Organisation of physical education in universities for students with disabilities: Modular approach

Introduction . Traditional approaches to the implementation of physical education (PE) curriculum for students with disabilities in higher educational institutions do not allow students to fully develop their psychomotor activities and to keep at full preparedness to be involved in health preservation activities. The lack of scientifically grounded provisions and effective methods of educational process organisation of students’ physical education affects the quality of physical education at the university. The key to the problem solution is the idea of realisation of continuing health preservation education principles in the framework of PE curriculum. This allows educators to organise physical education curriculum content as ranging from rehabilitation and correctional activity to physical fitness, and later by doing sports and training activities. The aim of the present publication is to reveal the essence of developing and designing a modular-based physical education curriculum for university students with disabilities. Methodology and research methods . The current study is based on the guiding principles in the field of adaptive physical education, which demonstrate the possibility of motor activity development of a person with disabilities, taking into account the biological patterns of functioning of a human body. The application of person-centered and activity-based approaches allowed the authors to consider a student as an actor of educational activity, who is capable of independent development and realisation of personal growth strategy through physical improvement. A differentiated approach to PE educational process construction made it possible to provide reasonable distribution of physical activity in accordance with the student’s functional and psycho-physiological characteristics and own level of fitness. The employment of modular approach to the curriculum building helped develop the PE system, taking into account the principles of continuing health preservation education. In the course of the research the following methods were applied: content analysis of scientific and methodological literature and normative documentation, pedagogical testing, pedagogical experiment, the cardiovascular and respiratory systems for a body functional state assessment with the help of “OMAS”1 hardware and software complex and Medicor KTD-2. Also, the authors used the methods of mathematical statistics to process the study results. The received data were processed with Microsoft Office Excel. The evaluation of the validity of differences in the average values of the studied indicators was performed according to Student’s t-test at a significance level of 5%. The growth rates of indicators were calculated according to Brody’s formula. Results and scientific novelty . On the basis of a modular approach, the authors developed and presented PE curriculum in higher educational institutions adapted for students with disabilities. The curriculum consists of three modules: indicative, corrective and specialised. The content of each module is revealed through four continuous periods of academic training – evolving, leading, basic and supporting. Such structure allows for gradual increase in the volume and intensity of physical activity through basic testing methods: pedagogical assessment, current check, progress check, intermediate assessment, as well as solution of specific issues of adaptive PE. The implementation of the proposed curriculum helps significantly increase adaptive and resource potential of a student with special needs. Practical significance . The proposed model of modular-based PE curriculum in higher educational institutions adapted for students with disabilities can be applied for development and implementation of PE curricula in educational organisations of any educational level.