On Advanced Training of Physical Education Teachers Busy in Special Training Department theory of sports training

Фотографии: 

ˑ: 

G.F. Zhovan
Belgorod State University, Belgorod
O.G. Rumba, professor, Dr.Hab.
St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University, St. Petersburg

Keywords: teaching physical education, special training department, students with health issues, teachers' advanced training.

Introduction. Over the last 10-15 years experts note a steady trend of significant growth of the number of students with poor health assigned to a special medical group (SMG) for physical training by health professionals. For example, while in scientific works of the early 2000s about 30% of such students are mentioned as an average rate [2, etc.], the data for 2014 indicate about 50% and even more of [1, etc.]. This fact leads to an inevitable change of emphasis in teaching the subject “Physical Education” in the universities of Russia, characterized by the fact that the focus on the work with mostly healthy students gives way to re-orientation onto the work with students with health issues. For the faculty of departments this means that instead of the goals of achieving high sports results and physical perfection the issues of health enhancement and preventive measures come to the fore. As a consequence, it is associated with some difficulties of professional nature, the major ones being as follows: mastering the regulations of the special training department (STD); preferred orientation in the work on nosological features of those training and related indications and contraindications; revision of the training means and techniques used; moving away from the techniques that have been established over the years, etc.  

Traditions of national physical education involve the acquiring knowledge in the sphere of recreational, adaptive physical culture and physical therapy as well as a thorough study of a number of biomedical subjects. Thus, it is of course not justified to say that physical education teachers working in general departments have no right to teach SMG students with health issues. At the same time we should understand that often many professionals did not really put into practice the relevant knowledge since their graduation from the university, as they dealt with either individuals without contraindications, or with athletes (being professional trainers). With changes of the contingent of those engaged in training and the re-orientation in the work related to it such professionals experience obvious difficulties and are very much in need of methodological assistance.

In the present research we made an attempt to analyze and assess how exactly human resources are provided for teaching the subject “Physical Education” in STD in real teaching conditions in the conditions a considerable increase of the number of students assigned to it. In addition, the goal of the research was to analyze the sources of teachers’ advanced training available on the issue of physical education classes in STD, especially since in connection with the constant updating of the scientific knowledge and practical know-how in the field of recreational physical culture such sources are also useful for professionals constantly working in this professional area.

Research method and organization. The research was conducted in three phases in 2013-2014 using the methods of survey, pedagogical observations, theoretical analysis and compilation of data obtained from professional literature and internet resources.

During the first phase (February – May, 2013) an anonymous survey of physical education teachers working in the STD was conducted, intended to determine qualifying characteristics of the respondents, specifics of their work in the STD, main difficulties of the work and relevant solutions. The total of 150 experts from Russia, Belarus, Kazakhstan and Ukraine were interviewed, all of them working in major universities of Moscow, St. Petersburg, Belgorod, Volgograd, Voronezh, Yekaterinburg, Ivanovo, Yoshkar-Ola, Rostov-on-Don, Yaroslavl, Minsk, Brest, Astana, Almaty, Kiev, Zaporozhye and Kharkov.   

During the second phase (September – November 2013) a series of pedagogical observations took place (20 in total) at the premises of several higher educational institutions of the Belgorod region: Belgorod State National Research University; Belgorod State Technological University named after V.G. Shukhov; Belgorod University of Cooperation, Economy and Law. Early in the 2013/2014 academic year over 50 thousand of people from all regions of Russia and over 70 countries of the world were students of these universities. As a result of a medical examination, about 50% of first-year students were assigned to the STD for physical education classes. Three types of protocols were used in the course of the observations:  

– protocol № 1 – recording the organization of a class. It included the following criteria: structure, duration, how packed a class is in general and how packed it is (and its parts are) with motor activity, pulsometry dynamics during a whole class in general and each of its parts in particular;

– protocol № 2 – recording the content of a class. It included the following criteria: principles of formation of a study group (for objective analysis of the adequacy of the means used), types of motor activity, equipment, tools;

– protocol № 3 – recording the teacher’s work, including the following criteria: organizational and methodical work of the teacher, relevant choice of the tools used to suit the specifics of those training.

During the third phase (January – June 2014) theoretical analysis and compilation of the data obtained from professional literature and internet resources on advanced training of teachers in the Russian Federation were conducted. This phase of the research, in particular, included the analysis of the advanced training programs available for physical education teachers and their content with regard to obtaining professional knowledge required while working in the STD.  

Results and discussion. The results of the survey of physical education teachers (Table 1) indicate that mostly experienced teachers work in the STD (work experience of more than 10 years, experience of working in the STD of about 9 years). However, they also have real difficulties in their work. At the same time they mostly have self-training available to them in terms of advanced training, as the topics of the vast majority of advanced training courses are not related to teaching physical education in the STD.

Table 1. Results of the survey of physical education teachers working in the special training department, (n=150)

Survey questions

Respondents’ answers, %

1. Choose your profession (as stated in your education certificates):

physical education teacher

53.33

trainer, teacher of physical education and sports

38.67

physician, therapeutic exercise instructor

4.67

adaptive physical culture specialist

3.33

2. Your professional experience (number of full years):

over 10

60

6-10

11.33

less than 5

28.67

3. Do you have an academic degree?

yes

39.33

no

60.67

the topic of my thesis is related to teaching in the STD

6.67

4. Your experience of working in the STD (number of full years)

 

Sample average

8.71 years

5. What advanced training did you attend including conventions and master classes?

attended training

68

did not attend training

32

topics of the training are related to teaching in the STD

3.33

6. In the STD you work in compliance with:

a specially designed and approved program

79.33

another program

20.67

7. To prepare for the classes you use:

special education materials and scientific literature

41.33

video, audio and other media education materials

24.67

results of experience exchange with colleagues

34

8. You most often have classes in groups formed:

randomly

70.67

by nosological indicators

8

by the functional state

8

by physical fitness level

6.67

by age

6.67

9. Do you use modern recreational technologies in your classes?

yes

82.67

no

2.67

from time to time

14.67

If yes, the ones you use are:

gymnastics (therapeutic, rhythmic, aerobics, yoga, qigong, etc.)

48

track and field (walking, jogging)

22.67

swimming (water fitness, therapeutic swimming, hydro training)

14

games-related (action- and sports-oriented games)

38

breathing

29.33

10. Your attitude towards self-control diaries kept by students of the STD:

recommend, but neither teach nor control

32.67

recommend and teach, but do not control

22.67

recommend, teach and control

30

do not recommend

14.67

11. What difficulties do you encounter in your work?

knowledge gained on the major is insufficient 

33.33

presence of students with various nosologies in one group

66.67

12. How do you see the solution to the problem?

organization of advanced training courses

34.67

development of a special training program for the STD students

35.33

publication of high-quality teaching and learning materials

30


The fact that there are professional difficulties in the work of physical education teachers busy in the STD was confirmed during the pedagogical observations, the results of which generally indicate that many of the key recommendations of professionals related to the organization of the process of physical education of the aforesaid category of students are not fully implemented in practice. For example, while applying the nosological principle of study groups formation is potentially productive, the majority of the groups are put together randomly (usually in accordance with the academic timetable), which often means the simultaneous presence of students with a variety of indications and contraindications with regards to the load in class. At the same time teachers apply individual techniques of its correction in quite a limited way.

The number of students in STD groups turned out to be quite surprising: from 12 to 52 (!!!) people; 25 people on the average. However, according to the regulatory documents [3], the size of a STD study group is to be 8-10 people. We believe, this observation confirms the fact of such a significant increase in the number of students with poor health that the material and resource base of even major Russian universities does not actually allow to fit the number of groups required by the regulations into the existing timetable.

With regard to the organizational characteristics of classes it was found that given the considered optimal regularity of classes for persons with poor health (3-5 times a week for 60 minutes), in reality the classes are held on average 1-2 times a week for 64 minutes, although according to the timetable they should be 90 minutes long. The reasons for reducing the duration of the classes are generally objective [5] and in most cases are beyond the control of the teacher, but the registered motor density (73.5% on average) shows that, apparently, the class duration of 90 minutes would be excessive for the studied category of students. Data on the average load rate (HR = 116 bpm) and the physical education tools used (mainly the ones of the general kind) indicate that the classes are mostly of the general developing nature and are unlikely to have a noticeable health-improving effect.

Assessment of organizational and methodical work of teachers also leaves room for complaints. The classes started on time only in one case out of 20. In 15 cases the delay was due to objective reasons beyond the teacher’s control; in 4 cases the start of classes was delayed by the teacher himself. All 20 classes began with lining up, but only in one of them the teacher followed all the routines of lining up, counting off and greeting. In 2 classes the teacher announced the topic, defined the objectives of the work to do; in 5 classes the teacher just mentioned the topic; 13 classes started without the teacher identifying the topic, goals and objectives. Despite the variety of the classes in terms of topics, objectives and tools, relevance of exercises to nosological characteristics of those training was fully observed only in two cases; the other 18 classes had a general focus. It was noted that the teachers have very little use of an individual approach in group classes: for example, only two teachers used individual dosage while the students were completing assignments. The pulsometry method was rarely used to control the reaction to the load: most of the teachers just limited control to that of the external signs of fatigue as well as students’ self-control.  

Summarizing the results of the survey and the pedagogical observations, we can confidently confirm the existing difficulties in the work of STD teachers, which clearly points to the relevance of the issue of enhancing their professional knowledge. At the same time the respondents themselves see the solution of the problem in the development of a special federal education program for STD (which does not exist as yet), in the organization of special advanced training, in the publication of high-quality tutorials. In our opinion, all these directions are promising and should be implemented. At the same time, while the issue of developing programs for STD is somehow regulated (by providing the departments the right to develop such programs on their own), while tutorials are regularly published, the question of the existence of advanced training courses for teachers with strictly relevant topics so far remains open.

However, all the conditions for organizing such training actually exist, since the requirement for educators to improve their skills once in 5 years providing an official standard document is still relevant. Consequently, a package of legislative and regulatory acts dealing with the process has been already developed and is in force in the country; educational institutions that carry out this activity (universities, academies, institutes, etc.) are operating, various programs have been tested and implemented [6].

However, analysis of the topics of the offered advanced training courses for physical education professionals indicate the non-conformity of the needs of educators with regard to their professional growth and the effectiveness of the existing programs (especially the ones that are small in volume). B.E. Losin paid attention to this problem in his doctoral thesis back in 2001 [4].

Having learnt the currently implemented advanced training programs posted on open access in 2010 – 2014, we conditionally divided them into two groups: 1) ones for all physical culture and sports professionals; 2) ones for professionals involved in training activity. Advanced training guidelines offered in these programs can be grouped as follows: training in planning and content of physical education in educational institutions of different levels and for different age groups in accordance with FSES (Federal State Educational Standard); knowledge of innovative techniques of the training process implementation for particular sports including master classes by leading trainers; deepening the knowledge in the field of adaptive physical culture including the knowledge related to motor rehabilitation, physical therapy, sports medicine; knowledge of popular and new health and fitness technologies. By level of the formed competences the existing programs can also be divided into two groups: 1) the ones forming the overall competency of a teacher; 2) the ones forming a special competency of a physical education teacher.

Using advanced training programs for physical education teachers implemented in the Belgorod region in 2010 – 2014 as an example, we attempted to determine the proportion of the information contained therein on the issue of physical education of STD students (Table 2).

Table 2. Topics of advanced training programs for physical education teachers implemented in the Belgorod region in 2010 – 2014.

Advanced training program

Educational institution implementing the program

Number of academic hours

≈ proportion of hours dedicated to STD, %

1

«Content and methodology of teaching physical education within implementation of FSES of general education»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training and Retraining of specialists

108

1.86

2

«Educational process management within implementation of FSES of general education»

Belgorod Institute of Educational Development

144

1.39

3

«Modern pedagogical technologies in the activity of physical education teachers of institutions of secondary vocational education»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training, Physical Education Department

72

0

4

«Modern technologies of training athletes»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training

72

0

5

«Theory and techniques of fitness aerobics»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training

72

0

6

«Modern technologies of organizing and judging armwrestling competitions»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training

72

0

7

«Theory and technique of weight training»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training

102

0

8

«Game programs and technologies of physical education of preschool children»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training

72

0

9

«Health-promoting educational technologies in higher education»

Belgorod Institute for Advanced Training

72

2.8


As seen from Table 2, the topics of advanced training courses offered in the educational institutions of the Belgorod region in general cannot meet the wide range of professional interests and needs of physical education teachers. It also applies directly to enhancing the competency of teachers busy in the STD. With that in mind it should be noted that the numbers in the last column of the table reflect the proportion of hours during which the topics related to the issue of physical education of STD students are indirectly referred to.

We have not found any data on the implementation of advanced training programs with the topics directly related to the specifics of teaching physical education in the STD on open access.

Conclusion. Summarizing the results of the research we can draw the following conclusion:

– a significant increase in the number of students with poor health (up to 50% or more) causes an emphasis change in teaching the subject “Physical Education” towards preventive measures and health enhancement; 

– an increase in the number of students assigned to the STD makes teachers change the usual focus of their professional activity and leads to an overstrain of the material and resource base of universities;

– many physical education teachers experience difficulties working in the STD, the major ones being organizational and methodological as well as the insufficiency of specific knowledge and limited access to it;

– organization of relevant advanced training can contribute to solving the issue of improvement of professional competency of physical education teachers working in the STD, but programs on this subject are not being implemented so far;

– the issues of scientific substantiation of the content, development of the program and organization of advanced training (preferably at the federal level) for professionals working with STD students are relevant.

References

  1. Egorycheva, E.V. Tekhnologiya primeneniya sredstv ozdorovitel’noy fizicheskoy kul’tury na zanyatiyakh so studentkami spetsial’nogo uchebnogo otdeleniya: avtoref. dis. … kand. ped. nauk (Application technology of means of health-improving physical culture at classes with female students of special training department: abstract of Ph.D. thesis) / E.V. Egorycheva. – Moscow, 2014. – 23 P.
  2. Zagrevskaya, A.I. Sovershenstvovanie metodiki zanyatiy po fizicheskoy kul’ture u studentok spetsial’noy meditsinskoy gruppy na osnove ikh programmirovaniya: avtoref. dis. ... kand. ped. nauk (Improvement of physical training methodology for female students of special medical group based on programming them: abstract of Ph.D. thesis / A.I. Zagrevskaya. - Omsk. – Omsk, 2000. – 24 P.
  3. Instruktsiya po organizatsii i soderzhaniyu raboty kafedr fizicheskogo vospitaniya vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy ot 26 iyulya 1994 g. # 777 i Prikaz «Ob organizatsii protsessa fizicheskogo vospitaniya v vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniyakh» ot 1 dekabrya 1999 g. (Instructions for organization and content of operation of physical education department of higher educational institutions, 26 July 1994 № 777 and Order "On organization of physical education process in higher educational institutions", 1 December 1999.
  4. Losin, B.E. Pedagogicheskaya effektivnost; povysheniya kvalifikatsii spetsialistov po fizicheskoy kul’ture i sportu: dis. ... dokt. ped. nauk (Pedagogical effectiveness of advanced training of physical culture and sports professionals: doctoral thesis (Hab.) / B.E. Losin. – St. Petersburg, 2001. – 335 P.
  5. Rumba, O.G. Analiz rezul’tatov pedagogicheskikh nablyudeniy na zanyatiyakh po fizicheskoy kul’ture so studentami spetsial’nykh meditsinskikh grupp v vuzakh Belgorodskoy oblasti (Analysis of the pedagogical observation results at physical education classes with students of special medical groups in universities of the Belgorod Region / O.G. Rumba, G.F. Zhovan // Kul'tura fizicheskaya i zdorov'e. – 2014. – № 2 (49). – P. 85–91.
  6. Federal’ny zakon «Ob obrazovanii v Rossiyskoy Federatsii» ot 29.12.2012 g. #273-FZ (red. ot 21.07.2014). (Federal Law "On Education in the Russian Federation", 29.12.2012 №273-FZ (ed. 21.07.2014)

 

Corresponding author: RumbaOlga@yandex.ru