Game method to increase students' motivation to engage in elective disciplines in physical culture and sports

Abstract

Background and Study Aim. A serious problem when using the play method in training sessions is the regulation of physical activity. For students with poor health, high emotionality of classes and intense rivalry between teams can lead to undesirable consequences for health. Purpose of the research: assessment of the effectiveness of the game method to increase the motivation of students to engage in elective disciplines in physical culture and sports. Material and Methods. The study involved first-year students of Sochi State University (Russia) (n=25), with different experience in physical culture and sports. The training sessions (6 hours a week) lasted two academic semesters (9 months) and included outdoor games. A daily «scan» of the current functional state of the students was carried out by heart rate, express scales («Emotional excitement and physical fatigue» and «Well-being-Activity-Mood»). The indicators of general physical fitness of students were registered. The results were analyzed in Microsoft Excel 2010 computer programs. The significance of the change was determined by the Wilcoxon test using the significance level р£0,05. Results. The use of a large number of outdoor games and relay games in the classroom contributed to the increase of students' motivation to engage in elective disciplines in physical culture and sports. Which led to almost 100 % of class attendance and improved agility, flexibility and endurance indicators among students (p<0.05). There was a decrease in the indicator in the test «pulling up on a high bar» among young men (p<0.05). Conclusions. The study showed new prospects for using the game method in the classroom not only with homogeneous groups of students, but also with students with different levels of physical fitness and health. By manipulating the composition of the playing teams, each of the participants was regularly provided with strong and varied emotions. That increased the interest in students attending classes. The use of the «Express-control» system for the current functional state of the trainees (primarily for students with weakened health) ensured prompt correction of the intensity of physical activity.