Ph.D., Professor A.V. Karavan¹
Honorary Figure of Russian Higher Education, Dr.Hab., Professor A.E. Bolotin²
¹ Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, St. Petersburg
² St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg

Keywords: typological features of learning environment, physical development of university students, physical education system.

Introduction. Today, building effective learning environment in universities is an issue of great interest for numerous studies, since it involves physical development of students [1-5]. It is related to the current health promotion program in the Russian Federation [2]. The study area includes a range of psychological and educational aspects concerning the improvement of the physical education process in universities, students’ adjustment to physical activities, physical development and formation of healthy lifestyle skills. At this point, the improvement of the university learning environment for young students is considered to be the primary target in the health promotion project. The university learning environment must contribute to personality development of students [1-5]. However, the criteria of effective learning environment have not been established so far. Basically, these criteria must include typological features of the learning environment, the principles of which should be considered when evaluating the effectiveness of the learning environment in the university. The criteria should be based on quality factors of the learning environment and its focus on improvement of physical development of students. 

The purpose of the study is to reveal the typological features of the learning environment intended to improve the effectiveness of physical development of university students.

Materials and methods. In order to reveal the typological features of learning environment aimed to improve the effectiveness of physical development of university students, we conducted a poll among physical education teachers from two universities in Saint Petersburg. 78 poll respondents from St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University (SPbPU) and Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPSUACE) were asked to provide the rank statistics for typological features of the learning environment in percent.

Results and discussion. The survey showed that the basic factors of the learning environment, aimed at improvement of the physical development of university students, should include the following:

– providing a student-centered learning environment;

– providing an advanced and progressive learning environment aimed to improve the effectiveness of physical development of university students;

– providing the means enabling students to improve physical development;

– providing students with feedback, monitoring to detect negative physical development effects, their analysis and correction.

We assume it is of primary importance to provide the means and facilities for students to improve physical development, as well as ensure the pertinent feedback and monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the teaching and learning processes and physical development of students. 

The learning environment should be construed as informational and cultural environment designed to enable students to fulfill their potential for physical development and health improvement. Thus, an effective learning environment should be based on goals and objectives of physical development and modified according to advanced information technologies. The appropriate learning environment provides better possibilities for organization and management of the teaching process on physical education of students, since it makes it possible to monitor physical development and make adjustments to the teaching process. Moreover, such a learning environment develops information culture of the future specialists and enables students to acquire the means of physical education for their health improvement on their own. Therefore, the university learning environment is an important factor in building skills of healthy living.

The university learning environment should be similar to that in school. It should be built successively in the aspect of physical development of students as former schoolchildren. In this day and age physical education is a continuous process, which provides students with opportunities for both effective professional activities and homeland defense.

Then, the learning environment comprises the key factors determining health education and physical development of students. It is a certain social community that helps develop human relations in context of physical development of students. In the aspect of physical education, the term ‘learning environment’ implies social and pedagogical phenomenon that performs communicative function; has impact on physical development of students; stands for social behavioral approach that seeks to improve state of health in the context of physical development of university students. The learning environment provides the means and facilities for effective physical development of students and their realization in their health improvement. Physical development of students in the learning environment should be conducted according to its typological features. Every single feature has its impact on the effectiveness of physical development of students. Research results on outlining the rank statistics of these typological features are listed in Table 1 below. 

Table 1. Rank statistics for typological features of learning environment to enhance physical development of university students

In view of the foregoing considerations the following functions of the university learning environment can be distinguished:

– integrative: pedagogical monitoring and student-centered approach determine the physical development of university students;

– adaptive: ensuring conditions for students to adjust to academic and physical loads counteracting the negative effects of training during sports and other learning activities;

– developmental: providing effective physical development of students;

– health-saving: acquiring experience through training; building students' healthy living skills.

University learning environment should provide the effective physical development of a student and serve as a dynamic system, in which the productive interaction between teachers and students contributes to high level of physical development of students, future specialists.

Thus, as part of the study it has been established, that the university learning environment is the main requirement of physical development of university students during physical education and sports activities. Learning environment addresses the multifaceted issues concerning physical development of students, which guarantees students' physical well-being and readiness for further professional activities after graduating from the university. Basically, the university learning environment should be based on the common interests of students in the area of physical education. Another significant factor is providing students with essential facilities in order to improve their physical fitness. Learning environment and physical education are the foundation for further professional activity whereby physical activities during the class are supervised and monitored by the teachers, who also evaluate students’ fitness and readiness for further professional activities. Learning environment comprises mixed grading system for selected indicators of physical development of university students during physical education and sports activities, as well as various student-centered approaches with the purpose of effective physical development of university students.

Conclusion. The detected typological features of the learning environment have the most impact on effectiveness of physical development of university students. These typological features are essential standards and criteria of the university learning environment which aims at effective physical development of students.

References

1. Bolotin, A.E. Pokazateli gotovnosti studentov k zdorov'esberegayushchemu povedeniyu (Indicators of readiness of students for health promoting activity) /A.E. Bolotin, V.V. Bakaev // Uch. zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta. – 2013. – № 12 (106). – P. 36–39.
2. Bolotin, A.E. Struktura i soderzhanie pedagogicheskoy kontseptsii sovershenstvovaniya mnogourovnevoy sistemy fizicheskogo vospitaniya v Rossii (Structure and content of pedagogical concept of improvement of Russian multi-level physical education system) / A.E. Bolotin, A.V. Chistyakov // Uch. zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta. – 2013. – № 3 (97). – P. 35–41.
3. Bolotin, A.E. Tekhnologiya upravleniya zdorovym obrazom zhizni studentov (Students' healthy lifestyle management technology) / A.E. Bolotin, V.V. Bakaev // Uch. zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta. – 2014. – № 1 (107). – P. 24–28.
4. Bolotin, A.E. Faktory, opredelyayushchie vklyuchennost' studentov gornykh spetsial'nostey v fizkul'turno-sportivnuyu deyatel'nost' (Factors determining involvement of students of mining specialities in sports activity) / A.E. Bolotin, Yu.V. Yakovlev // Teoriya i praktika fiz. kul'tury. – 2014. – № 6 – P. 58–59.
5. Bolotin, A.E. Pedagogicheskaya tekhnologiya ispol'zovaniya sredstv fizicheskoy kul'tury dlya adaptatsii studentov k professional'noy deyatel'nosti (Educational technology of using means of physical education to adapt students to professional activity) / A.E. Bolotin, V.A. Shchegolev, V.V. Bakaev // Teoriya i praktika fiz. kul'tury. – 2014. – № 7 – P. 16–20.

Corresponding author: a_bolotin@inbox.ru