International perspectives on extracurricular activities: Conditions of effects on student development, communities and schools - Editorial

Abstract

Although the provision of extracurricular activities at school has a long tradition in some countries, it was only at the beginning of the millennium that the quality of education and extracurricular activities started to receive increased attention in educational policy and practice in Europe. In 2003, for example, the “all-day school” started to be promoted in Germany and the number of these schools was expanded across the nation. At the same time, “the integrated school day” with organized extracurricular activities as a part of school had just been introduced in Finland with the goal of decreasing the amount of time children spend unsupervised. A similar development can be identified around this time in England, where “extended services” were provided, including extracurricular activities at schools, in an attempt to build cooperation between schools and families. In Switzerland there have been similar changes to the school system over the past decade whereas in the United States of America this development began in the 1990s. In most of the countries represented in this special issue of the Journal for Educational Research Online extracurricular enrichment is offered in schools in the form of after-school activities. The purpose of this special issue is to connect and add to American research in the field by presenting and discussing empirical results on the conditions and characteristics of after-school programs that contribute to a positive development of children and adolescents. (DIPF/Orig.)

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