PhD., Associate Professor E.A. Izotov¹
PhD V.A. Kuvanov¹
E.N. Korostelev^1
1Saint Petersburg Mining University, St. Petersburg

 

Keywords: motivation, physical education, students, teachers.

 Background. Issues of the students’ motivations for the academic physical education service are ranked high on the list of priorities by the academic Physical Education teachers and psychologists. There are multiple factors of potential influence on the students motivations for and progress in the academic Physical Education studies [2, 3, 6] including: the institutional (Physical Education service facilities, equipment, inputs etc.); didactic (quality of the Physical Education curriculum on the whole, service options etc.); and personality (both teacher’s and student’s) related aspects. The academic and research communities have long been active in their attempts to spur up and maintain the students’ motivations for the academic physical education process. We believe that one of the most promising ways is to explore correlations of the teachers’ and students’ motivations for the physical education service [1, 7].

Objective of the study was to rate the teachers’ versus students’ motivations for the academic physical education service.

Methods and structure of the study. Subject to the study were 158 students and 22 physical education teachers of St. Petersburg Mining University of different ages/ genders/ experiences/ specialties. The teachers’ and students motivations were tested by the G.V. Lozovaya Motivations and Professional Service Satisfaction Test; and the G.V. Lozovaya Learning Motivations Test, respectively [4, 5].

Results and discussion. The students’ academic physical education motivations rated by 4.19±0.96 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– High professional mastery (р≤0.01);

– Good relations with the students (р≤0.01);

– Education service quality (р≤0.05); and

– High personal professional standing (р≤0.05).

This means that the academic progress in the Physical Education discipline largely depends on the teachers most ambitious and successful in the professional, social and communicative domains, demanding to themselves, responsible to their surroundings and highly committed to their vocational service.

The students’ sport success motivations rated by 2.79±1.39 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– High professional accomplishments (р≤0.01);

– Good relations with the management (р≤0.05); and

– High material gains from the professional service (р≤0.05).

It is quite traditional and natural for the academic Physical Education teachers to rate their career successes in direct correlation with their students’ sport accomplishments, with the existing administrative system and material incentives system largely supporting these attitudes.

The students’ satisfaction related motivations for physical education (with the education material usefulness rates) rated by 3.05±1.17 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– Appeal of the professional service (р≤0.01);

– Creative opportunities provided by the teaching service (р≤0.05);

– High professional mastery (р≤0.05); and

– Personal progress driven by the professional service (р≤0.05).

It should be emphasized, therefore, that the students’ satisfaction by the Physical Education service directly depends on how the Physical Education teacher is satisfied with his/her own service (including its creativity and personal progress related domains) versus the individual professional career ambitions and expectations.

The students’ physical self-perfection related motivations rated by 3.58±0.82 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– Good relations with the students (р≤0.01);

– Broad-based communication (р≤0.05);

– High public appreciation of the teaching service (р≤0,05);

– Good service conditions (р≤0.05); and

– High material gains from the professional service (р≤0.05).

This finding may be interpreted as indicative of this students’ motivation (arguably the core one for the academic Physical Education progress) being determined by the teacher’s openness and efficiency in relations with students and on the Physical Education service conditions.

The students’ health motivations rated by 3.74±1.27 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– Commitment for the Physical Education service (р≤0.01);

– High sport accomplishments [of the students] (negative correlation, р≤0.01); and

– High professional mastery (р≤0.05).

Therefore, the teacher willing to mobilize the trainees’ health motivations shall be reasonably unconstrained by the existing academic progress rating system, responsible for own Physical Education service quality and highly focused on the health benefits of the service.

The students’ motivations for communication with the Physical Education teacher rated by 3.86±1.13 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– High professional mastery (р≤0,01);

– Broad-based communication (р≤0.05);

– Good relations with the students (р≤0.05); and

– Commitment to the vocational service (р≤0.05).

This means that most authoritative for and respected by the students are the highly responsible, knowledgeable and skillful teachers who are at the same time open and friendly in contracts and comfortable in their vocational positions.

The students’ public appreciation related motivations rated by 2.51±1.52 points were found to correlate only with the teachers’ motivations for good professional progress – that may be interpreted as the viral effect (conscious or subconscious) of the teacher’s own career ambitions on the students.

The students’ academic progress/ responsibility related motivations rated by 3.95±1.17 points were found to correlate with the teachers’ motivations for the following:

– High personal professional standing (р≤0.05);

– Good relations with the students (р≤0.05); and

– High material gains from the service (р≤0.05).

The above finding may be interpreted as indicative of the students being highly dependent on the teacher’s professional ambitions and feeling a sort of ‘hostages’ of the good teacher-student relationship.

Conclusion. The study data and analyses showed the teachers’ professional motivations being critical for the students’ academic Physical Education progress motivations. We found the following teachers’ motivations being the influential on the students’ Physical Education progress motivations: good relations with students; high professional mastery; and commitment to the vocational service. Therefore, initiatives to spur up the students’ motivations for the academic Physical Education service shall give a high priority to the teachers’ advancement and communication programs; to prevent the potential emotional burnouts or correct them; give them more freedom for the individual creativity in the Physical Education service; and offer optional professional skills advancement programs in the field of special interest for the teachers; plus revise the sports-prioritizing components of the academic Physical Education service.

 

References

1. Izotov E.A., Soldatova G.V. Motivatsiya professionalnoy deyatelnosti prepodavateley kak faktor otnosheniya studentov k zanyatiyam fizicheskoy kulturoy v vuze [Rating motivations of academic physical education specialists versus students’ attitudes to academic physical education]. Fizicheskaya kultura: vospitanie, obrazovanie, trenirovka, 2018,no. 5, pp. 62-65.

2. Lozovaya G.V. Metodiki izucheniya otnosheniya k uchebnoy deyatelnosti [Methods of studying attitudes to educational activities]. Mat. mezhvuzovskoy nauchnoy konferentsii ‘Psikhologicheskie osnovy pedagogicheskoy deyatelnosti’ [Proc. interuniversity scientific conference 'Psychological foundations of pedagogical activity']. St. Petersburg: SAPE publ., 2003, pp. 53-55.

3. Lozovaya G.V. Metodika izucheniya motivatsii i udovletvorennosti professionalnoy deyatelnostyu [Methods of studying motivation and satisfaction with work]. Mat. mezhvuzovskoy nauchnoy konferentsii 'Psikhologicheskie osnovy pedagogicheskoy deyatelnostyu' [Proc. interuniversity scientific conference 'Psychological foundations of pedagogical activity']. St. Petersburg: SAPE publ., 2001, pp. 115-118.

4. Shirobokov D.V. Aktivizatsiya fizkulturno-sportivnoy deyatelnosti studentov v kontekste zdorovogo obraza zhizni s pomoshchyu reyting-kontrolya [Rating control to activate students' physical education and sports activities in context of healthy lifestyle]. PhD diss. abstract. Tobolsk, 2009, 20 p.

 

Corresponding author: m.a.08@mail.ru

 

Abstract

Scientists have repeatedly attempted to manage the process of forming students' motivation for physical activity. According to the authors, one of the promising areas of study of this problem is finding the relationship between the professional motivation of physical education teachers and the motivation of students for physical practices within this subject. In this regard, the objective of paper was to determine the relationship of the teachers’ professional motivation and students’ motivation for physical education classes. Subject to the study were 158 students of St. Petersburg Mining University of various specialties and courses of study, males and females, and 22 physical education teachers of St. Petersburg Mining University of different age, sex, and teaching experience. The motives of teachers were determined by "Methodology for study of motivation and satisfaction with professional activity" G.V. Lozovoy, and the motives of students – by the modified version of the “Methodology for studying attitude to learning” by the same author. It is established that the teachers’ professional motivation is the most important factor in the motivation of student to learn. The key motives of teachers in the context of their influence on the motivational sphere of students are the orientation towards good relations with students, maintaining a high level of their professional training, and keeping the profession in line with their character.