Abstract
The paper focused on volunteer activities. How do students who study teacher education programs, psychologists, and special pedagogy at the Faculty of Education at Charles University perceive volunteer activities.
An online questionnaire survey (62 respondents) focused on the mapping of voluntary activities during studies, the area of social practice of volunteer activity, the motivation to perform voluntary activities and the duration of involvement in voluntary activities. The second part of the questionnaire investigated students' opinions on the possibility of projecting these activities into study plans.
Volunteer internships are most often carried out during bachelor's studies. Many students start volunteering in high school.
Students often continue volunteering in a follow-up master's degree. Students are motivated by the meaningful fulfilment of free time, helping others, gaining experience, personal development and the possibility of obtaining credits.
The benefit was recorded in relation to clients (cognitive and social development, fulfilment of free time, development of social skills). Furthermore, the benefit was found in relation to the students themselves.
All respondents recommended the use of volunteer activities in their studies, mostly in the form of a compulsory or optional subject. The respondents did not agree that voluntary practices should become a compulsory subject, because volunteerism would lose its main principle - that it is performed voluntarily, based on the person's decision.