Beyond the Classroom: Unveiling the Power of Extracurricular Activities in Shaping Social Skills for Students with Disabilities

Abstract

The research aimed to investigate the effectiveness of extracurricular activities in developing the social skills of students with disabilities from the teachers’ points of view. The research utilized the descriptive approach and used a questionnaire applied to a sample of teachers for students with disabilities in the Eastern Province of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia to identify the effectiveness of extracurricular activities in developing the social skills of the disabled students. The research concluded that there are no significant differences between the means of the sample responses concerning the effectiveness of extracurricular activities in developing the social skills of students with disabilities” according the (sex and years of experiences) variable. The research concluded also that there are significant differences at (0.01) level between the means of the sample responses concerning the role of extracurricular activities in developing social skills for individuals with disabilities; requirements for enhancing the effectiveness of extracurricular activities in developing social skills for individuals with disabilities according to the variable (type of disability). The current research recommends expanding the understanding of the impact of each type of disability on the development of social skills and broadening the scope of research at the level of institutions or programs to include a wider range of institutions or programs that provide extracurricular activities

Received: 8 September 2024 / Accepted: 18 December 2024 / Published: 05 January 2025