Changes in the system of students’ terminal and instrumental values under the influence of health and recreational physical activity

Abstract

The article investigates the influence of health and recreational physical activity on terminal and instrumental values of higher education institutions students. The following research methods are used, including theoretical analysis of professional scientific and methodological resources by domestic and foreign authors, sociological, psychological and diagnostic, pedagogical research methods, methods of mathematical statistics. To determine the initial level of healthy lifestyle attitudes formation among students M. Rokych’s method of “Value Orientations” has been used. The research has been conducted on the basis of Kyiv National Linguistic University, National Pedagogical University named after M. P. Drahomanov. The study has involved 48 students (23 boys and 25 girls), who were part of the experimental (EG) and control (CG) groups (total of 24 people). The program of health-improving classes for students of higher education institutions has presupposed the use of various means of health-improving and recreational physical activities twice a week. The duration of classes was one and a half hours. Those that are most in demand among student youth were chosen as priorities. Among the young men these were strength exercises, elements of sport games and recreational games. Among the girls they included health fitness exercises. We have confirmed the feasibility and necessity of using innovative means of physical activity and forms of extracurricular activities in development of such programs that significantly increase the motivation of young people to participate in such programs. In the course of the research we have studied the hierarchy of terminal and instrumental values among young men and women who studied in higher educational institutions. The application of the developed program contributed to the students' awareness of “health” category value. Among EG students such instrumental values as education (depth of knowledge, high general culture), self- control (restraint, self-discipline) and rationalism (ability to think wisely and logically, to make thoughtful, rational decisions) have transferred to the first place. The obtained results prove that there are positive changes in the system of students’ terminal and instrumental values under the influence of health and recreational motor activity.