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40University students' motivations for physical education and sports: questionnaire survey
UDC 316.74
PhD, Associate Professor Y.A. Davydova1 Dr. Sc. Soc., Associate Professor E.V. Kargapolova1 PhD, Associate Professor N.N. Denisenkoval PhD E.N. Kananerova2
1Plekhanov Russian University Economics, Moscow 2Synergy University, Moscow
Corresponding author: [email protected]
Abstract
Objective of the study was to rate and analyze the metropolitan university students' motivations for physical education and sports by a questionnaire survey.
Methods and structure of the study. The authors analyzed for the purposes of the study findings of the physical education and sports in Metropolitan University Students' Lifestyles: Questionnaire Survey by E.V. Kargapolova in October 2019.We sampled for the online questionnaire survey the Moscow student population (n=2503), with the sample being 41% male and 59% female. It cannot be rated representative although the coverage still gives reasons for meaningful conclusions. The questionnaire survey form tested, among other things, the university students' motivations for physical education and sports as recommended by the Sample Questionnaire Survey Form 'Physical education in healthy lifestyle: priorities and actualization ways' by Professor L.I. Lubysheva.
Results and discussion. The analysis found most of the metropolitan student sample being driven by the aesthetic, competitive, health-improving, disciplining and time management motivations in their physical education and sports agendas. Ranking barriers for the fully-fledged physical education and sports activity, the students were fairly self-critical to mention, among other things, shortage of leisure time for practices, plus shortage of willpower and determination. Therefore, the questionnaire survey clearly showed the students appreciating modern physical education and sports / health service for not only its healthy lifestyle, health/ appearance improvement and body shaping benefits but also its personal growth and career-building aspects.
Keywords: motivation, physical education and sports, healthy lifestyle, university students.
Background. Population group physical education and sports motivations are ranked among the priority subjects for research by the modern sports science, with the analysts equally interested in the physical education and sports motivations as such and barriers for progress in physical education and sports. Thus V.N. Kremnev and N.V. Solovyova argue that "modern people are motivated for physical education and sports predominantly by the health issues" [5, p. 293], with "poor motivations and laziness" considered the key barriers for physical progress [5, p.294]. V.V. Kalyanov, N.N. Korolev and M.G. Shorsheva prioritize a few external (appreciation and rewards) and internal factors (need for recognition
and assertion) among the key physical education and sports motivations [4, p. 919]. I.G. Khairullin, R.R. Galiev, E.R. Shaikhiev reasonably argue that "it is the personal needs with awareness of the physical education and sports benefits for health that are the key drivers for the university students' physical activity" [10, p. 406]. O.N. Usachev and N.I. Ponomareva believe that mass university sports events notably spur up the university students' motivations for physical education and sports [9, p. 357]. E.G. Ermakova emphasizes the communicative aspects of the "group sports including tourism, health jogging and cycling" among the university students' physical education and sports motivations [2, p.100]. I.V. Zaporozhskaya,
A.I. Lytov, S.V. Levitskaya, L.D. Kalashnikova consider "mitigation of nervous tension and mental fatigue after classes" among the key physical education and sports goals and motivations [3, p. 496], and underline the after-class fatigue as the key barrier for the students' physical education and sports [3, p. 495]. Considering the physical education and sports motivating factors, A.A. Valebnaya, A.A. Makarova, L.V. Kumm emphasize "the physical education and sports service locations, modern equipment and appliances, range of physical education and sports groups/ teams and sports achievements praising materials" [1, p. 248]. E.A. Mitrokhin makes an emphasis on the self-expression and assertion among the physical education and sports motivations [7, p. 17]. D.A. Mikheeva focuses on barriers for the student physical education and sports to classify them into subjective (including the "individual qualities and lack of family role models for a healthy lifestyle") and objective reasons including the "poor physical education and sports infrastructure, multiple contraindications for physical activity, physical education-and-sports-discouraging curricula and skeptical communal and individual attitudes to sports" [8, p. 44].
Objective of the study was to rate and analyze the metropolitan university students' motivations for physical education and sports by a questionnaire survey.
Methods and structure of the study. We analyzed for the purposes of the study findings of the physical education and sports in Metropolitan University Students' Lifestyles: Questionnaire Survey by E.V. Kargapolova of October 2019.We sampled for the online questionnaire survey the 17-20 years old Moscow student population (n=2503), with the sample estimated 41% male and 59% female. It was rated formally non-representative although its extensive coverage still gives good reasons for meaningful conclusions. The questionnaire survey form probed, among other things, the university students' motivations for physical education and sports as recommended by the Sample Questionnaire Survey Form 'Physical education in healthy lifestyle: priorities and actualization ways' by Professor L.I. Lubysheva, Philosophy and Sociology Department Head at Russian State University of Physical Education, Sports, Youth and Tourism (SCOLIPE) [6, pp. 204-211].
Results and discussion. The analysis found most of the sample driven by the aesthetic, competitive and health-improving motivations in their physical education and sports agendas. Thus two or three (66.7%) reported the weight control and shaping motivation as dominant for their physical education and sports activity; and one of five (20.9%) underlined that physical education and sports is needed to 'form a good movement culture and manners'. These views
may be due to the healthy lifestyle promotion campaigns with a special emphasis on the body shaping and weight control aspects that have been run in our country for the last few years.
The analysis made it clear that the young people consider excellent physical fitness an important condition for individual success in every life domain. That is why the finding comes as no surprise. 58.9% of the sample emphasized the physical fitness building motivation; and 14% prioritized the competitive success motivation for physical education and sports. No wonder that the competitive motivation is one of the key ones among the physical education and sports drivers, since the factor of competition in the young communities is known to greatly encourage the individual progress. One of two (51.7%) in the sample also mentioned the health protection/ improvement needs, and this factor was ranked meaningful albeit non-decisive - for it can be explained, as we believe, by some immaturity of the 17-20 year-olds that have unlikely have faced serious health issues and therefore tend to underestimate the importance of health for life and progress.
Of special interest was the finding that many in the sample give a high priority to the time management benefits of their physical education and sports agendas. Thus more than one of three reported 'disciplining and efficiency improvement benefits of sports in life'; 30.4% emphasized the performance improvement benefits; and one of four mentioned that physical education and sports 'helps manage time more efficiently'. The time control management skills are ranked nowadays among the key qualities of a successful person focused on career-building. The fact that the students understand benefits of modern physical education and sports for progress, time control and management skills shows that the modern student communities are well aware of the role of time management for success and eager to develop the relevant skill sets. Furthermore, more than a third of the sample underlined the relaxation benefits of modern physical education and sports service; with 33.3% reporting its 'fatigue mitigation' aspect. And virtually the same share (33.4%) reported that physical education and sports 'cultivates willpower, character and determination'. About one of three (29.5%) reported their physical education and sports motivations dominated only by the academic progress reasons, i.e. 'getting the physical education credits'. This result seems of special interest since the sample was offered a few options to check, and only a third checked this one. It may mean that the modern student population is driven in their physical education and sports agendas not only by the academic progress reasons as such but primarily by the self-improvement and growth ones.
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Having profiled the students' physical education and sports motivations, we were further interested to analyze the barriers for academic physical education and sports. Most of the sample (72.9%) complained shortage of leisure time for physical education and sports and believed that the standard academic physical education service fails to meet their physical education and sports needs and, hence, must be complemented with special trainings in gyms and sports groups. Some respondents (36.8%) were self-critical enough to confess they 'do not have enough willpower and determination' and 'unprepared for the self-reliant physical education and sports practices' (11.4%). Some of the respondents were unsatisfied by the academic physical education service quality or management. Thus 13.7% reportedly 'failed to find a favorite sport service in the university'; and one out of ten mentioned the 'poor physical education and sports promotion and management service that fails luring students' (10.8%); plus some mentioned 'shortage of the sports equipment and outfits' (10.1%).
Conclusion. The survey data and analyses showed that the metropolitan university students are aware of how important the modern physical education and sports is for progress and healthy lifestyle, with their physical education and sports agendas dominated by the body shaping, physical fitness building and health motivations. They also were found appreciating the cultural and time management aspects of the modern physical education and sports activity. Ranking the barriers for a fully-fledged physical education and sports activity, the students were fairly self-critical to mention, among other things, shortage of leisure time for practices, plus shortage of willpower and determination. Therefore, the questionnaire survey clearly showed the students appreciating modern physical education and sports / health service for not only its health/ appearance improvement and body shaping benefits but also its personal growth and career-building aspects.
References
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