Dr.Hab., Associate Professor V.L. Botyaev¹
Postgraduate M.S. Pozdysheva¹
PhD, Associate Professor V.V. Apokin²
PhD E.V. Dmitrieva¹
PhD, Associate Professor A.S. Snigirev^2
1Surgut State Pedagogical University, Surgut
²Surgut State University, Surgut

Keywords: gymnastics, combined impact method, bachelor course student, coordination abilities

Background. The new education standards under implementation in the national educational system and the list of competences required to be developed via the 44.03.01 Pedagogical Education bachelor curriculum [4] require the bachelor educational system to be improved in many components with a special emphasis on the academic sports disciplines. One more reason for the increased priority being given to the academic sports promotion agenda is the poor physical fitness of the entrants to the bachelor training course. Analyses of the beginner students’ physical fitness test data show quite a wide range of fitness rates in the standard tests varying from fair results (mostly in the strength- and speed-strength tests) to moderate and poor results in the speed- and endurance tests. Most disappointing, however, are the university entrants’ tests in the elementary gymnastic exercises from the standard school sports curricula – since the students more often than not demonstrate being virtually totally unfit in the elementary gymnastics and not knowing the relevant sport terminology. It means that most of the beginner students come totally unfit for the academic Gymnastics with Education Method discipline which importance for the new bachelor education curricula cannot be overestimated.

Objective of the study was to develop, substantiate and test by an experiment a combined impact model in practical studies of the academic Gymnastics with Education Method discipline.

Methods and structure of the study. Our analysis of the primary physical fitness and movement coordination ability test data of the first-year students and the acceptance tests of their gymnastics skills and competences showed their physical fitness and body conditioning abilities generally being on the ‘average to ‘above average’ levels while their movement coordination abilities rated low and below average [1]. Further analysis of the test data showed close positive correlations of the technical skills rates and coordination ability rates that means that the coordination abilities heavily contribute to the academic progress in the gymnastic exercises and the relevant physical skills and abilities [3]. This finding was used as a basis for the educational experiment to pilot and test the combined impact model in the bachelor training course with an emphasis on the special exercises to improve the students’ technical mastery and physical abilities on the whole and the coordination ones in particular.

Study results and discussion. The close correlation of the coordination abilities and technical progress in certain disciplines of the all-round gymnastics events helped us identify bottlenecks in the standard academic physical education process and address them via the experimental combined impact model giving the top priority to the physical abilities and technical mastery development components of the process.  

A correlation analysis made it possible to find the closest correlations between the coordination abilities and technical mastery in free exercises and horizontal and parallel bar exercises, with the correlation rates estimated at 0.783, 0.757 and 0.672, respectively: see Table 1.

Table 1. Correlation of the coordination abilities with the technical mastery in some gymnastics all-round events (n=28)

The correlation analysis of the process data showed the need for a top priority to be given to the coordination ability development practices with a special emphasis on those that facilitate the gymnastic skills and technical mastery building process. The academic progress, however, was somewhat limited by the timeframe of the academic Gymnastics with Education Method discipline, and this problem was most effectively addressed in the new combined impact model that requires almost no special time for the focused coordination ability building practices since these abilities are naturally developed via the technical mastery improvement training. A top priority in the training process shall be given to the coordination abilities most important for success in the academic gymnastics process. Our prior study data and analyses [2, 3] helped us identify the following top-priority coordination abilities: ability to differentiate temporal, spatial and strength parameters of a movement sequence and duly balance and harmonize the movements based on good orienteering ability; and to maintain the movement pace and rhythm with due statokinetic balancing skills. We made a special focus on these abilities in our training model. It should be noted that the combined impact model piloting experiment included the all-round gymnastics events that are basically mastered in the existing school curricula and designed to help students develop the basic skills and techniques with assistance from a physical education teacher. 

Subject to special consideration in this article is the combined impact model in application to free exercises under the academic sports curriculum. The academic free exercise program is dominated by the relevant acrobatic and choreographic elements including head-and-hand-stands, cartwheels, single-leg balance, forward roll through hand-stand, scissors jumps, jumps with full turn, different versions of forward and backward rolls etc. Each of these elements is highly demanding to the individual mental and physical qualities and abilities with a special emphasis on the vestibular and statokinetic balancing abilities critical for the body control in complicated rotation and balancing movement sequences. This was the reason for us to focus in the combined impact model on the following vestibular system training exercises:

– Sequential body rotations lengthwise left to right in the prone position with arms above the head;

– Long-time partner-assisted and wall hand-stands;

– Jumps with maximal rotations to required degrees;

• Leaning rearways, face-front and backward movement;
• Balancing on one leg with the other leg fixed by the back-standing partner, with arms raised above the head, and making forward and backward bends;

– Forward, backward rolls from different preparatory positions;

– Lowering and raising straight legs in the head-and-hand stand;

– Wall handstand push-ups;

– Push ups from the feet-apart armrest to the full handstand with feet apart;

– Straight/ figure single-leg jumps;

– One-leg eyes-closed stand;

– Leg movements (feet apart, scissors, bends) in the head-and-hand stand;

– Leg swings with ankle weights (0.5-1kg);

– Lunge-walk with leg swings with ankle weights;

– Roll - jump with full turn – roll - jump with half turn - backward roll etc.;

– Cartwheel along the marked line, one attempt followed by 2-3 in sequence;

• Bending legs in the head-and-hand stand to move to a straight handstand – first in a partner-assisted and then non-assisted way;

– Push-ups up to head touching the floor in the straddle stand on bar; and

• Push-ups straightening arms in the head-and-hand stand.

When the combined impact model is duly designed and managed, most of the above exercises and elements may be performed on a non-individualized basis claiming little time in the regular training sessions. The remaining exercises that require more specific performance control were performed in group or individual training formats.

The educational experiment to test the combined impact model was timed to the first semester and showed high benefits of the model as verified by much better and statistically significant progress of the Experimental Group versus Reference Group in mastering the all-round gymnastics events and techniques: see Table 2.

Table 2. Technical progress rates of the Experimental Group versus Reference Group in mastering gymnastics techniques: post-experimental test rates, n=28, (Х±ϭ)

Conclusion. The combined impact model piloting educational experiment showed the model being highly beneficial as verified by the significant progress of the Experimental Group versus Reference Group in the physical fitness and coordination ability rating tests and the academic progress on the whole. It should be mentioned that the combined impact model was well harmonized with the academic curriculum with no detriment to the educational process design and content. The experimental practices were assisted by a highly-emotional training environment to mobilize the students’ creative resource, help them build up the extended knowledge and skills and make good progress in every discipline of the academic physical education and sports curriculum.

References

1. Boychenko C.D., E.N. Karseko, V.V. Leonov O nekotorykh aspektakh kontseptsii koordinatsii i koordinatsionnykh sposobnostey v fizicheskom vospitanii i sportivnoy trenirovke [Some aspects of concept of coordination and coordination abilities in physical education and sport training]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2003, no. 8, pp. 15-21.
2. Botyaev V.L. Spetsifika proyavleniya i kontrol koordinatsionnykh sposobnostey v slozhno-koordinatsionnykh vidakh sporta [Specific Features of Manifestation and Control of Coordinating Abilities in Complicated Coordination Sports]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2010, no. 2, pp. 21-23.
3. Botyaev V.L., Pozdysheva M.S. Analiz dvigatelno-koordinatsionnoy podgotovlennosti studentov fakulteta fizicheskoy kultury i sporta pedagogicheskogo vuza i puti ee sovershenstvovaniya [Physical education and sports department of pedagogical university: students' motor coordination abilities rating analysis]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2017, no. 8, pp. 3-6.
4. Prikaz ministerstva obrazovaniya i nauki RF ot 04.12.2015 no. 1426 ob «Utverzhdenii federalnogo gosudarstvennogo obrazovatelnogo standarta vysshego obrazovaniya po napravleniyu podgotovki 44.03.01 Pedagogicheskoe obrazovanie (uroven bakalavriata)» [Order of the Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation dated 04.12.2015 no. 1426 on "Approval of the federal state educational standard of higher education in the major 44.03.01 Pedagogical education (bachelor's course)"].

Corresponding author: vl_bot53@mail.ru

Abstract

The study considers the ways to improve the bachelor training process in the academic Gymnastics with Education Method discipline. The presently low physical fitness rates of the newcomer students urge the university faculty and specialists look for the most efficient methods to help develop the professionally valuable gymnastic abilities and skills. It is the combined impact method that we offer as one of the most promising ways to improve the technical skills and coordination abilities that, in our opinion, are pivotal for success of the professionally valuable gymnastic abilities and skills building process. Benefits of the combined impact model for the bachelor training course were tested by an educational experiment, with the model designed to offer a set of special exercises to advance the technical mastery and develop the physical abilities and qualities on the whole and the coordination abilities in particular.