Dr.Hab., Professor A.P. Matveyev¹
Dr.Hab., Professor V.Yu. Karpov¹
PhD, Associate Professor M.V. Eremin
PhD, Associate Professor A.A. Mikhaylov^2
1Russian State Social University, Moscow
²Shuya branch of Ivanovo State University, Ivanovo

Keywords: school physical activity, physical education, health, motivation building, self-reliant practices.

Background. Nowadays physical activity is highly important for schoolchildren as a prime condition for their physical and mental development, health improvement and stress/ fatigue prevention, particularly in primary school groups [3]. It is commonly acknowledged by the education specialists, physiologists, physicians and analysts that many physical activity related problems faced by the primary schoolchildren are due to the objective conflict between the natural biological need for movements and inactivity of the modern school educational process [4]. The natural need for movement is explained by the genetically programmed physical and functionality progress that requires due muscular activity. The inactivity in the educational process means the relatively strict limitation of the necessary movement time and intensity, with the situation further complicated by the growing timeframes of academic curricula and the growing educational material to be processed and learnt. This factor is largely beyond control since the growing time requirement of the educational process is explainable by the historic and practical considerations including the fast progress in modern sciences, technologies, industrial production and other economic sectors that need to be addressed in the school curriculum. Therefore, the inactivity problem may be solved only by the actions to bring new quality to the motor regimen in primary school groups by the relevant tools including self-reliant school and off-class trainings [5].

As provided by the valid educational concept, the school Physical Education discipline is intended to shape up the children’s motivations for reasonable physical practices and give them necessary skills and competences in the self-reliant physical education and health improvement domain. This concept gives the means to actively lure schoolchildren into a variety of physical training models to significantly increase physical loads and intensity and thereby satisfy their natural lust for physical activity [1, 7].

Objective of the study was to develop and experimentally prove benefits of the new self-reliant school physical training model to support the valid school physical education curriculum and thereby contribute to the physical loads needed for the growing body and improve the schoolchildren’s health.

Methods and structure of the study. We applied the relevant textbooks and methodological guidelines [5, 6] to put together the experimental self-reliant school physical training model intended to develop the relevant competences and skills. The new model benefits were tested by the special educational tasks using the relevant performance quality rating scales. Practical effects of the self-reliant school physical training model on the children’s physical fitness were rated by a set of physical fitness rating tests. The test data were verified and supported by a questionnaire survey “Home physical training tasks for schoolchildren’s physical progress” to find trainees’, families’ and teachers’ attitudes to the new model.

The Experimental Group was trained for a school year to master the relevant theoretical and practical basics in the physical education course using the A.P. Matveyev’s textbooks (2008). The basic knowledge and skills were further advanced by the relevant physical trainings and health elements in the day regimen plus the self-reliant trainings controlled by home tasks. As required by the home tasks, the trainees could opt for some health improvement/ corrective exercises from the textbook for their self-reliant rest breaks, P.T. breaks and active games during intervals; plus special tasks on instruction of the teacher for the off-class physical trainings. The Reference Group (RG) was trained as required by the V.I. Lyakh’s (2014) educational program with the ‘controlled’ physical loads and intensities at school physical education lessons. The new training model was piloted in one of Moscow gymnasia specializing in foreign languages. Subject to the model piloting experiment were the 4th grade pupils attributed to the main health group. 

Study results and discussion. The model benefits were verified by the EG versus RG pre- and post-experimental progress rating test data. The EG was tested to make progress on average from 3.32±0.2 to 4.58±0.12 points (p<0.01) versus the RG progress from 3.38±0.26 to 3.92±0.36 points (p>0.05).

Table 1. Pre- versus post-experimental progress (knowledge and skills) test data in EG versus RG, points on a 5-point scale

We used a questionnaire survey “Home physical training tasks for schoolchildren’s physical progress” to find the EG families’ attitudes to the new model; and the resultant survey data showed the following:

1. 72% of the family sample reported checking the physical education home task performance by their children; and 28% never doing that.

2. Most (84%) of the family sample reported the children having become more motivated for physical education as a result of the new model; versus 16% that found no growth.

3. 78% of the family sample reported the children being enthusiastic performing physical education home tasks versus 22% who noted no enthusiasm.

4. Most (81%) of the family sample reported no interference in the children’s physical education home tasks versus 19% who actively join and assist them.

5. Only 5% of the family sample reported joining their children in morning exercises whilst the rest of the sample complained being too busy for that.

The above survey data were interpreted as indicative of the self-reliant physical education model being beneficial for the primary pupils’ attitudes to the new school physical education formats, with a notable increase of the family support and interest in them as well.

The questionnaire survey of the school physical education teachers and class tutors resulted in the following data:

- 62% of the sample reported growth of the children’s physical fitness for the study period versus 38% who found little if any growth;

- Three physical training lessons were found enough to meet the children’s natural need for physical activity by 24% of the sample versus 76% who believed the load is still insufficient;

- 71% of the sample found the physical education textbooks beneficial for physical activation of the primary pupils versus 29% of the sample showing skepticism about the textbooks;

- Having tested and analyzed the A.P. Matveyev’s physical education textbooks, 76% of the teachers’ sample found the study material sufficient versus 24% who did not think so.

The above teachers’ survey data showed contradictions in the school community opinions of many issues. However, most of the teachers’ sample reported positive attitudes to the children’s self-reliant physical training model and textbooks.

The EG post-experimental survey generated the following data:

- 84% of the EG reported progress in the physical fitness as a result of the self-reliant physical trainings controlled by home tasks versus 16% that found no progress;

- 82% of the EG reported good attendance of the school physical education lessons versus 18% reporting poor attendance due to diseases or other health conditions;

- More than 90% of the EG reported being enthusiastic in active games during intervals, in the boarding school groups and on weekends at home – versus 10% who reported indifference to active games;

- The EG interest in self-reliant physical trainings was tested to grow from “low” 4.2 points to “high” 8.0 points;

- The EG motivations for the physical education lessons were grouped as follows: “shape up good posture and body” reported by 23.4%; “build up good physical qualities” reported by 23.3%; “be healthy” reported by 13.3%; “making friends” reported by 20.0%; “have fun and rest” reported by 16.7%; and “develop high willpower, determination and courage” reported by 3.3%.

The test and survey data showed benefits of the new self-reliant physical training model as verified by the progress in the children’s attitudes to and motivations for the school physical education lessons [2], with the motivations dominated by body shaping, good physical qualities building and friends making ones.

The pre- versus post-experimental test data and analyses showed great progress of the EG versus RG in a variety of physical fitness tests, with the highest progress rates (p<0.01) in the following tests: strength-endurance 30-second sit-ups tests; speed-strength testing standing long jump tests; strength-intensive prone pull-ups tests; coordination qualities testing 3x10m shuttle run tests; and active flexibility testing sit and reach test.

Conclusion. The new self-reliant physical training model for primary school classes intended to build up the relevant knowledge and skills was found beneficial as verified by the growth of the children’s motivations and interest in the school physical education lessons; increased school and off-class physical activity; physical progress in the general fitness and individual physical qualities; and successful compliance of the Federal State Education Standards.

References

1. Abramishvili G.A., Karpov V.Yu., Skorosov K.K., Eremin M.V. Sovremennye tekhnologii differentsirovannogo fizicheskogo vospitaniya uchaschikhsya mladshego shkolnogo vozrastasta [Modern technology of differentiated physical education for primary pupils]. Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka, 2015, no.  6, pp. 24-27.
2. Karpov V.Yu., Abramishvili G.A. Potrebnostno-motivatsionnye kharakteristiki fizicheskoy kultury mladshikh shkolnikov novykh tipov uchebnykh zavedeniy [Need-motivational characteristics of physical training of younger school students of new types of educational institutions]. Vestnik Sochinskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta turizma i kurortnogo dela, 2011, no.  2., pp. 141-143.
3. Matveyev A.P., Makhov A.S., Karpov V.Yu., Kornev A.V. Soderzhanie ponyatiya «Zdorovyesberegayuschie tekhnologii» v kontekste sovremennogo shkolnogo obrazovaniya [Meaning of health protection technologies in context of modern school education]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no.  9, pp. 59-61.
4. Matveyev A.P. Teoretiko-metodologicheskie osnovy formirovaniya uchebnogo predmeta ‘Fizicheskaya kultura’ v obscheobrazovatelnoy shkole. Dis. dokt. ped. nauk v forme nauch. dokl. [Theoretical and methodological basics of formation of Physical Education discipline in comprehensive school. Doct. diss. (Hab.) in the form of scie. report]. Moscow, 1997
5. Matveyev A.P., Karpov V.Y., Eremin M.V. Uroki fizicheskoy kultury. Metodicheskie rekomendatsii, 1-4-y klassy [Physical  Education lessons. Methodical recommendations, 1-4 grades]. Moscow: Prosveshchenie publ., 2014.
6. Аbramishvili G.A. The Technology of Differentiated Physical Education of Primary-Age Pupils Asian Social Science. 2015, vol. 11,no. 19, pp. 329-334.

Corresponding author: fizkult@teoriya.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to develop and experimentally prove the benefits of a new self-reliant school physical training model to support the valid school physical education curriculum. The model was piloted in one of Moscow gymnasia specializing in foreign languages. Subject to the model piloting experiment were the 4th grade pupils attributed to the main health group, with the sample split up into Experimental Group (EG) and Reference Group (RG). The EG was trained for a school year to master the relevant theoretical and practical basics in the physical education course using the A.P. Matveyev’s textbooks (2008). The skills and competences were tested and improved by the school physical training and health practices and off-class self-reliant trainings controlled by home tasks. The Reference Group (RG) was trained as required by the V.I. Lyakh’s (2014) educational program with the ‘controlled’ physical loads and intensity at school physical education lessons. The study data and analyses showed benefits of the new self-reliant physical education model as verified by the students’ progress in the motivational domain with the growing and sustainable interest in the school physical education lessons, plus tested significant progress of the EG versus RG.