Dr. Hab., Associate Professor M.S. Leontieva¹
PhD, Associate Professor E.D. Gryazeva¹
PhD, Associate Professor S.A. Arkhipova^1
1Tula State University, Tula

 

Keywords: orphans, physical education, motor activity, scripted role plays, physical activity.

Background. Physical activity in orphanages shall be designed to encourage children’s interest with positive emotional backgrounds [3, 5]. Modern physical education systems are often designed to challenge the traditional overcautious physical education curricula [2, 4] to have the training process design and workloads customized to individual health needs [1, 6]. A special emphasis in the preschool physical education programs will be given to role plays with their success motivations, appreciation, support and friendly attitudes from the partners and teachers.

Objective of the study was to rate benefits of the scripted role plays driven physical education model for preschool-age orphans.

Methods and structure of the study. Sampled for the study purposes were 78 orphans including the 5-6 (n=22), 7-8 (n=28), 12-13 (n=21) and 15-16 (n=19) year-old groups from the Municipal Kindergarten in Tula city; Tula Preschool Orphanage; Our Family Orphanage in Alexin city, Tula Oblast; and Kireev Boarding School, Tula Oblast.

Study findings and discussion. In the physical education model design and perfection process, we tested a few new physical education tools and scripted role plays including finger games, elements of theatrical performances to feature the popular tales, verses, cartoons and movies; relay runs and active games; and thematic game events.

We were largely governed in our study by the physical education system design recommendations by Chermit K.D. et al (2012). The physical education trainings included special corrective exercises to advance the general and fine motor skills, balancing and orienteering skills, and the visual-motor coordination qualities, with a special priority to cyclic practices in the training process. The annual physical education process included four key stages (see Table 1), with every stage reasonably customizable as required by the education process goals and children’s preferences in the games and plays.

 

Table 1. Role plays driven physical education model for preschool orphans: stages and contents

Introductory Stage 1: up to 3 sessions
Goals: 1. Expand social knowledgebase. 2. Improve intellectual and physical activity by social role plays. 3. Motivate children for the role plays.	Methods: discussions, descriptions, explanations, video materials, support from role play designers and directors
	Tools: verbal practices, readings, excursions, role-play trekking tours, physical trainings, health practices in the daily regimen: morning gymnastics, active breaks, physical education festivals
Results: Good understanding of social roles via plays; emotional engagement in scripted roles; interest and determination in learning social role related motivations, drivers and actions of characters
Progress tests, analyses and adjustments to the training system
Guiding Stage 2: 5-6 sessions
Goals: 1. Learn play basics. 2. Understand emotions, actions and motivations of the characters in role plays. 3. Master the body language and actions of the characters in role plays. 4. Activate the cognitive processes and peer communication via role plays. 5. Facilitate physical activity and physical progress.	Methods: discussions, descriptions, explanations, video materials, games, combined effects to secure physical and social progress; role learning on the elementary physical, emotional and harmonically integrated levels
	Tools: excursions, role-play trekking tours, physical trainings, health practices in the daily regimes: morning gymnastics, active breaks, physical education festivals
Results: Understanding of social roles via plays; emotional engagement in scripted roles; interest and determination in learning social role related motivations, drivers and actions of characters; formation of key motor skills and body language to secure progress in peer communication
Progress tests, analyses and adjustments to training system
Formation Stage 3: up to 9 sessions depending on progress
Goals: 1. Improve elementary motor skills and physical culture on whole. 2. Develop a cooperation spirit. 3. Develop ability to act for characters and master social body language and motor skills. 4. Secure physical progress. 5. Activate cognitive processes, creativity, fantasy and peer communication via role plays.	Methods: discussions, descriptions, explanations, video materials, combined effects to secure physical and social progress; role learning on the elementary physical, emotional and harmonically integrated levels
	Tools: excursions, role-play trekking tours, physical trainings, health practices in the daily regimen: morning gymnastics, active breaks, physical education festivals
Results: Sound organic and versatile motor skills and body language to communicate in everyday life and play the roles of characters in scripts; sound physical fitness; and good interpersonal communication skills
Progress tests, analyses and adjustments to training system
Control Stage 4: 6-12 sessions
Goals: 1. Develop due social adaptability by role plays. 2. Secure physical progress. 3. Activate cognitive processes, creativity, fantasy and communication with peers and adults via role plays. 4. Secure adequate physical activity and physical fitness.	Methods: discussions, descriptions, explanations, video materials, combined effects to secure physical and social progress; role learning on the elementary physical, emotional and harmonically integrated levels
	Tools: excursions, role-play trekking tours, physical trainings, health practices in daily regimen: morning gymnastics, active breaks, physical education festivals
Results: High and independent performance qualities and skills to secure excellent role play and sound social behavioral models; high physical fitness; and good interpersonal communication skills
Progress tests, analyses and adjustments to the training system

 

In the course of the education model piloting experiment, we analyzed the group progress in the role plays and the key skills – and found significant improvements in the role playing skills including the character’s movements, body languages and verbal skills. The group progress in the role play skills was associated with a progress in the mental, emotional and psychomotor domains. The post-experimental tests showed growth of the emotionally and socially balanced share of the sample by 4.2% and reduction of the socially retarded share of the sample by 5.7%. It should be noted that the socially retarded children were tested with difficulties in the role plays due to their physical stiffness, self-constraints and social self-isolation. These children are in need of special care and attention from the teachers to help them establish good contacts with peers and adults. On the whole, however, the sample was tested with progress in the physical activity and physical fitness rates.

Conclusion. Underage orphans in their social adaptation process often tend to respond to every impact in an excessive, uneconomical or socially retarded manner. The new scripted role plays driven physical education model for preschool-age orphans was found beneficial for the initiatives to secure progress of differently socialized orphans – as verified by the model testing experiment, with the clear improvements achieved by the orphan sample in the psychomotor development rates versus the parented peers in the kindergartens.

 

References

1. Bal'sevich V.K. Ontokineziologiya cheloveka [Human Onkinesiology]. Moscow: Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury i sporta publ., 2000, 275 p.

2. Gryaznov D.V. Metodika sotsialno-pedagogicheskoy reabilitatsii detey-sirot s ispolzovaniem sredstv fizicheskoy kultury [Socio-pedagogical rehabilitation technology using physical education for orphans]. PhD diss.. Tula, 2005, 150 p.

3. Leontieva M.S. Teoriya i tekhnologiya postroeniya sistemy fizicheskogo vospitaniya detey-sirot [Theory and technology of physical education system design for orphans]. Doct. diss. (Hab.). Tula, 2014, 304 p.

4. Manzheley I.V. Pedagogicheskie modeli fizicheskogo vospitaniya [Teaching models of physical education]. Study guide. Moscow: Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury i sporta publ., 2005, 185 p.

5. Matveyev L.P. Teoriya i metodika fiz. kultury [Theory and methods of physical education]; 3rd ed.., rev., sup.. Moscow: Fizkultura i sport, SportAkademPress, 2008, 544 p.

6. Chermit K.D., Isakov A.O., Begidova S.N. Syuzhetno-rolevye igry kak sredstvo fizicheskogo vospitaniya i minimizatsii vliyaniya deprivatsii na detey-sirot starshego doshkolnogo vozrasta [Scripted role-plays for physical education and minimization of effect of deprivation on senior preschool aged orphans].  Vestnik Adygeyskogo gosudarstvennogo universiteta. Maikop, Ser. 3: Pedagogika i psikhologiya, 2012, no. 1, pp. 81-89.

 

Corresponding author: leontyeva72@mail.ru

 

Abstract

The article overviews findings of the multiannual studies geared to improve the physical education service to preschool-age orphans. Based on the study findings, we offered and tested a few new physical education tools including: scripted role plays with an emphasis on the entertaining aspects, such as finger games, elements of theatrical performances to feature the popular tales, verses, cartoons and movies; relay runs and active games; and thematic game events. Sampled for the study purposes were 78 orphans including the 5-6 (n=22), 7-8 (n=28), 12-13 (n=21) and 15-16 (n=19) year-old groups from the Municipal Kindergarten in Tula city; Tula Preschool Orphanage; Our Family Orphanage in Alexin city, Tula Oblast; and Kireev Boarding School, Tula Oblast. The new scripted role plays driven physical education model piloting experiment was run in four stages taking one year on the whole. The staged physical education model with a special priority to the scripted role plays was tested highly beneficial by the experiment and recommended for application in orphanages.