Increasing the personal autonomy of preadolescents from rural areas

The role of sports activities in the training and development of school graduates cannot be disputed. The benefits of this type of activity can be manifested in several aspects: development of motor indicators, maintenance of optimal physical health as well as development of cooperation skills, interpersonal relationships and personality traits, among which personal autonomy is thought to be one of the most important acquisitions. Preadolescence is a stage characterised both by significant changes in the physical and mental plane. The maximum use of sport in school can be achieved by initiating and carrying out extracurricular sports programmes adapted to the needs of students and the specifics of the grade. The research was conducted between 2018 and 2021 in two schools from rural areas in Vrancea County. The study involved 40 participants (30 boys and 10 girls) aged between 12 and 15 years. A comparative analysis of the results obtained by students in the control and experimental groups was performed through the SPSS program using the statistical method for Independent Samples t-Test, Levene’s Test and Cohen’s d. The results obtained from the statistical analysis support the idea that students participating in the extracurricular sports programme have a higher level of autonomy, are more confident in their future and opportunities and show determination, stability and perseverance in their own beliefs and principles.