PhD, Associate Professor V.A. Kudinova¹
Dr.Hab., Professor V.Yu. Karpov²
Dr.Hab., Professor A.A. Kudinov³
PhD, Associate Professor A.V. Kornev^2
1Volgograd State Agricultural University, Volgograd
²Russian State Social University, Moscow
³Volgograd State Academy of Physical Culture, Volgograd

Keywords: GTO complex, individualization, tests, students, standards, rating, criteria, efficiency.

Background. The GTO Complex is being actively implemented in the national school physical education and sport curriculum albeit it should be confessed that not every of the implementation challenges has been successfully solved as yet [1, 4, 5]. One of these challenges is the still inadequate classification and customization of the GTO Complex tests to the age-specific bodily anthropometric characteristics (dominated by body length and mass rates) of schoolchildren [2, 3]. As things now stand, every age group of schoolchildren, and particularly the secondary school age group, is exposed to the GTO Complex tests design and management inequalities in this domain [2, 3]. That is the reason why e research community shall give special attention to the relevant issues.

Objective of the study was to develop an individualized (age- and anthropometrics-specific) physical fitness rating system in application to schoolchildren for the customized and classified GTO Complex tests.

Methods and structure of the study. We applied a variety of GTO Complex Class IV tests versus the bodily anthropometric measurements (dominated by body length and mass) to compute a set of adjustment ratios for multiple regression equations, with the 13-15 year-old Volgograd schoolchildren (n=355) being subject to the study.

Study results and discussion. The study was generally designed to contribute to the implementation of Presidential Decree #172 of  24.03.2014 № 172 “On the Russian Physical Culture and Sports GTO Complex” [6] in the context of the physical education system efficiency improvement and national population activation and health building initiatives. It was in 2015 that the national legislators made changes and amendments to the Federal Law “On Physical Education and Sports in the Russian Federation” including the provisions to reinstate the Russian Physical Education and Sports “Ready for Labour and Defence” (GTO) Complex in the country with the relevant programmatic and regulatory framework for the popular physical training programs to secure a new-quality physical fitness, knowledge and skills tests in the national physical education and sports system.

Furthermore, the Russian Government Regulation #540 of 11.06.2014 spelled out the concepts, missions, design and content of the initiatives to reinstate the GTO Complex in the country; and the Russian Government Regulation #116-r of 30.06.2014 provided a Federal Action Plan for the staged implementation of the GTO Complex in the country. The Russian Ministry of Education and Science Order #609 of 23.06.2015 made changes and amendments to the relevant Federal State Education Standards to introduce provisions for the GTO Complex tests implementation in the academic curricula including relevant physical education and test programs.

At this juncture the GTO Complex implementation project is supported by the relevant educational concepts, process missions, design and content as required, among other things, by the Federal Action Plan for the staged implementation of the GTO Complex tests in the educational system including the relevant physical education and test programs. The GTO Complex tests implementation actions are designed on a three-tier basis including the process design, methodological and management tiers.

The relevant physical progress monitoring procedures include progress tests, ratings, analyses and physical fitness correction actions, with the schoolchildren’s training programs for the GTO Complex tests offering school and off-class physical training models, physical education and sport events, promotion actions, sport festivals, competitions, games, master classes etc.

However, despite some progress secured by the above provisions and programs, the progress is still largely complicated and limited by the inadequate classification and customization of the GTO Complex tests to the age-specific bodily anthropometric measurements (dominated by body length and mass rates) of the schoolchildren. This inadequacy gives rise to a variety of associating problems with the GTO Complex tests mismanagement and misinterpretations of the test data and practical benefits of the tests since they are poorly customized to the age and anthropometric measurements of the tested groups.

We applied a variety of GTO Complex Class IV tests versus the 13-15 year-olds bodily anthropometric measurements (dominated by body length and mass) to compute the adjustment ratios for the multiple regression equations. Thus, the body length to the 60m sprint test time ratios (with the body mass being roughly the same) were the following: r_12.3 = - 0,570 ÷ -0,585 for the boys; and r_12.3 = - 0,570 ÷ - 0,625 for the girls. Correlation of the age-specific body mass to the 60m sprint test time ratios (with the body length being much the same) was found significant for this age group estimated at

 r_13.2   = - 0,369 ÷ - 0,394 for the boys; and r_13.2   = - 0,423 ÷ - 0,426 for the girls.

The standing long jump test data were found highly correlated with the body length (with the body mass being the same) as verified by the following ratios: r_12.3 = 0,437 ÷ 0,567 for the boys; and r_12.3 = 0,456 ÷ 0,498 for the girls. The same correlation was found for the body mass versus the standing long jump test data as verified by the following ratios: r_13.2   =  - 0,398 ÷ - 0,455 for the boys; and r_13.2   =  - 0,467 ÷ - 0,478 for the girls. 

Furthermore, the 13-15 year-olds’ anthropometric measurements were found correlated with their pull-ups (on a high/low bar for the boys/ girls, respectively) test, 1-min sit ups test, body bend test, 2km race test, standing long jump test, ball throw test and 3km ski race test data; with the body length found directly correlated with the GTO test rates in most of the tests; and the body mass found inversely correlated with the test rates.

Therefore, the 13-15 year-olds’ fitness test versus anthropometric data show the physical fitness in this age group being highly dependent on the body constitution. This finding shall be taken into account in the efforts to secure the maximal physical progress for each age- and anthropometric measurements-specific group. To secure the GTO Complex tests being age- and anthropometric measurements-specific, we designed a set of multiple regression equations to compute the classified schoolchildren’s age- and anthropometric tests rates and generalize them for these indices.

Now we can input the actual individual anthropometric measurements of the relevant age group to the equations to compute the guiding test standards for the GTO Silver (50-point) and Gold (80 point) Badges: see Table 1; with the 20-point gap (from 80 to 100 points) left for further progress on the most gifted athletes within the relevant GTO Complex Class.

Table 1. GTO Complex Class IV test standards to rate the age- and anthropometric-measurements -specific physical fitness of the 13-15 year-old schoolchildren

Note: х₁ means body length, m; х₂  means body mass, kg; A means actual GTO test rate; S means GTO test anthropometric-measurements-specific standard; and three Ratios refer to 13, 14 and 15 years of age, respectively.

The GTO Bronze Badge qualification test standard variation range is regretfully wide (20.0 to 42.5 points) being indicative of the still loose frame for the tests. We believe that the standard shall be limited by 35 points to fairly level the test standards for each of the GTO tests to have them reasonably combined for a uniform 100-point scale application in the tests.

We introduced and applied the age-specific adjustment ratios for the tests (by the actual test rates being multiplied by these ratios using the100-point scale) to effectively measure the individual potential resources and design the individual progress trajectories for the schoolchildren within the relevant GTO Complex Class. Digital format for the test data calculation on the 100-point scale may be recommended as the time-efficient and accurate tool.

The GTO Complex implementation efficiency may be rated using the following set of criteria:

– Share of the trainees successful in the GTO Complex tests, %;

– Share of the trainees qualified for the GTO Gold Badge, %;

– Yearly progress of the test group in the GTO Complex tests, conv. units;

– Degree of satisfaction of the trainees with the physical training for the GTO Complex tests, points;

– Mobilization rate for the GTO Complex tests, conv. units;

– GTO Complex test process management efficiency, conv. units;

– Instructors’ individual efficiency rates in the GTO tests including qualifications for the GTO Badges, conv. units; and

– Stability of the training progress for the GTO Complex tests, conv. units;

Each of the above criteria may be applied to rate the group/ corporate and individual management efficiency in the GTO Complex implementation domain i.e. rate progress of the educational establishments and individual physical education teachers in the GTO Complex implementation efforts.

Conclusion. Customization of the GTO Complex tests for the age- and anthropometric-measurements-specific groups of trainees makes it possible to design the test process on a fair-play basis with due regard to the relevant equal-access securing ethical concepts and values; with the individual qualifications of the schoolchildren for the GTO Gold, Silver and Bronze Badges being put on an individualized/ customizable basis to secure equal opportunities for them to succeed in the tests; improve their motivations for the GTO Complex tests and for their better understanding of their missions and benefits.

References

1. Guba V.P., Konovalov V.V., Presnyakov V.V. Morfobiomekhanicheskaya individualizatsii kak effektivny metod integratsii VFSK GTO v sistemu obschego obrazovaniya [Morphobiomechanical individualization as efficient method to integrate GTO complex to general education system]. Teoriya i praktika fiz. kultury, 2016, no. 11, pp. 94-97.
2. Karpov V.Yu., Eremin M.V., Kalinin A.D. et al. Issledovanie dinamiki pokazateley fizicheskoy podgotovlennosti malchikov 12-13 let v ramkakh shkolnoy programmy [Study of dynamics of physical fitness indicators 12-13 year old boys within school curriculum]. Uchenye zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta, 2015, no. 9 (127), pp. 109-113.
3. Kudinova V.A. Individualnaya otsenka fizicheskoy podgotovlennosti shkolnikov [Individual assessment of physical fitness of schoolchildren]. Fizicheskaya kultura v shkole, 2014, no. 8, pp. 37-41.
4. Stolyarov V.I. Modernizatsiya fizicheskogo vospitaniya i fizkulturno-sportivnoy raboty v obscheobrazovatelnoy shkole [Modernization of physical education and physical culture and sports activities at secondary school]. Moscow: Teoriya i praktika fizicheskoy kultury, 2009, 320 p.
5. Parfenova L.A., Gordeeva G.A. Predlozheniya po sovershenstvovaniyu normativno-testiruyuschey chasti kompleksa GTO [Suggestions for improvement of the regulatory-testing part of GTO complex]. Uchenye zapiski un-ta im. P.F. Lesgafta, 2014, no. 9, pp. 114-118.
6. Ukaz Prezidenta Rossiyskoy Federatsii ot 24.03, 2014, # 172 ‘O Vserossiyskom fizkulturno-sportivnom komplekse ‘Gotov k trudu i oborone’’ (GTO) [RF Presidential Decree 24.03, 2014, No. 172 ‘On Russian Physical Culture and Sports Complex 'Ready for Labour and Defence' (GTO)]. Sobranie zakonodatelstva Rossiyskoy Federatsii [Legislative Acts of the Russian Federation], 2014, no. 13, art. 1452.

Corresponding author: fizkult@teoriya.ru

Abstract

The article demonstrates that the schoolchildren’s practical results in most of the valid GTO Complex tests are anthropometric-measurements-specific (dominated by body mass and length) and, hence, the tests are still unequally accessible for the trainees. To remove this inequality, we offer a set of multiple regression equations with the relevant sets of criteria and ratios to have the GTO Complex tests customized to the arrays of the age-specific anthropometric measurements applied on an integrated basis.

Comparative analysis of the computed versus actual GTO Complex test rates gave the means to ensure the following: individualized (age- and anthropometric-measurements-specific) GTO Complex test standards for the GTO Bronze, Silver and Gold Badge (35, 50 and 80 points, respectively); fair accessibility of the GTO Complex tests; higher success in the GTO Complex tests for physically active schoolchildren; and better understanding, application of and training for the GTO Complex tests.