A Comparative Study of the Features of Extracurricular Activities in Iran with England, India and Malaysia

The purpose of present study is to compare the features of extracurricular activities in schools of Iran with those of England, India and Malaysia. Comparative research method has been performed using Bereday’s method. The unit of observation is “Macro” and the strategy for country selection was “different systems, different results". The method of data collection was library research using valid scientific articles and international websites such as UNESCO and the Ministry of Education of selected countries. In order to increase the validity of research data, original documents and to find reliability of data, self-assessment method was performed by researchers. John Stuart Mill's agreement and difference method were also used to analyze the data. The findings showed that the characteristics of extracurricular activities in schools of Iran, Malaysia, India and England are similar in dimensions such as cultivating a balanced human and complete growth; gaining real life experiences; variety of activities and formation of identity. There are differences between Iran and selected countries in such features as conducting extracurricular training for teachers, role of teachers in extracurricular activities, integration of activities with formal curriculum, and cooperation of organizations. Based on the research findings, it is recommended that Iran’s educational system policymakers integrate extracurricular activities with formal curricula, and before starting work in schools, student-teachers should be given training related to extracurricular activities, and the role and duties of teachers in implementation of extracurricular activities should be clearly defined