Development of tolerance skills of students of different ethnic groups in higher education by means of physical culture

Фотографии: 

ˑ: 

Ph.D., Professor K.N. Dement’ev1
Associate professor, Ph.D. L.V. Yarchikovskaya2
Associate professor, Ph.D. O.V. Pristav³
Associate professor, Ph.D. T.E. Koval’¹
1Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, St. Petersburg
2St. Petersburg State University, St. Petersburg
3Herzen State Pedagogical University of Russia, St. Petersburg

 

Keywords: tolerant relations, physical culture, wellness programs, combined approach, Nordic walking, shaping.

Introduction. Value orientation of university students is the issue that implies the typical behavioral characteristics to be considered: pragmatism, conformism and emotional instability marked by intense interpersonal relationships and conduct disorder. Undoubtedly, the above listed traits should be regarded as negative manifestations, although it can be taken as given and accounted for a starting point and prospects of further development of students, resulting in positive pragmatism and optimism.

At this point, the issue of ethnic tolerance among university students is of immediate interest, since modern requirements involve new standards for educational and communicative environment.

Higher education, including physical culture education, play an indisputable role in development of students’ ethnic tolerance in multi-ethnic educational environment. The temporary academic communities (academic departments, student groups) promote close interaction between students of different ethnicities during educational process, breaks and vacations [1]. This paper presents physical culture as part of the entire educational process. Alongside with other disciplines, physical culture performs the following functions: 

– axiological: education is regarded as the world and Russian cross-cultural value;

– sociocultural: education provides an individual with knowledge of the native cultural heritage, its connection with the cultures of other nations and the overall world culture in general; 

– social-adjustive: education provides a person with social adaptation to all classes of dynamic and progressive society, including overcoming student’s ethnic intolerance of foreign students studying in the university [4]. 

Ethnic tolerance among university students is an infrequent phenomenon. Moreover, it goes beyond intolerance of ethnic diversity and higher or lower social classes, as this also pertains to prejudicial treatment of any individual in the classroom. Analysis of literary sources proves the necessity of action planning that includes physical education development in terms of establishing tolerant relations among university students during academic and non-academic activities.

The purpose of the study was to consider the theoretical basis and practical evidence for the importance of physical education in establishing tolerant relations among university students of different ethnicities (in the context of health and wellness programs including Nordic walking and body shaping workouts).

Materials and methods. In 2013-2014 the new project for creating complex health and wellness programs was undertaken in St. Petersburg State University. These programs included yoga, shaping, therapeutic swimming, Nordic walking, terrain therapy, and water aerobics. The project was based on the long-term experience of working with medical students, which provided an opportunity to design a common projecting algorithm comprising the common purpose and objectives, diverse methods of project implementation, generalized criteria of wellness impact, main types of exercises, curriculum arrangement. Introduction of the health and wellness programs provided the implementation of a combined approach, which considerably increased the competitiveness of recreational physical activities, motivation and favorability of students’ attitudes toward these physical activities practiced at university sport centers. Requirements for organization of educational process in the university were complied [2, 3]. 

It is to be noted that health and wellness programs, conducted through the combined approach, included the participation of foreign students of different ethnicities.

The experimental group (EG, practicing Nordic walking and body shaping workouts) included Russian students; students from the former Soviet Union (Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia, Kazakhstan); students from the Nordic countries (Finland, Sweden); the Chinese and Japanese students; Latin American students (Colombia, Venezuela).

Establishment of tolerant relations among university students during the health and wellness programs was based on the use of background music composed of tracks and mixed songs, which are popular in the countries, listed above, as well as dance movements and techniques specific to the national cultures of the world. The background music was used during both the warm up sets and the training exercises aimed at improving flexibility and coordination skills.

Furthermore, the health and wellness programs aimed at promoting ethnic tolerance among university students were also based on a cohesive approach. The entire health program was regarded as an ongoing process encouraging students to manifest tolerant attitudes toward the ethnic groups of students spontaneously (resulting from a set of circumstances: cheerful and optimistic mood; talking about common interests; friendly disposition and attitudes), through the acceptance of presumable tolerant relations offered by the teacher (explaining and practicing physical exercises based on dance movements and music specific to the national cultures of the world; regulating norms and rules of behavior according to the ethics adopted by the society), predisposing students to friendly relations within the group (manifestation of tolerant attitudes within the group during educational process is initiated by the knowledge and insight into foreign cultures acquired through the teacher and other students).

86 students of different ethnicities took part in the experimental project on establishing ethnic tolerance during physical education classes. The experiment lasted 4 months (September–December 2014). Russian and English were used as the working languages during the educational process, which provided an opportunity to blur interethnic boundaries in the linguistic context.

A wide variety of traditional and innovative methods was used in the course of the experimental project. It provided the effectiveness of health and wellness programs implementation in terms of wellness impact, as well as establishing tolerant relations among students. The following methodical techniques, aimed at establishing ethnic tolerance, proved to be the most effective in the course of the experiment: dance warm up based on the combined movements specific to the national cultures of the world; practice of Nordic walking on marked trails and footpaths along the cultural sites; discussion of the background music with explanation of cultural heritage peculiarities; rehearsing the combinations of dance moves specific to the national cultures of the world; discussions of the students’ self-guided health and wellness programs based on the music and dance routines specific to the national cultures of the world; role-playing games.

The following traditional dance music was used in the course of the project: quadrille music, cha-cha-chá music, Argentine tango music, “Eva’s Polka” song, “Letkajenkka” song, lezginka music, “Zorbas” song, belly dance music, “Rio Rita” song, “Lambada”, salsa music, Estonian dance music.

Upon that, the primary target of the health and wellness programs was conducting the exercises aimed at enhancing the adaptive potential and functional reserves of the body, muscular core workout, strengthening the nervous and cardiovascular systems, improving endurance and coordination skills, posture correction.

The venues for the experimental project programs were the sports centers at St. Petersburg State Polytechnic University (SPbGU) and Saint-Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (SPbGASU). In the course of the experiment students performed physical loads with the average power and intensity (HR – 120-160 bpm), and their physical state was monitored through heart rate measurement and data analysis applied to each student individually.

At the beginning and the end of the experiment the following procedures were made: the wellness impact of health programs was assessed; the poll on establishing ethnic tolerance was conducted among university students of the experimental group. The evaluation results of wellness impact were examined and analyzed providing the final conclusions.

Results and discussion. The poll among university students of different ethnicities has revealed the following:

  • At the beginning of the experiment the importance of personal identification of ethnicity during educational process was recognized by the majority of students (60 percent) as crucial factor, and national identity was considered significant and essential. The poll results changed at the end of the experiment: only 45 percent of students considered national identity an important factor, especially in terms of physical education according to health and wellness programs.
  • The choice of factors determining ethnic identity varied at the beginning and the end of experiment. At first, the most important factors for students were considered to be ethnic discrimination and intolerance (20 percent); national holidays (40 percent); reading national literature (30 percent). At the end of the experiment, the percentage of the discrimination factor decreased to 10 percent, and the key factor determining ethnic identity was deemed the national culture including national music and dances.
  • At the beginning of the experiment, replying to the question of whether students have difficulties in communicating with people of other ethnicities, 35 percent of students confirmed to have experienced such problems. At the end of the experiment this percentage decreased to 2 percent of students.
  • In response to a question on the necessity of using modern approaches, aimed at establishing ethnic tolerance, during physical education process in universities, 89 percent of students spoke in favor of the project. These students believe that such activities unite people, thus the project is necessary. 3 percent of students opposed to the project, and 5 percent of students found it difficult to answer.
  • Following the question whether the health and wellness programs, aimed at resolution of ethnic tolerance issues, contribute to establishing tolerant attitudes toward students of other ethnicities, 78 percent of students answered affirmatively, 9 percent of students gave a negative answer, 13 percent of students found it difficult to answer.

Conclusion. The study confirmed the effectiveness of the suggested method in terms of establishing tolerant relations among university students of different ethnicities during physical education process. The health and wellness programs aimed at resolution of ethnic tolerance issues in the educational environment should include the modern methods of working with university students of different ethnicities. These methods should be based on the cultural heritage such as cultural music and dances.

References

  1. Blagova, Kostova-Bacheva Diana Vliyanie etnicheskikh stereotipov na tolerantnost’ shkol’nikov (Pupils’ tolerance influenced by ethnic stereotypes) // Didakt. – 2003. – № 2 (53). – P. 65-69.
  2. Koval’, T.E., Yarchikovskaya, L.V., Oshina, O.V. Ispol’zovanie kombinirovannogo podkhoda v tekhnologii proektirovaniya ozdorovitel’nykh programm (Combined approach in health-improving program design) // Teoriya i praktika fiz. kul’tury. – 2015. – No. 2. – P. 98-100.
  3. Koval’, T.E., Yarchikovskaya, L.V., Markelov, V.V, Demesh, V.P. Sovremennye osobennosti metodiki proektirovaniya i realizatsii ozdorovitel’nykh programm (Modern features of methodology of design and implementation of health programs) / Uch. zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta. - 2014. - №11 (117). P.70-72.
  4. Tolerantnost’ kak obraz zhizni: uchebno-metod. posobie (Tolerance as way of life: teaching manual) / Ed. by Bardier G.L., Sungurova A.Yu. – St. Petersburg: YUTAS, 2008. – 224 P.

Corresponding author: dementevkn2013@yandex.ru