Evaluating the Effectiveness of Using Sport and Traditional Games at the Higher Military Educational Establishments in a Pandemic and Post-pandemic Period

Abstract

Background. The cadets experienced particular difficulties in a pandemic period because due to isolation and faced a number of unanticipated challenges like stress, anxiety, and low learning outcomes. Objectives:The aim of the study was to evaluate the effectiveness of sport and traditional games to improve cadets' learning performance and motivation to learning activities and future service duties. Methods. The pedagogical experiment was organized at the Military Academy (Odesa, Ukraine) during the 2020-2021 academic year. The research group, on the basis of empirical research, designed the leisure time activities program using five categories of exercises: classical sport team games, individual sports, well-known Ukrainian traditional games; unknown foreign traditional games, and martial arts. Results. During 20 weeks the researchers observed EG and CG groups conducting interviews, analyzing cadets' behavior, monitoring their learning outcomes. The experiment findings revealed that the usage of sport and traditional games was an effective psychological and pedagogical technique to improve the learning process at the higher military educational establishment. On average, the technology effectiveness showed that qualitative changes by three points more. The largest increases were identified for high (3,6 points) and moderate degrees of effectiveness (7,8 points). At the same time, self-organized or poor-organized leisure leads to minor improvements in psychological condition and cognitive abilities among the cadets. Conclusion. Consequently, the usage of sport and traditional games would be an effective instrument applied in a post-pandemic period at the higher military educational establishments. Also, the study presented the recommendations to implement the games during the learning process at the higher military educational establishments.

Traditional sports culture: a fun sport to change the physical literacy of junior handball athletes

“…The result of this study was in line Health, sport, rehabilitation Health, sport, rehabilitation Здоров'я, спорт, реабілітація Здоров'я, спорт, реабілітація Здоровье, спорт, реабилитация Здоровье, спорт, реабилитация 2023 9(4) 15 with previous studies which reported that traditional sports culture also has the power to change all the potential that exists in athletes to be better than previously [44,33,45]. Moreover, previous studies have revealed that traditional sports can recover physical, emotional [34,44] and social [46].…”

“…Several previous studies have well documented traditional sports [30,31,32,33,34] and although traditional sports have been used for 100 years in team sports, but to our knowledge research on traditional sports was focused on changing the level of physical literacy in athletes junior handball is still limited. In addition, we try to bring novelty in terms of using games such as Gobak Sodor, Sondah, Baseball, Jump Rope, Enggrang and Bentengan as traditional sports activities as the main means of increasing physical literacy.…”

Literature review on technologies and games that motivated people to practice physical activity during the pandemic

“…The study (Bhinder et al, 2021) was conducted in Ukraine in 2021, with 156 first-year cadets considering the Higher Military Educational, using the country's traditional sports to see the reactions after the PA. A survey revealed which sports and how it was for them to participate in these activities. The choice of games to design the special program of implementation of psycho-pedagogy technology, but at the same time they combined different activities like icebreakers, exercises to develop physical strength and exercises with little physical activity.…”

“…When the pandemic started in 2020, schools around the world were forced to close their doors to classes held in the classroom, thus leaving online classes (Lima e Isotani, 2022). This sudden change from classes held online or in the classroom was very challenging (Bhinder et al, 2021). The defiance of this change was as difficult for teachers as it was for students, both having different types of difficulties.…”

Traditional Sport Model to Improve Fundamental Movement Skills and Social Attitudes of Students During COVID-19

“…Several previous studies claimed that traditional sports could improve physical fitness (Birri, Hariyanto & Tuasikal, 2020). Research on traditional sports has been reported internationally by previous studies (Gipit, Abdullah, Musa, Kosni & Maliki, 2017;Trajkovik, Malinovski, Malinovski & Vasileva, 2018;Bhinder et al, 2021). However, according to our knowledge, there is limited literature that discussed the effects of traditional sports on increasing students' FMS and social attitudes during the COVID-19 crisis.…”