Dr.Hab., Dr.Sc.Psych., Professor A.B. Serykh¹
Dr.Hab., Professor E.I. Mychko^1
1Immanuel Kant Baltic Federal University, Kaliningrad

Objective of the study was to identify the peculiarities of adaptation of primary school age orphans to physical education activities.
Methods and structure of the study. The study was carried out on the basis of a comprehensive school in Zelenogradsk. Sampled for the diagnostic study were the fourth-graders (n=25, including 9 orphans and 16 children living in full families). The research methods applied in the study involved pedagogical observation, T. Dembo and S.Y. Rubinstein self-rating qualities test, A. Bass and A. Darki test to rate aggressiveness.
Results of the study. The examined children were found to have high levels of aggressiveness and low levels of self-esteem in terms of intelligence, skills, self-confidence, and authority among their peers. We succeeded to identify the dominant motives for attending physical education lessons: the need for recognition, physical activity, success situation and team interaction with orphans. This fact indicated vast pedagogical and correctional opportunities provided by physical culture for shaping social experience of orphans through unleashing their adaptive potential.
Conclusion. The results of the theoretical and empirical study allowed for the conclusion that physical education activities create constantly changing conditions for social interaction, which helps reveal personal adaptive potential of orphans.

Keywords: physical culture, physical education, adaptive potential, primary school age orphans.

References

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