V.A. Vishnevsky, associate professor, Ph.D.
K.A. Mironova, K.A. Karimov
Surgut state university of KhMAR-Yugra, Surgut

Key words: indicators of learning activity, psychophysiological characteristics of schoolchildren.

Introduction. It is common knowledge that a good teacher is characterized by his ability to see individual characteristics of children. The differences proved to be important during the educational process are on the first place. Special credit belongs to the features of the nervous system, which constitute the dynamic aspect of mental life as speed, pace, physical working capacity, concentration, switching attention, perceptual speed, etc. Style of learning activity depends largely on these neurodynamic features. Meanwhile, the dynamics of behavior of complex systems of developing organism in the educational process cannot always be fully estimated and described using classical statistical and stochastic approaches. In this connection it is interesting to examine this behavior from the standpoint of modern inter-disciplinary areas such as the chaos theory and synergetics too [2-4].

The purpose of the study was to identify the indicators of learning activity, taking into account the psychophysiological characteristics of schoolchildren in view of the statistical and chaotic approaches.

Materials and methods. 751 1-11 formers of the secondary schools №26 and №39 of Surgut were involved into the study.

Results and discussion. The learning rating increased in the primary school age and fell among senior schoolchildren (Table 1).

Table 1. Dynamics of learning rating of schoolchildren of Surgut (Mann-Whitney U Test)

Table 2. Focusing on the knowledge acquisition among schoolchildren of Surgut

Table 3. Progress in studies of schoolchildren of Surgut (Mann-Whitney U Test)

Table 4. Dynamics of the time of sensorimotor reaction of schoolchildren of Surgut

Note. Here and in the Tables 5-7: *** – differences are significant as compared to the previous age group at p < 0.001; ** – at p < 0.01; * – at p < 0.05.

The age dynamics of attention switching was virtually the same (Table 5). The highest reduction in the time of test performance occurs between the age of 7 and 10 both for boys and girls. In this period of ontogenesis boys are quicker in attention switching rather than girls. However, by the age of 10 the difference disappears, and then by the age of 16 girls have an advantage over boys. The second significant leap in the rate of attention switching happens at the age of 15. At the senior school age this parameter is stabilized, and boys restore their leadership again.

Table 5. Dynamics of attention switching of schoolchildren of Surgut

Table 6. Dynamics of variations in the RMO test among schoolchildren of Surgut

Table 7. Dynamics of index of intensity of nervous processes (c.u.) and maximum frequency of movements for schoolchildren of Surgut

Proceeding from the analysis of learning activity from the standpoint of the method of multidimensional phase spaces, the lowest volume of the quasi-attractor of behavior of the learning vector and the highest consolidation of stochastic and chaotic parameters are observed during the transition to a new stage of education, i.e. at the age of 11 and 15 (Figure).

Fig. Dynamics of the volume of quasi-attractor of learning vector of schoolchildren at the stages of school ontogenesis (average grade point, focusing on knowledge acquisition, learning rating, V value, c.u. – subspace volume)

At this moment a kind of mobilization of the functional system aimed at achieving results in learning activities occurs. Studies act as an order parameter at the age of 8-10 and 16-17 for girls and 8-9 and 12-17 for boys. The determinative influence on the age inter-attractive distances is exerted by the learning rating and focusing on the knowledge acquisition.

Conclusion. We have previously shown the fundamental changes which largely determine the future prospects of the school education and its psychoemotional and physiological values occur in the primary school age [1]. The present study proves that it is promoted by the most significant positive changes in the psychophysiological area of schoolchildren.

References

1. Vishnevsky, V.A. Psychoemotional and physiological "cost of learning" and learning outcomes at different phases of school ontogenesis / V.A. Vishnevsky, N.A. Aghadzhanyan, A.A. Mar’yanovsky, A.V. Gulin // Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury. – 2011. – № 6. – P. 83-89. (In Russian)
2. Es’kov, V.M. The concept of norm and pathology in the phase space in view of the compartmental-cluster approach / V.M. Eskov, R.N. Zhivoglyad, N.M. Kartashova, Yu.M. Popov, A.A. Khadartsev // Vestnik novykh medistsinskikh tekhnologiy. – 2005. – V. 12. – № 1. – P. 12-14. (In Russian)
3. Prigozhin, I. Order out of Chaos / I. Prigozhin, I. Stengers. – Moscow: Progress, 1986. – 432 P. (In Russian)
4. Haken, H. The main concepts of synergetics / H. Haken // Synergetic paradigm. The variety of approaches and searches. – Moscow: Progress-Traditsiya, 2000. – P. 28-55. (In Russian)

Corresponding author: apokin_vv@mail.ru