Pliushchakova O. Formation of academic adaptation of first-year students by means of physical education

The dissertation research developed, theoretically substantiated, and experimentally tested a methodology for teaching first-year students to adapt to the educational process in higher education institutions using physical education. The leading idea of the proposed methodology is the developmental and educational effect of physical exercises, which consists in ensuring the pedagogical influence on the psychosocial and functional components of the adaptive potential of the organism and personality through the development and education of prognostically significant motor qualities, volitional manifestations and psychological characteristics of students. The implementation of this idea is based on the physiological mechanisms of the manifestation of the adaptive capabilities of the organism and the psychological patterns of emotional and volitional self-regulation of the personality due to the phenomenon of positive transfer in the process of motor activity. Thus, in this sense, the motor task can be considered as a volitional action, i.e. the nature and direction of motor loads are directly related to the magnitude of volitional effort and its functional manifestation. A feature of the practical component of the teaching methodology for adapting first-year students to the educational process in higher education institutions using physical education is the consideration of the individual typological properties of the students' nervous system, which are genetically determined, but are somewhat regulated by external influences due to the plasticity of higher nervous activity. An integral assessment of students' educational adaptability is proposed based on indicators of psychosocial adaptability of the personality (P. Kuznetsov's method) and functional potential of the organism (R. Baievskyi's method). The integral indicator of educational adaptability of the organism of higher education applicants is estimated by the sum of the scores of indicators of psychosocial and functional adaptability. An appropriate scale for assessing the integral indicator of students' educational adaptability by levels: high, medium, low, maladaptation. The initial state of the mental sphere of the personality, functional and motor capabilities of the organism of first-year students as a prerequisite for adaptation to the educational process in higher education institutions was studied. The average level of indicators of the psycho-emotional state of students (anxiety, aggressiveness, frustration, rigidity) was recorded, however, signs of moderate stress and a slightly reduced level of stress resistance of young men and females were established. At the same time, the study of individual typological properties of the nervous system showed that females have a higher lability of nervous processes compared to first- year young men. It was determined that young men generally have a higher level of psychosocial adaptability of the personality than females, while female students have a slightly higher level of functional adaptability of the organism than students. According to the proposed scale, a quantitative assessment of the initial level of students' educational adaptability was carried out. It was found that almost every fifth young man and every third female have a low level of educational adaptability, however, no cases of maladaptation to the educational process were identified. The level of motor preparedness of first-year higher education students ranges from low to sufficient levels. The levels of development of endurance and speed-strength qualities of hands were the lowest in young men, while the level of development of speed and endurance was the highest in females. Using linear correlation analysis, the relationship between the integral indicator of educational adaptability, individual indicators of psycho-emotional state, volitional activity and motor preparedness of first-year students was confirmed, on the basis of which a methodology for teaching adaptation of first-year students to the educational process in higher education institutions by means of physical education was developed and theoretically substantiated, which is presented in the form of a pedagogical model. The content of motor training of young men and girls provided for the priority development of agility, general and special endurance. At the same time, important importance was attached to such motor exercises that are associated with various manifestations of will and individual psychological characteristics of the personality. The conditions for ensuring psychological comfort during physical exercise classes were determined, which leads to a decrease in aggressive manifestations due to the impact on volitional activity, a decrease in the level of stress and anxiety, and the development of social and communicative skills of students by means of specially directed physical exercises.