The Effectiveness of Non-formal Education in Improving the Effort Capacity in Middle-school Pupils

Abstract

This paper represents an experimental study conducted between October 2011 and May 2012, on a group of 52 middle-school pupils, divided in two groups, an experimental (26 subjects) and a control one (26 subjects). The study aims to surprise the skills development in middle-school pupils. The specific nature of this study is that, besides their formal education, which all the subjects attended (52 male and female pupils), the experimental group subjects were comprised also in a non-formal education system, performing athletic activities (dance, handball, and judo) outside their classes, a two hours session per week. The study tried to confirm the hypothesis stating that the pupils performing practical activities in children's clubs can develop their effort capacity more than the others. As research methods, we used the study of the professional literature, the tests method, the inquiry method, and the statistical-mathematical method. The subjects’ results from the initial and final tests were centralized and analysed. The values of the analysed indices (average value, standard deviation, maximum and minimum value) during the challenges and in the questionnaire have shown the different effort capacity level in the subjects of the two groups. In conclusion, our research has emphasized the fact that the pupils performing practical activities within a non-formal education can develop their effort capacity more than the others. Thus, the hypothesis was confirmed. The females in the experimental group have recorded higher average values than the control group with 1.32s for the 50m sprint, with 10.27 cm for the long jump, with 3.59 repetitions for the arm strength challenge - push-ups, with 9 seconds for the 600 m endurance run, and with 0.60 points for the coordination challenge. The males in the experimental group have recorded higher average values than the control group with 0.79 s for the 50m sprint, with 7.07 cm for the long jump, with 3.50 repetitions for the arm strength challenge - push-ups, with 36 seconds for the 800 m endurance run, and with 1.00 point for the coordination challenge. The average values have increased in the experimental group more than in the control group, during all the final challenges, which shows a better effort capacity in the subjects.