PhD, Associate Professor N.A. Vinokurova¹
M.I. Vasilyeva¹
E.N. Gogoleva¹
G.G. Gorokhova^1
1Institute of Physical Culture and Sport of Ammosov North-Eastern Federal University, Yakutsk

Keywords: preschool physical education, ethnic games and competitions.

Background. Ethnic groups in the Russian Far North have historically developed traditional folk training systems including a variety of physical education methods rather specific in their models, methods and tools – that have always helped the local people survive in the harsh climate [4]. It should be mentioned that outstanding skills in the folk arts have been quite common – for instance, R.K. Maak, Russian naturalist and researcher described the bow shooting skills of Evenks as follows: “Evenk would shoot one arrow to the sky and, when it comes back, hit it with the other arrow seven to eight times out of ten attempts” [2, p.11].

It is the ethnic games that comprise one of the traditional physical education tools, and they are still highly favored by the new generations of Evenk people as they help the children master the skills and abilities critical for a hunter, reindeer shepherd and fur breeder. Mostly the traditional games of Evenk children mimic movements of wild animals and birds as demonstrated by the names of the games: Be a Bear, Be a Deer, Falcon and Ducks, Deer and Wolves, Lasso Games etc. The games are designed to give ample physical training and self-assertion opportunities in highly emotional and friendly environments, with lots of fun and warming appreciation of every success by the audience [1, p.29-30]. Every folk game may be described as an indispensable child development tool that trains a wide variety of physical and mental qualities including attention, memory, observation, patience, abstract thinking, willpower etc. [3, p.3]. Games dominate in the underage ethnic population educational process and highly appreciated by the local communities for their physical development, disease/ developmental disorders prevention effects and many other health benefits.

The ethnic games provide versatile tools for the children to train racing, jumping, throwing, wrestling and many other skills, with most of the practices activating respiration, blood circulation and metabolic processes – with multiple positive effects on the mental and physical fitness and qualities. Health improvement effects of the active games were found to increase outdoors. The ethnic active games give many ways for children to be creative, free and express themselves. Most of the mental and physical qualities developing games may complement other forms of the children’s physical activity including self-reliant ones.

Objective of the study was to provide an experimental substantiation for the active ethnic games and competitions applicable in the preschool physical education process for the physical progress facilitation purposes.

Methods and structure of the study. The methods applied for the study purposes were as follows: interviews; questionnaire surveys; common physical fitness tests; and mathematical methods of statistics for data processing. Subject to the interviews, surveys and educational process monitoring were the preschool education specialists, with the output data used to find the most efficient physical development methods and tools popular among senior preschoolers with account of the national and regional specifics.

The educational process data were mined by the following methods: trainees’ motivations ratings in the Experimental Group (EG) versus Reference Group (RG) during Physical Education lessons with elements of ethnic active games and competitions; and children’s interest ratings in physical education in the EG versus RG.

The experimental data were used to theoretically substantiate and test the active ethnic games and competitions driven preschool physical education model geared to improve physical fitness and health; and to offer the most promising ways and forms to have the ethnic active games and competitions harmonized with the valid formal physical education programs. Physical fitness of the preschoolers was tested prior to and after the ethnic games and competitions driven physical education model testing experiment.

Study findings and discussion. The pre-experimental physical fitness of the sample was rated by a few common tests to produce the following data. The EG physical fitness was estimated in the statistical terms 0% high, 40% average and 60% poor; versus the RG physical fitness rated 60% high, 40% average and 0% poor. Special physical fitness test data in the statistical terms were the following: 30m sprint tests and jump-rope tests were rated by 9.18% versus 8.08% and 8.4% versus 14% in the EG versus RG, respectively; with the test data interpreted as indicative of the speed-strength, endurance and strength qualities being underdeveloped in the groups.

To facilitate the above physical qualities development process in the senior preschoolers, we offer the active ethnic games and competitions driven physical education model including elements of the following ethnic games: Who Pulls Stronger; Deer Catching; Cage Jumps; Bear; Catch Up; Circle; Jumps; Take Off the Ball; Who Throws Further; Pike and Fish; Hunters and Willow Grouses; Knoll-to-knoll Jumps; Leaps; Holes; Sprint; Wetland Woman; Bear in Berries; One-leg Leaps.

When selecting the ethnic active games and competitions, we gave a special priority to the game accessibility, succession, systematic design, and the degrees of customization to the children’s needs and abilities, with the each game time averaging 15-20 min in actual practices. The model piloting experiment showed benefits of the systemic ethnic games as verified by the EG progress versus RG in the pre- versus post-experimental physical fitness tests. The physical education process monitoring data showed the EG making higher progress versus the RG in the speed, endurance and speed-strength tests.

The pre-experimental EG physical fitness rates were 0% high, 40% average and 60% poor versus the post-experimental EG indices of 0% poor. In statistical terms, the I/III stage 120m sprint tests showed progress from 9.2% to 7.8%, respectively; and the I/III stage standing jump tests showed progress from 89.2% to 102%, respectively.

The pre-experimental RG physical fitness was rated 60% high, 40% average and 0% poor versus the post-experimental RG rates of 80% high, 20% average and 0% poor. In statistical terms, the RG pre- versus post-experimental 30m test rates were 8.08% versus 7.68%; and medicine ball throw rates were 16.4% versus 18.3%.

The active ethnic game elements and sessions were found to largely contribute to training process emotionality, intensity, motor density and the trainees’ determination rates, and mitigate fatigue.

Conclusion. The study data and analysis showed benefits of the active ethnic games and competitions driven preschool physical education model as verified by the EG versus RG physical progress. The model was designed to include the most effective ethnic Evenk physicality building ethnic sports, games, competitions and folk dance elements.

References

1. Vinokurova N.A. Formirovanie interesa k fizicheskoy kulture u devochek sredstvami etnopedagogiki: (na primere arkticheskikh shkol Respubliki Sakha (Yakutiya). Avtoref. dis. kand. ped. nauk [Motivating girls for physical education using ethno-pedagogics: (case study of Arctic schools of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia).) PhD diss. abstract]. Yakutsk, 2007, pp. 29-30.
2. Maksimova O.A. Evenkiyskie igry i sostyazaniya dlya uchaschikhsya natsionalnoy shkoly korennykh narodov Respubliki Sakha (Yakutiya). Ucheb. posobie [Evenk games and competitions for pupils of national school of indigenous people of the Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)]. Yakutsk, 2007. 69 p.
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5. Cherkashin A.V., Krivoruchenko E.V., Skryabin S.P., Okhlopkov P.P. Nauchno-metodicheskoe obespechenie podgotovki sportivnogo rezerva Respubliki Sakha (Yakutiya) [Methodological support of training of sports reserve of Republic of Sakha (Yakutia)]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2015, no. 10, pp. 51-53.
6. Shebeko V.N. Teoriya i metodika fizicheskogo vospitaniya detey doshkolnogo vozrasta. Ucheb. posobie dlya studentov vysshikh uchebnykh zavedeniy [Theory and methods of preschool physical education. Study guide for university students]. Moscow: Vysshaya shkola publ., 2010, 400 p.

Corresponding author: 706037@mail.ru

Abstract

Objective of the study was to provide an experimental substantiation for the active ethnic games and competitions applicable in the preschool physical education process. The experiment and tests were designed to profile the preschoolers’ progress in the active ethnic games and competitions driven physical education process. The preschoolers’ progress was rated by the following methods: children’s motivations tests and interest surveys in the Experimental Group (EG) versus Reference Group (RG). The study data and analysis showed benefits of the active ethnic games and competitions driven preschool physical education model as verified by the EG versus RG physical progress. The model was designed to include the most effective Evenk physicality building ethnic sports, games, competitions and folk dance elements.