Features of forming coordination abilities and properties of the nervous system of schoolchildren (aged 11-12) at physical education classes

Abstract

Introduction. The problem of forming and improving modern adolescents’ coordination abilities is relevant, considering the fact that most professional skills are based on these abilities. A number of studies indicate the relationship between the development of schoolchildren’ coordination abilities and the properties of their nervous system. Thus, to date, these relationship has been quite poorly studied. The purpose of the article is to reveal the features of forming coordination abilities and properties of the nervous system of schoolchildren aged between 11 and 12 years in the process of physical education. Materials and Methods. The methodological approach of this study is N. A. Bernstein’s theory on the physiological basis of movement control. In order to assess the level of schoolchildren’s motor coordination, the ability to kinetic differentiation, maintaining balance (Romberg’s test), and the ability to coordinate movements were assessed. The properties of nervous system were studied using visual-motor reactions. The tests make it possible to determine a subject’s reaction time to a visual stimulus, the stability of the reaction, the speed of decision-making in the choice reaction, and to assess the mobility of the main nervous processes in the central nervous system. Results. The article presents the results of a study of forming coordination abilities and properties of schoolchildren’s nervous system in the process of Physical Education classes. At the beginning of the experiment, schoolchildren, aged 11-12 years, had a below average level of the ability to balance and kinesthetic differentiation and a low level of development of the ability to coordinate movements. The time for a complex visual-motor reaction was significantly longer compared to a simple reaction. There were no significant differences in the indicators of visual-motor reactions of schoolchildren depending on their gender. During Physical Education classes, when they do gymnastics, basketball and track and field athletics, some specially selected exercises were used aimed at developing coordination abilities in middle schoolchildren. At the end of the experiment, schoolchildren aged 11-12 years were determined to have a high level of the ability to balance and kinesthetic differentiation and an above-average level of development of the ability to coordinate movements. According to the results of the experiment, the highest level of ability to kinesthetic differentiation and coordination of movements were shown by schoolchildren. The authors obtained data about the optimization of indicators of the nervous system properties, assessed by the magnitude of simple-motor reaction (SVMR) and complex visual-motor reaction (CVMR), which proves the leading role of the central nervous system in the formation of coordination abilities. Conclusions. The results of the work allow the authors to draw a conclusion about the relationship between the properties of the nervous system and the dynamics of coordination abilities, which determine the speed of the processes of excitation and inhibition, the mobility of nervous processes in the central nervous system, the ability to develop differential inhibition and the accuracy of the motor act in schoolchildren aged 11-12 years during the Physical Education classes.