Child and Youth Afterschool Education

What will you learn during your studies?

During your studies, you will gain a solid foundation in pedagogy and psychology, both at a theoretical and practical level. You will focus on targeted educational activities and supporting the personal development of children and young people, including the development of their social skills and values. Among other things, the program will introduce you to areas such as environmental and drama education, as well as topics such as health education and leisure pedagogy. Among other things, the program will introduce you to areas such as environmental and drama education, as well as topics related to health education and leisure time pedagogy. We will inspire you with creative art activities and music education. Pedagogical practice and research show that meaningful leisure activities are essential for the prevention of addiction and other socially pathological phenomena. The knowledge and skills you acquire through your studies will enable you to prepare and implement a wide range of interests and leisure activities and to acquire the professional ethical identity that is essential for working in this field.

Upon successful completion of the programme, the graduate is able to:

• understand the basic concepts of pedagogy, psychology and leisure activities;
• communicate and cooperate effectively and openly with pupils, family members and other actors of the educational process;
• work in an inclusive environment, participate in its creation and development;
• support children and adolescents in difficult life situations, choose the appropriate method of intervention;
• positive educational influence towards different target groups of children and adolescents;
• develop the potential of different target groups of children and adolescents in their interests and other areas of leisure pedagogy
• activate children and youth towards value orientations in the 21st century;
• coordinate, organize and implement leisure activities (short-term or long-term programs) with different age categories of children and youth, in different types of environments;
• use and support own creativity, critical thinking and flexibility in working with children and youth, while being able to support and develop these qualities in children and youth;
• to use effectively the acquired knowledge and skills in working with children and youth and develop creativity in this field (drama, physical or environmental education).

Career opportunities after graduation:

As graduates of this study program, you will be fully qualified for comprehensive pedagogical work with children, adolescents, and youth. You will primarily find employment in the field of extracurricular and leisure-time education, mainly as educators in after-school clubs, leisure centres, or youth homes.

However, your studies will also prepare you for a wider range of professional opportunities. You will be able to work in various types of educational, socio-educational, and social institutions, such as specialised counselling centres, social care institutions, children's crisis centres, low-threshold clubs, and diagnostic institutions. Thanks to its combined form of study, the program is also ideal for those who already work in the field and want to supplement their education or obtain higher qualifications. It is not unusual to find employment in alternative areas, such as medical and correctional facilities, rehabilitation centers, refugee facilities, or within police forces and prisons, where you can offer your specific pedagogical skills.

• Educator

Practical experience that prepares you for real life:

We believe that the best way to learn how to be an educator is through practical experience. That is why, during your studies, you will immerse yourself in the world of practical experience through five different subjects. In the second semester, you will begin a team project that you will design and implement together. This is followed by intensive practice in leisure, ideally as part of a seven-day residential trip, where you will experience education in a natural environment. From the second year onwards, you will then embark on individual practice in educational institutions, where you will test your skills for 24 and 60 hours. Your entire practical training will culminate in the fifth semester, when you will independently plan and implement your own educational project.

Flexible practice for everyone:

We plan and implement teaching practice with full respect for your individual needs. Even if you work outside the field of education, we will always find a solution together that will allow you to complete your practice. Our goal is to make the study plan feasible and supportive for you.

A degree program that you enjoy and that prepares you:

The entire degree program is designed to be very practical. Many subjects are skill-based, so that you gain the widest possible range of skills that you can immediately try out during your teaching practice. We believe that a variety of skills, from environmental and drama education to leisure education, will strengthen you and give you confidence for your future profession.

The bachelor's thesis is the final part of your studies. It should be approximately 50–60 standard pages long, which corresponds to 80,000 to 96,000 characters (including spaces). This includes all text, such as footnotes, title page, table of contents, and bibliography.

What are the requirements for the thesis?

When writing your thesis, it is essential that you demonstrate your ability to work with professional texts, including those in foreign languages, and that you can evaluate them critically. We expect you to create an original and independent academic text, which can be theoretical, theoretical-empirical, or methodological. The ability to analyse and interpret data in a broader context is also important.

Students choose their thesis topic from a list of topics published in the IS in the thesis topic package according to their interests. You can be active in choosing your topic and come up with your ideas for your chosen thesis supervisor. The thesis topic must correspond to the profile of a graduate of the education program. When writing, follow the prescribed Dean's Instruction No. 1/2024 (https://is.muni.cz/do/ped/VPAN/pokdek/2024_01_Pokyn_Zaverecne_prace_na_PdF_MU.pdf), which is valid for the Faculty of Education at Masaryk University. Details can also be found in the Standard for Final Theses of the Department of Social Pedagogy (https://ksop.ped.muni.cz/media/3828875/standardy-zaverecnych-praci-studijnich-programu-socialni-pedagogika-a-volny-cas_vychovatelstvi.pdf).

All important information, including the topics for the state final examination, can be found on the website of the Department of Social Pedagogy: https://ksop.ped.muni.cz/studuji-1/ukonceni-studia.