A Study Of Student Club Life In High Schools

With increased emphasis upon the concept of "education based on student development" in Chinese curriculum reforms nowadays, the student club in high schools is evidencing a new era. Information technology, as most notably exemplified in the internet, has helped to popularize and provide the necessary technology base for self-development among high school students. Student clubs are increasingly becoming an important part of high school students' life in the 21st century.In many high schools, student club activities are carried out as part of the regular curriculum and written into students' weekly learning schedules. Even with these changes, however, student clubs in high schools, in general, have not been emphasized enough, especially in terms of their key characteristics of self-education and self-management. Moreover, at the same time, the subject of club life has not elicited increased interest of researchers in the field, nor have its main themes entered into the extended scope of their studies. Various problems within the day-to-day practice of club life remain apparent. Student clubs are not very numerous in high schools, and those which exist are limited in scale. Development has been unbalanced among different regions, schools, and individual clubs. The organizing system is not very complete in some clubs. Student self-development is insufficient. Some club activities evidence a pronounced tendency toward simply providing recreation, and many club activities are not regularly held. Class instruction, on the one hand, and club activities, on the other, often conflict in time and place arrangement. Contradiction between the direction of club teachers and the self-development of students appears a primary difficulty. Thus, many problems require solution.In order to facilitate the autonomous development of students, this research aims at exploring and understanding student club life nowadays in high schools in China from an educational perspective. Research procedures for the study mainly focus on daily observation, in-depth interview, and literature review. Research concerned with literature review and observation of practice in the U.S. facilitates analysis of high school student clubs in China. This analysis explores the various educational impacts of club life on high school students, and effective strategies for resolving existing problems.The main structure of this dissertation is directed toward discussing of the rise of student clubs in high schools according to the perspective of constructing the "whole life". The structure is intended to clarify the social functions of club life through its tracing of differences in club life history between China and other countries, especially the U.S. With these examinations, overall systems of club organizations are explored, as are also its essential components, including the club leader, associated members, president, director, and parents. Educational values, such as self-development, responsibility, democracy, leadership, personality, and social development, are emphasized and explored, after prior discussion is made of individual motive, the peer-group within student club life, and communication and interaction among members. Specific strategies for resolving existing problems evident in student clubs in Chinese high schools are offered. Successful development of student club activities derives from their benefit to not only the students themselves but also the school and the society. In order to realize the educational function of student clubs in the lives of high school students, it is necessary for the clubs to strengthen their own connection with society. Through various club activities, high school students are better able to keep in touch with the real-world social life and enrich their knowledge about the surrounding society. Joining in with many kinds of service activities helps students to strengthen their sense of social responsibility as citizens. School should encourage high school students to seek direct and meaningful contact with their surrounding society by themselves.