Abstract
School extracurricular activities (hereafter referred to as athletic club activities) are often viewed
negatively as activities that place an excessive burden on teachers. However, such activities are important for teachers’ development. For education to be successful, in addition to the transmission of knowledge to students, students must be brought up to practice and verify what they have learned at school. To this end, athletic club activities can provide an opportunity for teachers to reflect on their overall educational activities, including classroom activities. However, few studies have addressed the significance of athletic club activities for teachers. In this context, the present study sought to clarify the significance of athletic club activities as a component of teachers’ education. As a case example, we focused on a mathematics teacher who was the main advisor of a dance club at a public high school, despite lack of dance experience. Our findings were as follows. (1) Teachers’ supportive involvement in athletic club activities as advisors may provide them with an opportunity for critical reflection on measures they can take to nurture autonomous students. (2) These measures may overlap with other educational activities and stimulate teachers’ reflection on their practice; teachers may identify aspects of extracurricular activities that are similar to classroom management or different from subject teaching. (3) The factors that promote teachers’ growth via athletic club activities include: ① Personal characteristics such as their personality and beliefs, ② opportunities for informal dialogue with other teachers, and acceptance from them, and ③ athletic club activities run by the students．
