Postgraduate student R.Ya. Abzalilov¹
Ph.D. R.A. Gaynullin^2
1 Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmullah, Ufa
² Bashkir State Medical University, Ufa

Keywords: adaptation, physical education, GTO (Ready for Labour and Defense) complex, Ufa.

Introduction. In the current context, the state and national primary objective is training of proficient and qualified specialists geared for the modern requirements demanded by the society. The key factor of this process is meeting the goal objective described as “possibility/impossibility of fulfilling the vital human needs” [3: p. 46]. For such self-actualization the favorable environment is required.  

In terms of economic and social society development, professional formation of a future specialist, as well as his or her further professional activity in the chosen vocation are the issues of great significance. For this purpose, the educational process at the early stage of university education should be aimed at building positive attitude of students adapting them to the new educational background. However, there are many factors posing difficulties to first-year students. These factors are associated with the beginning of the academic year, new university courses and subjects, examination, and the necessity of effective combining academic and non-academic activities [1-3].

Professional formation of future specialists is based on several stages. According to our reckoning, the adaptation stage is of greater interest.

To our opinion, the appreciation of the chosen profession and vocation of life should be promoted in the first place. In this regard, the first-year students were surveyed in the educational experiment conducted in Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla (BSPU) and Bashkir State Medical University (BSMU).

The purpose of the study was to analyze the process of professional adaptation of future specialist at the early stage of university education.

Materials and methods. More than 1000 first-year students of Bashkir State Pedagogical University named after M. Akmulla and Bashkir State Medical University took part in the experiment.

The academic year began with the matriculation ceremony followed by gala concert presenting cultural and sports scene of the university. The main point of this event is to help students adapt to the new settings, motivate and encourage students in their potential for further educational and sports activities.

During the introduction week the first-year students attended the following lectures:

I. Introduction to the profession:

a) lecture on history and traditions of the academic institutions;

b) an academic hour of introductory course (rights and responsibilities of students);

c) lecture on health and healthy lifestyle;

d) first-year experience excursions and trips (providing insight into student community and activities, students’ union, public cultural and sports activities in the university).

II. Introduction to social sciences:

a) basics of methodological education in theory and practice;

b) practical application of theory by the future specialists.

III. Introduction to the disciplines of pedagogical and psychological sciences, medical and biological sciences:

a) training of the future specialists in terms of the pedagogical and psychological sciences, the medical and biological sciences;

b) modern scientific achievements and its significance for the further physical and intellectual development of a person.

IV. Methods and organization of self-study activities of students.

a) lecture comprehension and note taking;

b) methods of working with the basic and supplementary literature;

c) organization of students’ scientific research activities.

The introduction week came amid the evaluation of effectiveness of the introductory activities. For this purpose, the PE teachers made a questionnaire identifying the students’ perception of the chosen profession, attitudes to and discernment of their vocation, their concept of the peculiarities of university education and its potential prospects and opportunities.

The test was based on the comparative results of the student opinion poll before and after the introduction week.

Results and discussion. Questionnaire showed the following results: 

– 70 percent of students answered that they had chosen a particular specialty consciously, since it is in demand;

–  25 percent of students had chosen a particular specialty on their teachers/parents advice;

–  5 percent of students answered that they had gone to university in order to earn a degree.

Students’ perception of their profession changed after the introduction week as a result of informational impact: before the introductory activities they considered it to be entertaining and exciting; after the introduction week, students concretized their opinion. System synergetic and informational approaches provided increased professional and learning motivation; reduced fatigue was observed in 63.3 percent of students; anxiety attacks and stress in students were minimized.

The most difficult aspects for students turned out to be: learning new subjects (30 percent), examination (50 percent), taking notes (5 percent) and necessity of combining academic and non-academic activities (15 percent). 

The GTO (Ready for Labour and Defense) standards were used for diagnostics of physical fitness and adaptive potential of the first-year students.

Analysis of physical fitness level showed that physical fitness indices in 95 percent of the first-year students taking part in the study corresponded to the gold badge GTO standard; the rest of the students (5 percent) showed average results.

At the beginning of the academic year the first-year students were enthusiastic about the pedagogical, psychological, medical and biological studies in the field of the chosen profession; a number of students stated their willingness to take part in the scientific research activities.

Conclusion:

• The introduction week helped the first-year students adapt to the educational environment at the early stage of university education. After the introduction week, students’ perception of their profession became concretized and well defined due to the informational impact.
• Test results showed a high level of physical fitness of the first-year university students. It points out the fact that the future specialists are prepared for further academic educational activities.

Thus, it may be concluded that the introduction week is one of the adaptation stages of future specialists to the university education.

 References

1. Danilevich, G.D. Problemy psikhologicheskoy adaptatsii pervokursnikov vuza (Problems of psychological adaptation of first-year students)// Mat. 5-oy Vserossiyskoy nauchnoy prakticheskoy konferentsii “Mediko-biologicheskiye i psikhologo-pedagogicheskiye aspekty adaptatsii i sotsializatsii cheloveka” (Proc. of the All-Rus. theor.-pract. conference “Medicobiological and psychopedagogical aspects of human adaptation and socialization) V.1-Volgograd: Volgograd scientific society, 2008. – P. 184-184.
2. Sholokhovova, G.P. Adaptatsiya pervokursnikov k usloviyam obucheniya v vuze i ee psikhologo-pedagogicheskiye osobennosti (Adaptation of first-year students for university learning conditions and its psycho-pedagogical features) / G.P. Sholokhovova, I.V. Chikova / Vestnik OGU. № 3 (164) / March 2014 – 103 P.
3. Shustova, N.E. Sotsial’no-psikhologicheskaya adaptatsia molodezhi i otnoshenie k sotsial’nym normam (Sociopsychological adaptation of young people and attitude to social norms) / N.E. Shustova, V.V. Gritsenko // Psikhologicheskiy zhurnal. 2007. V. 27. №1. P. 46

Corresponding author: nullin@mail.ru