Formation of psychophysical readiness of cadets for future professional activity

Abstract

The experience of combat operations conducting in the eastern part of Ukraine in 2014-2020 convincingly demonstrated the need to increase the requirements for professional training of servicemen of the Armed Forces of Ukraine. Physical training is one of the main subjects of professional training and an important means of psychophysical readiness formation of servicemen of various military specialties for modern extreme professional and combat activities. The aim of the study is to examine the efficiency of the experimental academic program of the discipline of Physical Education, and Special Physical Training concerning the formation of psychophysical readiness of cadets of technical higher military educational institutions for future professional and combat activity. The study was conducted at S. P. Koroliov Zhytomyr Military Institute. 120 male cadets participated in the experiment. An experimental group (EG), which consisted of the cadets who were studying according to the experimental working academic program of the discipline (n=60), and a control group (CG), which included the cadets studying according to the current working academic program of the discipline (n=60) were formed. The criteria of the efficiency of the experimental program are determined to be the indicators of general and special physical fitness of cadets and the level of professionally important psychological qualities. Research methods: theoretical analysis and generalization of scientific and methodical literature, pedagogical observation, pedagogical experiment, methods of mathematical statistics. It was discovered that conducting classes according to the experimental program contributed to the improvement of the level of development of the cadets’ special physical qualities, mastering military-applied skills, the formation of professionally important psychological qualities. The most significant changes in EG cadets occurred in overcoming obstacle course, holding the angle on parallel bars, holding the body in a horizontal position, tests for determination of attention distribution and volume, mental performance – at the end of the experiment, and the indicators of EG cadets were significantly (p˂0.05-0.001) better than those of CG.It proves the necessity of correcting the academic program of Physical Education and Special Physical Training for senior cadets with the aim of their psychophysical readiness formation for future professional and combat activity.