Work

Are “Extracurricular” Activities Really Extracurricular? The Activities That Matter Least in School Are the Ones That Best Teach Real-World Critical and Creative Thinking

Year: 2024

Type: article

Abstract: Curricula in school often do not prepare students adequately for the kinds of critical and creative thinking that they will need in their careers and lives. Part of the problem is that the characteristics of real-world problems differ greatly from the characteristics of many curricular activities, and so what the students learn in school about critical and creative thinking may fail when generalized to everyday problems. We suggest that extracurricular activities, such as in aspects of musical and athletic training, often prepare students better for real-world challenges. We describe the kinds of methods that can be used in curricular instruction to better prepare students for the challenges of the everyday world.

Source: Journal of Intelligence

DOI: 10.3390/jintelligence13010001

Authors: Robert J. Sternberg, Sherry Lin, Eric C. K. Nguyen

Institution: Cornell University

Language: English

Topic: Education and Critical Thinking Development

Subfield: Education

Field: Social Sciences

Domain: Social Sciences

SDG: Quality education

Open Access status: gold

Estimated APC paid: $2,955