.

2.7.2. Model of training teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular work (TTCEW-model)

To train teachers-to-be conducting extracurricular work, a model (TTCEW-model) has been designed. The structure of this model contains three components:

Component one is aimed to teach pedagogical students the norms worked out by the state concerning conducting extracurricular work. These requirements to pedagogical activities issued by the state are registered in the State Standards (Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, 2010). The teachers’ obligations concerning extracurricular activities are expected and appreciated by parents and make an essential part of the teachers’ responsibilities. The rules of organizing extracurricular work are proclaimed in the Professional Standard of Pedagogue (pedagogical activity in elementary, core primary, core general, secondary general education) (up bringer, teacher) (Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, 2013) and envisage the following directions of educators’ activity:

• game playing activity
• research activity
• artistic and creative activity
• leisure activities (considering peculiarities of school and region)

Component one of training teachers to conduct extracurricular activities at school also envisages instructing students about the following documentation:

• the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC, 1989)
• legal acts concerning labor regulation in the Russian Federation
• strategies of educating school students of different age groups

Component one of the TTCEW-model can enter models of teachers’ qualification improvement. In-service teachers may gain knowledge about the new legal acts in education during teachers’ conferences.

Component two of the TTCEW-model summarizes skills to be taught to train teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular work. As seen from the Professional Standard of Pedagogue, students have to be trained under four aspects of extracurricular activities: organizing game playing activity, research activity, artistic and creative activity, leisure activities (considering peculiarities of school and region) (Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation, 2013). To provide teachers’-to-be training, the TTCEW-model envisages three levels of work. Activities organized for students by the University give the idea of the inventory and content of extracurricular work. The optional courses teach pedagogical students how to organize extracurricular activities at school. School-based experience allows teachers-to-be to practice the gained skills at school.

Component three describes the process of assessing teachers’-to-be skills of organizing extracurricular activities at school.

2.7.3. Training on the basis of the TTCEW-model

Training teachers’-to-be skills of organizing extracurricular activities for school students logically falls into three steps. The first step consists of activities organized for students by the University. The University plans these activities at the beginning of the academic year. These activities include festivals (e.g. “Festival of Cultures of English Speaking Countries”), International Fairs (e.g. “The Day of International Cuisines”), meetings ( e.g. “May Day meeting”, “Victory Day”), concerts (e.g. “International Women’s Day concert”), competitions (e.g. “Miss Teacher Training University”, “Mr Teacher Training University”, “Total Dictation in English”, Competition of translation), etc.

The second step of training envisages optional courses for University students about forms of upbringing activities. These courses enter the optional component of the curriculum and are selected by students (e.g. “Linguistic games in the lessons of English”). Alongside with them, compulsory subjects in the Core Component of Education also include units about extracurricular work in a given school subject (e.g. “Methods for teaching Physics”, “Methods for teaching Literature”, etc).

The third part of training envisages extracurricular activities included in the school-based experience of teachers-to-be. During the weeks of school-based experience, teachers-to-be have to carry out a definite amount of extracurricular work. It includes obligatory and optional tasks. Obligatory tasks are based on educational projecting. Teachers-to-be are free to choose and organize with their school´s students art projects, research projects, etc. Optional tasks may includeorganizing excursions to museums, competitions, readings; celebrating national holidays at school; watching and discussing films, etc.

2.7.4. Implementing the TTCEW-model envisages stages

1. At the preliminary stage teachers-to-be take part on the extracurricular activities organized for them by the University staff.

2. At the informational stage teachers-to-be were taught subjects aimed at introducing knowledge and skills of conducting extracurricular work in given subjects.

3. At the practical stage teachers-to-be implement the acquired skills in school-based experience. At this stage, the independent activity of pedagogical students is integrated into the educational process at schools. Students learn to reflect on the results of extracurricular activities.

2.8. Assessing the level of readiness to conduct extracurricular work

Assessing the readiness to conduct extracurricular work envisages answering the question ‘how can the level of conducting extracurricular work be evaluated’. To assess it, the inventory of criteria was implemented. The following criteria were measured: how teachers-to-be know the content of extracurricular activities and the requirements to conducting extracurricular work at school; if they have developed the skills to conduct extracurricular work.

The criteria were enumerated on the following way:

C1 – the knowledge of how teachers-to-be know the content of extracurricular activities

C2 – the knowledge of the requirements to conducting extracurricular work at school

C3 – skills of choosing forms of extracurricular work

C4 – organizational skills

C5 – skills of making plots and writing scripts of activities

C6 – planning skills

Measuring the criteria, the following indicators were taken into account: teachers’-to-be independence on participating in the activities, creativity when taking part of / organizing the activities. On the basis of the inventory of criteria and indicators, levels of conducting extracurricular work (elementary, intermediate and advanced) were described.

To assess the validity of criteria, indicators and description of levels, experts from the University staff (responsible for extracurricular work with teachers-to-be) (n=3) were asked for opinions. The experts supported the validity.

Each criterion and its indicator can be manifested in three degrees.

The criterion “how teachers-to-be know the content of extracurricular activities and the requirements to conducting extracurricular work at school” has the degrees:

a) advanced – independent choice of content of extracurricular activities, vast knowledge of the requirements to conducting extracurricular work at school

b) intermediate – partly independent choice of content of extracurricular activities and good knowledge of the requirements to conducting extracurricular work at school

c) elementary – lack of knowledge of the requirements to conducting extracurricular work at school and a passive acceptance of the content, lack of interest

The criterion “creativity when taking part on / organizing the activities” has the degrees:

a) advanced – frequent application of creativity while taking part on activities or frequent organizing extracurricular activities during school-based experience

b) intermediate – periodical application of creativity while taking part on activities or periodical organizing extracurricular activities during school-based experience

c) elementary – lack of application of creativity while taking part on activities or organizing extracurricular activities during school-based experience

Quantitatively, the levels of indicators manifestation have the following values: advanced level of the indicator receive 3 points; intermediate level 2 points; elementary level receive 1 point. Advanced and intermediate levels were considered by the researchers to be sufficient. Elementary level was interpreted as insufficient.

A distribution series with equal intervals was made to determine each teacher’s-to-be level of extracurricular activities. Since six criteria have been measured (C1 – C6), the total score varied from 6 to 18 points. The following values for extracurricular work levels have been established: advanced level 15 – 18 points, intermediate level 11 – 14 points, elementary level 6 – 10 points.

Having applied the described methodology, the initial level of teachers’-to-be readiness to extracurricular activities was tested. Participant observation was implemented to do it. Measurements were taken twice: before and after implementing the TTCEW-model.

Before the model implementation (the total amount of respondents was 182) elementary level was found in 54% of respondents (n=98), the intermediate level was shown by 29% of them (n=53) and an advanced level was registered for a 17% of them (n=31).

The following results were obtained after the model implementation.

The level of teachers’-to-be readiness to extracurricular activities after applying the TTCEW-model changed. Elementary level was found on 22% of  (n=41), while the intermediate level was shown by 42% of them (n=78), and the advanced level was registered on 34% of them (n=63).

The applied methods allowed to obtain the objective and the subjective results about the model impact on teachers-to-be readiness to conduct extracrricular work. The first set of findings obtained on the basis of Case study from participant observation allowed to objectively determine if the implementation of the TTCEW-model is effective. Statistical data processing was performed: the McNemar’s test, McNemar’s test with Yates correction, McNemar’s test with Edwards’ correction were done. After implementing the TTCEW-model McNemar’s χ2=57; p<0,001. McNemar’s test with Yates correction made χ2=56,004; p<0,001. McNemar’s test with Edwards’ correction made χ2=55,018; p<0,001. The result shows considerable differences at the level of high statistical significance. It can be interpreted that training teachers’-to-be on the basis of the TTCEW-model resulted in their pass to the higher level of readiness to conducting extracurricular activities at school.

The second set of findings obtained from interview survey showed the subjective opinions of teachers-to-be about their skills acquisition to conduct extracurricular work after the TTCEW-model implementation. The findings (self-evaluation of teachers-to-be) are listed in Table 1.

Table 1
Opinions of teachers-to-be about their readiness
to conduct extracurricular work

Of 182 respondents 176 reported high and average level skills off finding proper materials. The majority of teachers-to-be look for the necessary information on the Internet resources. They avoid paper books from the libraries saving time and effort. Nevertheless, the Internet resources do not guarantee good quality of materials. Therefore, several respondents reported low skills of finding good quality materials presented at professional web sites.

According to teachers-to-be their planning skills improved considerably as a result of the TTCEW-model implementation. 125 respondents reported high and average level skills of planning extracurricular activities (only 22 respondents were ready to do proper planning before the TTCEW-model implementation).

Teachers-to-be self-evaluated their organizational skills after the training on the basis of the model. A considerable improvement was also registered: 159 respondents assessed their skills as high and average. Teachers-to-be with a low level remained in the group of IT students. The increase in skills is explained by the fact that the TTCEW-model envisaged their practicing in the informational and practical stages. Consequently, teachers-to-be had the training program to improve the skills.

Application of different forms of work was also reported as not lower than average in 180 students (104 respondents before the model implementation). The result is predictable, as the majority of subjects taught to teacbers-to-be envisage selecting forms of classes and activities. Nearly the same result was obtained from teachers-to-be in connection with the question about skills of selecting activities (181 positive answers).

Teachers-to-be reported that they learnt to design the plot of extracurricular events. 134 respondents have participated in writing the script for such events as “Victory Day”, “Easter Festival”. Teachers-to-be in the Humanities are ore confident in plot writing than their colleagues from Science directions.

A more complicated situation was registered with aspects of upbringing. In Russian schools upbringing is the responsibility of each teacher. Consequently, teachers are to practice upbringing skills in various aspects of upbringing. Good and high skills were reported by 121 teachers-to-be. The comparison of the self-evaluation of teachers-to-be in the Humanities and Science show that there is a considerable difference in skills acquisition. Skills are less developed in Group 2.

Cooperation with colleagues is a communicative skill. The communicative habits have evidently been better developed in the group of techers-to-be in the Humanities. 138 respondents with high and average levels are generally in Group 1. Half of IT and Physics teachers-to-be lack the skills.

The differences in self-evaluation of extracurricular activity readiness between respondents majoring in the Humanities (group 1) and majoring in Science (group 2) are shown in Table 2. Group 1 consists of respondents of the traiing programs “Teacher of History and English”, “Elementary school teacher and the English language teacher”, “Primary school teacher and the English language teacher”. Group 2 consists of the respondents double majoring in “Physics and English”, “IT and English”.

Table 2
Differences in self-evaluation of extracurricular activity readiness
between teachers-to-be in the Humanities and in Science

The research shows that pedagogical students enrolled on teacher-training programs feel positive about conducting extracurricular activities and are confident to interest school students and engage them into the activities. The model of training provides students’ necessary skills to meet the requirements of school administration. Most teachers-to-be report they are prepared to apply extracurricular activities in moral education, social development, intellectual development, cultural education. Few teachers-to-be feel confident about organizing activities in physical training, which can be explained, no students of Physical Training Institute have participated in the research. Concerning moral education, social development, intellectual development, cultural education, pedagogical students have several subjects in their curriculum teaching them to conduct these aspects of the education process.

Teachers-to-be report that they are prepared to organize game playing activities and leisure activities (considering peculiarities of school and region). Skills to conduct these extracurricular activities are developed not only in class. Students after their third year have an obligatory practical training in summer camps for school students where they amply apply the developed skills.

Artistic and creative activity is trained in the process of school-based experience. The most difficult extracurricular aspect is research activity. Undergraduate students report that they are not ready to conduct it. The research team concludes that this aspect of extracurricular activities requires additional training on the level of graduate and postgraduate programs.

The research has shown that teachers-to-be have to be trained to conduct extracurricular work. Without specially organized training, the level of teachers’-to-be skills to conduct extracurricular work is insufficient.

The participant observation and respondents’ interviews show that the TTCEW-model is effective on training teachers-to-be to conduct extracurricular work. On the basis of the model, teachers-to-be personality development is achieved in the following spheres: moral education, physical training, social development, intellectual development, cultural education. The following directions of educators’ activity are envisaged: game playing activity, research activity, artistic and creative activity, leisure activities.

The TTCEW-model envisages training teachers-to-be in three stages. The first stage includes activities organized for students by the University. The second stage of training envisages optional courses selected by University students and dedicated to forms of extracurricular activities. The third stage of training envisages extracurricular activities included in the school-based experience, during which teachers-to-be carry out obligatory and optional tasks on extracurricular work.

Since pedagogical students in conversational interviews respond lacking skills of planning the extracurricular work, educators might pay more attention to developing these skills in students when training teachers-to-be. The research team also registered the impact of extracurricular activities on school students’ cultural level.

Teachers-to-be feel positive about the necessity to conduct extracurricular activities.

Abramova, V.I. (2007). Extracurricular research work of students as means to form future teachers’ professional competence. Omsk Scientific Herald, 5(59), 194-197. [in Russian].

Brzeziński, J. (2000). Badania eksperymentalne w psychologii i pedagogice. Warszawa: Wyd. Naukowe Scholar. [in Polish]. Pp. 19-21.

Cohen, L.; Manion, L. and Morrison, K. (2007). Research Methods in Education. London and New York: Routledge Tailor and Francis Group. Pp. 205-382.

Frantsuzova, L. (2007). Extracurricular work. Kadrovik, 3(5), 7. [in Russian].

Khalafyan, A.A. (2017). Probability Theory, Mathematical Statistics, and Data Analysis. Fundamentals of theory and practice on the computer STATISTICA. Excel. Over 150 problemsolvingexamples. Moscow: URSS.

Krüger, H.H. (2007). Metody badań w pedagogice. Gdańsk: Pedagogika GWP. [in Polish]. Pp. 180-181.

Kuznetsova, A.A. (2010). Schools will be compelled to conduct extracurricular work. Innovation projects and programs in education, 2, 3-4. [in Russian].

Matuszak, A; Polenta, S.; Belousova, N.; Maltsev, V. and Uvarina N. (2018). How Teachers-to-Be Acquire Skills To TransferCivic Values to Primary School Contexts. Espacios, 39 (21), 17. Retrieved from: http://www.revistaespacios.com/a18v39n21/a18v39n21p17.pdf

Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation. (2010). Federal State Standard of Core General Education, no 1897, Retrieved from https://www.garant.ru/products/ipo/prime/doc/55070507/. [in Russian].

Ministry of Labor and Social Protection of the Russian Federation. (2013). Professional Standard of Pedagogue (pedagogical activity in elementary, core primary, core general, secondary general education) (up bringer, teacher), no 544n. Retrieved from https://base.garant.ru/70535556/02c46bde69e07fcc7cc080a1e77ec7e2/#block_1000. [in Russian].

Moiseeva, N.S. (2016). Extracurricular work as means to increase motivationand interest for FL learning. Experiment and innovations at school, 5, 67-70. [in Russian].

Mylova, I.B. (2016). Extracurricular work with children of different types of giftedness in the form of multi-age societies in a comprehensive school. Issues of contemporary pedagogical training, 51(3), 217-225. [in Russian].

Pavlova, O.Yu.; Kalugina, E.V.; Kusarbaev, R.I. and Matuszak A.F. (2018). Future English teachers training to conduct extracurricular work in the subject. South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University Bulletin, 3, 124-133. [in Russian].

Pavlovskaya, S.S. (2018). How to organize extracurricular work with gifted children. Konferenzium ASOU: book of readings of research works and scientific and practical conference materials, 2, 199-202. [in Russian].

Petrov, P.K. (2013) Mathematical and statistical processing and graphical representation of the results of pedagogical research using information technology. Izhevsk: Publishing house "Udmurt University". P. 49.

The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child. (1989). The United Nations General Assembly Resolution, no 44/25. Retrieved from https://downloads.unicef.org.uk/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/UNCRC_united_nations_convention_on_the_rights_of_the_child.pdf?_ga=2.134263665.1419603117.1558612449-730885020.1558612449.

Zheleznova, Yu.G. (2016). Activities of pedagogues in following the conditions of effective extracurricular work of primary schoolstudents. International students’ scientific herald, 5(2), 242-245. [in Russian].

Annex

Example of an interview before the TTCEW-model implementation.

Respondent: undergraduate junior student E.N., teacher-to-be in the Humanities.

Researcher:  Is it at all necessary to teach pedagogical students extracurricular work? Maybe, you know what to do from your experience?

Respondent: I have got to do it in my school-based experience. I prefer to be taught to do it to be sure I manage it.

Researcher:  So you are not yet ready to conduct extracurricular work at school?

Respondent: Not yet. I know the examples of this work: some events. One of the tasks of the school-based experience will be to make materials about extracurricular work.

Researcher:  What are your major gaps in the readiness to conduct extracurricular work? What would you like to learn about it?

Respondent: I am not quite certain about planning upbringing aspects at school.

Researcher: When you searach for materials for the acivities, whak resourses do you make use of?

Respondent: Mainly Internet.

Researcher: Can you tell a reliable site in the Internet? Do you know how to determine the reliaibility of sources?

Respondent: Not quite, … no.

Researcher:   How do you assess your ability to plan extracurricular work now?

Respondent: Average level. I know some theory, but it is necessary to try and plan the work on my own.

Researcher:   What about organization skills? Are they well developed?

Respondent: I also need experience in it.

Researcher:  To what extent do you feel ready to organize extracurricular work?

Respondent: Medium level.

Researcher: Do you have difficulties in designing the plot of events t be planned at school?

Respondent: If I get acquainted with literature before my experience, I shall cope with the task.

Researcher:  Is the University program supplying you with forms of extracurricular activities?

Respondent: I t is.

Researcher:   Do youknow the inventory of activities?

Respondent: More or less. I am learning.

Researcher:  Thank you!

Example of an interview after the TTCEW-model implementation.

Respondent: graduating student E.N., teacher-to-be in the Humanities.

Researcher:   Is it at all necessary to teach pedagogical students extracurricular work? Maybe this work can be conducted intuitively?

Respondent: Since the State has requirements concerning extracurricular activities, teachers-to-be should be trained to conduct it.

Researcher:   Do you think the University has prepared you to conduct extracurricular work at school?

Respondent: As a graduating student I feel quite confident in planning and organizing extracurricular activities, I would assess skills as high level. This is clearly manifested in there school-based experience. Materials presented after school-based experience have been positively evaluated.

Researer: Do you have skills of selecting forms of classes and activities?

Respondent: Yes, the majority of subjects envisaged selecting forms of classes and activities. I did it a lot of times, and cope ith it well.

Researcher: What are students’ major gaps in the readiness to conduct extracurricular work?

Respondent: When I was a junior student the first drawback was connected with the knowledge of upbringing aspects at school. To overcome it is advisable that the University staff recommend necessary documents and literature to us, students. Knowledge about extracurricular work allows to find events to be planned.

Researcher:  How do you assess graduates’ ability to properly plan extracurricular work?

- Respondent: Planning is often a hard aspect of work for beginning teachers. Graduating from pedagogical programs we know the technology of planning, but lack experience. So our plans might lack precision. Anyway, school administration expressed that they are satisfied with our planning skills, they give very good points to us.

Researcher:  What about organization skills? Are they well developed?

Respondent: During school-based experience we organized events. The assessment of these skills by school teachers and University staff allows to evaluate skills on a high level.

Researcher:  So you feel ready to organize extracurricular work?

Respondent: I feel that I have been taught to organize extracurricular work.

Researcher: Do you have difficulties in designing the plot of events planned at school?

Respondent: I do not think I do. There is enough literature dedicated to this aspect of teacher’s responsibilities. Consequently, one does not need to make up the design. One can apply the published materials.

Researcher:  Has the University program supplied you with forms of extracurricular activities?

Respondent: Yes.

Researcher: Do youknow the inventory of activities?

Respondent: I do.

Researcher: What aspects of upbringing are you more confident about?

Respondent: I think I can conduct activities in moral education, social development, intellectual development, cultural education. It is somewhat more difficult with physical education (PE). But thse actitiesae usually organized in cooperation ith PE teachers.

Researcher: What activities are most ieresting for you?

Respondent: Artistic, creative activities. We d hem in summer camps with children. I think research activities too. I tried it at shool practice.

Researcher: Can you cooperate with other teachers?

Respondent: Yes we did it a lot at school.

Researcher: Have you got any suggestions how to prepare teachers-to-be for conducting extracurricular work better?

Respondent: I think we have been taught theory and practice of conducting extracurricular work.

Researcher: What, in your opinion, is the impact of extracurricular activities on school students’ cultural level?

Respondent: The impact definitely exists. School students not develop culturally, they also acquire “personality development results”, reflected in the State Standards for all types of schools. Without extracurricular work achieving these results would be difficult.

Researcher:  Thank you!

1. Doctor of Pedagogy, Professor,South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Russia, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Lenin Avenue, 69. prisyazhnayaaf@cspu.ru

2. Candidate ofHistorical Sciences, Head of the Department of Foreign Languages,South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Russia, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Lenin Avenue, 69. pavlovaou@cspu.ru

3. Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Russia, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Lenin Avenue, 69. kaluginaev@cspu.ru

4. Candidate of Pedagogical Sciences, Associate Professor, South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Russia, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Lenin Avenue, 69. rinkus@inbox.ru

5. Doctor of Pedagogy, Professor,South Ural State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Russia, 454080, Chelyabinsk, Lenin Avenue, 69. nuvarina@yandex.ru