Dr.Sc.Tech., Professor D.G. Arseniev¹
I.L. Bondarchuk¹
PhD, Associate Professor G.B. Dyachenko¹
PhD, Associate Professor V.V. Krasnoshchekov^1
1 St. Petersburg Polytechnic University named after Peter the Great, St. Petersburg

Keywords: foreign students, adaptation, differentiated approach, objective personality traits test method, physical education, functionality, Ruffier test.

Background. Efficient and timely adaptation of foreign students to new living and learning environments, lifestyles, different culture and academic community and studies is considered an important prerequisite for their academic progress [4, 5, 1]. Adaptation problems are normally complicated by a language barrier in communication with the classmates and teachers. It is not unusual, therefore, that students find themselves in a stressful situation called cultural shock by anthropologist K. Oberg [11]. Inadequate physical activity associated with the stressors may result in serious disadaptation [8]. Modern physical education service offers an extensive toolkit to facilitate adaptation of foreign students to studies at Russian universities [9, 10] although its practical applications still need to be supported by clear recommendations on how the physical education service should be customized to different adaptability classes to prevent or mitigate the potential negative effects of poor adaptation on the learning and socializing processes.

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of a differentiated approach in physical education to improve adaptability of foreign students to the academic educational environment.  

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study 18-24 years old foreign students (n= 504) who entered the St. Petersburg Polytechnic University in 2018 upon annual training course having come from more than 50 countries of Africa, Asia, Europe, the Middle East, South and North America. Every student gave an informed consent for the study. We used a psycho-physiological CMS test system to obtain a range of objective mental state test rates based on the cardiac rhythmograms. This express test method rates the current individual psychological health versus the relevant benchmarks (standards) to produce the individual mental health spectra/ profiles. The physiological component of the adaptation process was rated by a few functionality tests to profile the physical working capacity based on the cardiovascular system responses (timed inspiratory and expiratory capacity and Stange tests).

Based on a cluster analysis, we split up the sample into 3 groups by the current psychological fitness ranks indicative of the situational decision making capacity and working capacity. Groups 1/ 2/ 3 were formed of the students tested with the high/ moderate/ low adaptability to the education service, high/ moderate/ low working capacity and high/ moderate/ low functionality levels, respectively. The resultant test database and analyses were used to design the group-specific physical education curricula with the customizable physical education toolkits.

Group 1 trainings were dominated by the speed-strength building tools; whilst the Group 2 and 3 trainings prioritized team sports and endurance training aerobic exercises; plus every group was offered off-class optional sports trainings (4 hours a week) in basketball, volleyball, football, badminton and table tennis groups [7].

Results and discussion. The pre-experimental tests rated less than a quarter of the sample with good stress tolerance, and a third of the sample was rated with the risk group in need of the mental health monitoring and mental crisis prevention programs. The median pre-experimental adaptability of the sample was rated far below the standards and population norms on the Adaptability Level scale: see Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. Pre- versus post-experimental adaptability test rates of the sample on the CMS scales

Note: AD mental adaptability rate; N neuroticism; S thinking practicality; E elliptoidity: mental process volatility rate; AF affectivity: emotional tranquility rate

The pre-experimental tests rated Group 2 (n=219) high on the sensitivity/ neuroticism scale (N) indicative of the high sensitivity and high exposure to traumatic, problematic experiences and, hence, insufficient adaptability to the environment. Group 3 (n=178) was tested with the affective tension and insufficient realism in the situation assessing capacity, plus high emotional tension, agitation, and underdeveloped self-criticism. And Group 1 (n=107) was tested prior to the experiment with a good adaptive potential and  high stress tolerance, vigor, comfortable wellbeing, good mental status, optimism and low anxiety versus Groups 2 and 3. Furthermore, 45%, 46% and 9% of the sample were tested with low, moderate and good working capacity (15 plus, 14 minus and 4-6 points), respectively.

The post-experimental tests found progresses in Groups 2 and 3, particularly on the working capacity scale. The new customizable physical education service model piloted for 2 semesters secured the adaptability growths in Groups 2 and 3 by 15 and 11 points, respectively: see Table 1. The test data and analyses showed that the customizable physical education service model is beneficial for the stress tolerance and adaptability improvement purposes [8, 6, 7]. The reasonably individualized and health-sensitive trainings helped improve the physical fitness, well-being, mood, and mental health standards in the experimental groups and facilitated the foreign students’ adaptation to the new living and learning environments.

Conclusion

• Foreign students are often tested with low adaptabilities in need of constant well-being monitoring service and the relevant customizable health correction models with efficient customizable physical education service ro facilitate their adaptation to the studies.
• Students from China, Turkey, Vietnam and Algeria in our sample was tested with the highest exposure to the mental health risks by the pre-experimental tests and qualified for Group 3.
• The customisable physical education service models sensitive to the group health statuses were tested beneficial as verified by the adaptability growths by 15 and 11 points on average in Groups 2 and 3, with 28% in Group 3 making good progress on the adaptability scale to qualify for Group 2.
• 24.4% of the sample showed progress on the working capacity scale as a result of the trainings. At the same time, 29% of foreign students pre-tested with low working capacity moved up to the median range on this scale; whilst the good workinig capacity tested subgroup grew up by 22% as a result of the new physical education model piloting experiment.

References    

1. Varzin S.A., Piskun O.E., Petrova N.N. Comparative Assessment of Personality-Mental Characteristics and Mental State of Undergraduates. Teoriya i praktika fiz. Kultury, 2014. No. 7. pp. 20-22
2. Bolotin A.E., Piskun O.E., Pogodin S.N. Special features of sports management for university students with regard to their value¬motivational orientation. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2017. no. 3. pp. 51-53.
3. Piskun O.E., Petrova N.N., Frolov B.S., Bondarchuk I.L. Technique for objective assessment of current mental state and personality traits to determine adaptation level of foreign students. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2016. no. 6. pp. 15¬-17.
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8. Yasyukova L.A., Aleksankov A.M., Piskun O.E. The Effect of Physical Education Classes on Adaptation of Technical University Students. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2015. No. 2. pp. 21-23.
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11. Oberg K. Cultural Shock: Adjustment to new cultural environments. Practical Anthropology. 1960. 7. pp. 177-182.

Corresponding author: piskun@imop.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to increase the effectiveness of adaptation of foreign students to university education using a differentiated approach to physical education.
Methods and structure of the study. The study involved a total of 504 people, surveyed according to the method of objective evaluation of their current psychological state and personality characteristics - CMS (Current Mental State), as well as their functional fitness level (Ruffier test) to determine the degree of adaptation of foreign students to the new living conditions [3]. Sampled for the study were the students who had come from other countries to study at Peter the Great St. Petersburg Polytechnic University. Based on the level of their adaptation, we differentially selected the corresponding means of physical culture to correct negative states.

Study results and conclusions. The use of the differentiated approach to the means of physical culture to adapt foreign students for training activity contributed to the improvement of their performance and adaptation rates. The number of foreign students tested with the low physical working capacity rates decreased from 227 people (45%) to 161 (32%), those with the average level increased from 232 people (46%) to 298 (60%), and those with the high level increased from 45 people (9%) to 55 (11%). At the same time, 29% of foreign students tested with the poor physical working capacity rates proceeding to the group with the average physical working capacity rates. The group of students with the good working capacity rates increased by 22%.
The differentiated approach to the use of means of physical culture to adapt foreign students for training activities enabled us to improve their adaptation rates on average by 15 and 11 points in the second and third groups, and also increase the average level of physical working capacity by 24.4% of the entire sample of foreign students.