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2026, no. 10
THEORY & PRACTICE OF EDUCATION

TRANSFORMATION OF EXTRACURRICULAR ENGAGEMENT AMONG STUDENTS AT A TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY

Vitalii A. SmirnovORCID

DOI 10.20339/am.10-26.064pp. 64–70UDC 379.8+378::6280 RUB

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Abstract

This paper presents the results of a study of changes in extracurricular engagement among students at a technical university. The aim is to identify patterns in extracurricular engagement across years of study. The research draws on empirical data on student achievements over seven academic years, analyzed using nonparametric statistical methods and structural analysis. The dynamics of extracurricular engagement are nonlinear: broad participation and adaptation in the first year are followed by a decline in the third year and intensive research specialization in the fourth and fifth years. A statistically significant structural shift in the focus of extracurricular engagement is identified as students’ progress through their studies. A stable Pareto-like stratification of the student body is observed, with the top 10% of students accounting for half of all recorded achievements. The decline in overall participation in extracurricular activities is interpreted as a natural mechanism of professional socialization. The study concludes that uniform requirements aimed at total student participation should be abandoned. A trajectory-based management model is proposed: adaptation and scouting in the first year, targeted support for leaders from the third year onward, and the integration of early employment into the rating system as an equivalent form of professional experience.

Keywords

  • extracurricular engagement
  • technical university
  • cohort analysis
  • nonparametric statistics
  • student stratification
  • professional socialization
  • trajectory-based management model

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THEORY & PRACTICE OF EDUCATION