PhD, Associate Professor A.V. Sharonova¹
N.S. Lesheva¹
PhD, Associate Professor O.V. Mironova¹
PhD, Associate Professor I.S. Moskalenko^1
1St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering, St. Petersburg

Keywords: physical education and sports, students, creative competences, architects, creativity, fitness technologies

Background. National architecture and civil engineering universities have always given a special priority to the education service quality to meet expectations of the potential employers albeit it should be mentioned that the graduates are still often short of the professional training standards [5, 6]. The new Federal State Higher Education Standards (FSHES) are expected to improve the academic education quality [1]. One of the key education competences formed by the academic elective physical education and sports disciplines is education-competences-8 ‘The social issues, creative individual contribution in the social culture and environment comprehension and the modern social, humanitarian and economic concepts and methods application competences for solutions of social and professional problems’. Presently the potential employers tend to appreciate the young specialist’s ability to solve every specific professional problem rather than the knowledgebase and education quality and credentials as such [4, 7-9].

Objective of the study was to analyze benefits of the modern fitness technologies for the creative competence development purposes at Architecture and Civil Engineering University.

Methods and structure of the study. We sampled for the study female students of the St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering (n=120) split up into Experimental Group (EG) trained with application of a creativity encouragement model of our own design; and Reference Group (RG) trained under the valid curriculum. The group progress in the experiment was tested by a questionnaire survey and verbalized/ non-verbalized creativity tests, with the test data processed by the standard statistical processing toolkit [2, 3]. The new creativity encouragement model may be visualized by the following chart:

Frame chart of the new creativity encouragement model

As was found by a questionnaire survey, the sample interpreted a creative competence as the creative ability to find an untraditional solution to every common problem, with most of the sample believing that a creative individual naturally develops not only in the vocational field and the relevant global environment but also in a variety of related areas. Many students underlined that the individual mental and physical progresses are normally harmonized and modern physical education service offers a set of promising developmental tools for the progress agenda.

As provided by the above frame chart of the creativity encouragement model, the EG students thoroughly analyzed their needs for the physical education domain; identified a few problems; and came up, with assistance from their instructors, with the best solutions using the modern fitness technologies dominated by modern dancing, fitness yoga and Pilates practices. The EG then split up into a few teams that developed their own targeted training systems with the instructors’ assistance, customized them for the actual individual needs and implemented with their teammates. The teams were successful in identifying and solving every upcoming problem in a fast and creative manner in the practical trainings.

Results and discussion. The pre- versus post-experimental non-verbalized creativity tests found a significant progress of the EG as verified by 85.5% of the EG making progress in finding 2+ unique test images – versus no progress in the RG. The pre- versus post-experimental verbalized creativity tests found some progress in both of the groups – that may be attributed to the stress tolerance and creative thinking building by the other academic disciplines: see Table 1 hereunder.

Table 1. Pre- versus post-experimental verbalized and non-verbalized creativity tests data of the EG and RG

Conclusion. The new creativity encouragement model testing experiment found it beneficial for the elective academic physical education and sports disciplines as it mobilizes the health improvement potential and encourages creative resource of a future architects being mobilized in full, conditional on the progress facilitating environment and service being offered by the university.

References

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2. Voronin A.N., Galkina T.V. Diagnosis of verbal creativity (adapted Mednik test). Metody psikhologicheskoy diagnostiki. 1994. no. 2. pp.  39-70.
3. Voronin A.N. Diagnosis of non-verbal creativity (short version of Torrance test). Metody psikhologicheskoy diagnostiki. 1994. no. 2. pp. 5-39.
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5. Lobanov Yu.Ya., Sharonova A.V., Mironova O.V. et al. Use of distance learning elements in Elective courses in physical education and sports discipline mastering process. Uchenye zapiski universiteta im. P.F. Lesgafta. 2018. no. 12 (166). pp. 144-148.
6. Tokareva A.V., Mironova O.V., Moskalenko I.S. et al. Forming self-reliant aerobic training process management skills for success in examinations. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury. 2016. no. 9. pp. 12-15.
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Abstract

National architecture and civil engineering universities have always given a special priority to the education service quality to meet expectations of the potential employers albeit it should be confessed that the graduates are still often short of the professional training standards. The new Federal State Higher Education Standards (FSHES) are expected to improve the academic education quality. The study analyzes practical experience of the competence-focused training model piloted at the Architecture and Civil Engineering; summarizes experiences and practices of the creativity training models; and offers a new creativity encouragement model applicable in the elective academic physical education and sports (PES) disciplines – that were designed and tested by the Physical Education and Sports Department faculty of St. Petersburg State University of Architecture and Civil Engineering. The creativity encouragement model gave a special priority to the creative formats of the training sessions and progress motivations and interests of the students. The training process goals were attained by a variety of specific creativity encouragement trainings including dancing elements and physical practices. A special attention was given to the modern training models, practical experiences of the students in sports, dances and fitness domains and theoretical trainings to improve their competences in the modern fitness technologies. The new creativity encouragement model testing experiment found it beneficial for application with the elective academic physical education and sports disciplines.