Podkovalnikov S.L.
North-Western State Medical University named after I.I. Mechnikov, St. Petersburg

Solovyeva N.A.
The Russian Presidential Academy of National Economy and Public Administration, Kaluga Branch, Institute of Management, Business and Technologies, Kaluga

Pakhar V.V.
Russian Historical Society, Orenburg

Keywords: Cossack culture, Cossack traditions, active Cossack games, physical education classes, educational organisation, students, psychological climate.

Introduction. The relevance of the study is determined by the need to find effective means and methods for creating a positive psychological climate in educational institutions. The study is conducted using physical education classes as an example, demonstrating the practical application of folk pedagogy in modern schools.
Traditional folk games convey the cultural values of society and contribute to the formation of moral qualities in the younger generation. Cossack games have a number of features that allow them to effectively solve educational and upbringing tasks: team building, fostering discipline, respect for elders, team spirit and mutual assistance. The systematic use of game elements in physical education classes contributes to the development of psychological resilience in adolescents and creates a stable positive microclimate within school communities.
The aim of the study is to justify the formation of a favourable psychological climate in adolescent communities of educational organisations through the integration of elements of traditional Cossack games into physical education classes.
Research methodology and organisation. The empirical study was conducted in 2023-2025 at the Suzanovskaya Secondary School in the Novosergievsky District of the Orenburg Region, where a control group (CG) and an experimental group (EG) of ten people each were formed. Students of the middle age group (grades 7-8) who showed a tendency to conflict were selected to participate. The study used methods of pedagogical observation of physical education classes, questionnaires for students and teachers, K. Thomas's methodology ‘Determining the dominant style of behaviour of a personality in conflict situations’, physical fitness testing, and video recordings of CG and EG classes. During the school year, elements of Cossack games were integrated into the structure of the classes. The experimental work consisted of integrating elements of active Cossack games (‘piggy’, ‘mosquito’, ‘burning’, ‘sharlay’, ‘Cossacks and robbers’, etc.), active relaxation methods, and autogenic training into the content of physical education lessons using interactive teaching aids [1].
Research results and discussion. The study revealed statistically significant differences between the CG and EG groups of students based on the results of using active Cossack games in physical education classes. Analysis of the data using Student's t-test showed that in the EG, where active Cossack games were actively used, there was an improvement in intragroup relations, a change in behaviour in conflict situations, and an improvement in physical health.
Conclusion. The integration of active Cossack games into physical education classes allows for diversity in the educational process due to the variety of forms and methods of teaching. This type of active activity in the educational process contributes to the improvement of students' teamwork skills and, accordingly, changes in their behaviour.

References

1. Golodova, A. P., Musafirov, M. K., Pakhar, V. V., & Solovyova, N. A. (2025). Ispolzovanie tsifrovykh videoresursov na urokakh fizicheskoi kultury v obrazovatelnoi organizatsii [The use of digital video resources in physical education classes in an educational organization]. Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury, 1, 61.