Human-values-centered athletic discipline cultivating concept

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Dr.Hab., Professor R.A. Rogozhnikova1, 2
PhD, Professor G.B. Belova1
Adjunct S.V. Stenin2
Adjunct I.I. Ikhtisanov2
1Perm State Humanitarian Pedagogical University, Perm
2Perm Military Institute of the National Guard of the Russian Federation, Perm

Keywords: athlete’s personality, discipline, values-driven service, discipline cultivating service

Background. The individual discipline cultivating service is in growing priority today in the national sport community in view of the growing appreciation of the individual contributions to the sport sector and social progress on the whole. The humanitarian approach with the human individuality put in the center today dominates in many fields, and the values-driven individual discipline cultivation methods are no exclusion. We apply for the purposes of the service the notions of discipline and disciplining, reflecting the external and internal aspects of the personality quality and its development process. On the whole, discipline is referred to herein as the integrated personality quality driven by individual values and manifested in appreciation of and compliance with the commonly accepted behavioral standards.
Objective of the study was to analyze the modern values-driven athletic discipline cultivation model applicable by trainers.
Results and discussion. Our prior studies have found that the national education specialists have no idea on the modern individual discipline cultivation methods and tools, with many considering the goal narrow, utilitarian and secondary in the ethical personality breading process including its humanitarian values driven aspect. In this context we found it could be beneficial to analyze one of the key missions of a sport federation – that is to secure a fair play i.e. equality of competitors fighting for titles. For the purposes of the study, we run a trainers’ questioning survey timed to the Next Sport Generation of Russia Tournament, with 40 trainers sampled for the survey.
The question ‘Are you familiar with the fair play principle?’ found 43.4% of the sample being familiar, 21.9% partially familiar and 34.7% unfamiliar with the principle. The question ‘Do you explain the rules of behavior in competitions to trainees?’ found 64.5% of the sample doing that, whilst the rest said no due to the ‘shortage of time’. When asked to explain the essence of the fair play principle, 82.1% interpreted it as the ‘compliance of the rules of competitions’, and 56.7% said that athlete should strive to win at any cost and the win is above all.
Furthermore, we used the Jones and Crandall Personality Orientation Test to survey the 15-17 year old athletes (n=200) contributing to the Sport Club + Sport Certificate Project and found 100% of the sample appreciating sports and being intolerant to humiliation, arrogant attitudes and deception. We further applied the B. Bass method to test and analyze the cognitive and activity personality orientation components and found the sample being 36% focused on their own selves (and striving for recognition/ appreciation); 36% satisfied by the activity; 32% focused on the job and communication; and 32% oriented on the process goals and best performance standards viewed as the core mission of the sport career. The cognitive component of the individual discipline was found largely overestimated by the adolescents, with 41% tested to overestimate it; 12% underestimate; and 37% estimate it fairly. The test of the activity component showed 12% of the adolescents facing some communication problems, 20% ready to overcome them; 30% being fairly open and good in communication; and 12% tested with low activity. Based on the personality qualities tests, the adolescent sample was classified as follows: 32% of ‘practitioners’ reasonably rating their own capacities; 20% individualists in sports; 36% mismatching the wishes and capacities; and 12% unconfident individuals.
We would offer the values-driven athletic discipline cultivation model including the following components of the teacher’s labor: teaching activity, pedagogical communication, and personality of the teacher. Each component includes: professional knowledge, pedagogical skills, professional positions, and psychological characteristics of the teacher’s personality. Success of the teaching service is generally determined by the individual discipline progress tests.
The teaching service is expected to form the individual discipline cultivation environment, facilitate the teamwork and develop the individual resource of every trainee. The individual discipline cultivating teaching service will include: (1) knowledge of ‘discipline’ based on a reasonable competence in the relevant fields of psychology and social sciences; (2) basic skills and the ability to apply the knowledge of ‘discipline’ and modern individual discipline cultivation logics in practice to form this personality quality in a staged individualized manner based on humanistic values; test progress in the individual discipline formation process by objective tools, reflection etc.; (3) professional positions i.e. the teacher’s behavioral standards, values, priorities and self-rates; and (4) psychological specifics of the teacher’s personality including the educational background, intelligence, visioning, intuition, sensitivity, compassion, reflection etc.
Pedagogical communication is one more aspect of the teaching service and individual discipline cultivation process. Successful pedagogical communication implies the ability to control attention and keep it focused, remove the psychological age- and experience-specific barriers for communication, analyze progress of the trainees, establish facilitating climate and manage the teamwork. A democratic communication style is generally recommended for a teacher/ trainer in the individual discipline cultivation service.
The teacher/trainer’s personality is the core element of the individual discipline formation process. Professional credentials of the teacher/ trainer need to be focused on the professional service goals. These credentials should at least include: pedagogical gifts and responsibility, fairness, persistent self-education agenda; and focus on the values and creativity in the service. It is the teacher/ trainer’s personality that largely determines the individual teaching service and communication style and helps effectively analyze the individual motivations of every athlete, rate his/her personality qualities and resources, identify the potential drawbacks and problems and facilitate formation of a positive self-conception. The teacher/ trainer should rely on the own background and gifts and their persistent improvement efforts to succeed in the individual discipline cultivation service.
The teacher/trainer’s personality self-development efforts should be geared to form the following skills: (1) Teaching skills with their cognitive, managerial, communicative, instructive, perceptive, reflective, control etc. aspects; (2) Emotional controls and the ability to develop the own and trainee’s self-conceptions; and (3) Own progress control skills to improve their teaching style and mobilize the own creativity for success of the professional service.
In the personality development process, the teacher/trainer’s mission is to become a real master, creator and innovator possessing at least the following key qualities: genuine interest in a trainee personality, respect for his/her uniqueness; understanding; individual approach; and creativity. These personality credentials are critical for success of the individual discipline cultivation service.
Conclusion. The human-values-driven athletic discipline cultivating service may be successful only when provided by a highly competent teacher/ trainer having highest competences in the discipline related fields; professional skills; values, personality credentials, interpersonal communication skills, and the progress test competencies.

References

  1. Klimov E.A. Psikhologiya professionalnogo samoopredeleniya [Psychology of professional self-determination]. M.: Akademiya publ., 2004. 304 p.
  2.  Mitina L.M. Psikhologiya truda i professionalnogo razvitiya uchitelya [Labor and Teacher Professional Development Psychology]. M.: Akademiya publ., 2004. 320 p.
  3. Rogozhnikova R.A. Put k samodistsipline [Self-discipline training]. Perm: PSOU publ., 1999. 301p.
  4. Craven Nussbaum Martha,Cohen Goshua For Lov of Country: Debating the Limits of Patriotism.Beacon Press, 2002.155p.

Corresponding author: belovagb49@gmail.com

Abstract
The study proceeds from the assumption that the individual athletic discipline cultivating related issues shall be given a growing priority by the sport communities with the growing sensitivity to individuality in the society in general. The article analyzes the ways to improve the athletic discipline cultivating standard on human-values-sensitive provisions. It is proposed to revise the teachers’ training process to make them fit for the athletic discipline breeding service in the following aspects: didactic skills, interpersonal communication and teacher’s personality progress. Each of the components will secure the relevant professional knowledge and skills, professional determination and the key personality psychological qualities – to ensure success of the athletic discipline cultivating service on an integrated basis. The article analyzes the key elements of the athletic discipline breeding service as follow: didactic activity; teacher’s competence in the discipline related fields; professional skills; values, personality credentials, interpersonal communication skills, and the progress test competencies. The human-values-driven athletic discipline cultivating service may be successful only when provided by a highly competent teacher/ trainer.