PERCEPTIONS OF TEACHERS REGARDING LACK OF INTEREST OF STUDENTS IN CO-CURRICULAR ACTIVITIES

Abstract

Education in today’s world is not just rote memory and listening to lectures from the teacher in the classroom. Instead, in the modern era, education is all those experiences and learning that a student gets in an institution. These experiences are in the form of curricular as well as co-curricular activities performed by the student on and off the school premises. Co-curricular activities are crucial for a student's development and grooming. This study was qualitative in nature and was limited to the secondary schools of the University of Peshawar Campus. A sample of thirty teachers was selected and a purposive sampling technique was used. Semi-structured interviews were conducted to collect data, and thematic analysis was used to analyze the data. The study found major issues and problems faced by the students, due to which they mostly avoid participating in extracurricular activities. These problems were caused due to lack of funds and infrastructure, lack of guidance, parents' avoidance and restriction, family and society pressures, lack of incentives for their participation, study pressure, lack of time management, and some inner factors such as shyness, obesity, and laziness. The study has implications for students' better participation in co-curricular activities, such as proper time management, parent and teacher support and encouragement, and incentives given in the form of prizes and certificates, which have an imperative significance in the life of a student at the secondary level.