Parental involvement in extracurricular activities of today’s adolescents
Introduction. Traditionally, in psychological and pedagogical literature, the problems of adolescence are examined in the context of the characteristics of physiological and social development. During this period, parental concerns for adolescents naturally intensify, often leading to stricter parental control, while adolescents themselves, on the contrary, strive for autonomy and independence. As a result, conflict in parent-child relationships tends to increase precisely during adolescence. At the same time, parental concern about adolescent behavior is justified by a wide range of social risks. However, as demonstrated in the literature, parental attention during this period is predominantly focused on the adolescent’s academic (educational) activities, often at the expense of attention to their extracurricular engagement. This position is supported by an analysis of both domestic and international research. The purpose of this article is to substantiate the necessity of parental involvement in the extracurricular activities of modern adolescents. Methodology and methods. The study employs content analysis and semantic analysis of Russian and international scholarly publications on parental involvement and the conceptual content of this notion; analysis of regulatory documents and research addressing the nature and content of extracurricular activities; design and extrapolation in defining indicators of extracurricular activities and parental involvement; an online survey and interviews in the empirical part of the study on the phenomenon of parental involvement in extracurricular activities; and generalization and formulation of research conclusions. Results. Theoretical positions from prior research on the concepts of “extracurricular activities” and “parental involvement” are summarized; key factors stimulating scientific and pedagogical interest in this phenomenon are identified; core parameters for defining the concepts of “extracurricular activities” and “parental involvement” are determined; the potential of extracurricular activities in the upbringing and socialization of adolescents is revealed; the importance of parental involvement in designing adolescents’ extracurricular activities is established; criteria and indicators for assessing parental involvement in extracurricular activities are defined; and the results of online surveys and parent interviews are summarized. Conclusion. The study brings attention to the issue of parental involvement in adolescents’ extracurricular activities, emphasizing the developmental and socialization potential of such activities, as well as the role of parents in designing extracurricular experiences for their children. This involvement promotes a shift from control to support, grounded in trust and shared meaningful engagement.
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This work was carried out as part of the state-commissioned assignment of the Ministry of Education of the Russian Federation, Project “The parent committee as a driver of extracurricular activity design for adolescents” (Project No. VRFY-2026-0020).