Difficulties in the formation of independence of students with disabilities by means of physical culture and sports

Introduction. The most important problem of successful inclusion of students with disabilities is the problem of their independence: numerous difficulties that can hinder self-fulfillment of such students connected with general and particular (related to the peculiarities of the life situation) limitations of students' abilities. The principle of independence, as one of the most important for modern universities, introduces large-scale changes into the pedagogical practice that require system-based, multi-level and directed, including psychological, work with all participants in this environment as subjects of their own lives. This principle requires filling the education with expanded and advanced training programs for everyday and extreme physical training, teaching body culture, body-psychotherapeutic classes, tourism and sports competitions. In addition to the diversity of types and forms of physical culture and sports, it is necessary to take into account age and gender aspects that determine the expediency and significance of different types of physical activity in educational programs at various levels. The aim is to study the problems of formation and development of independence of students with disabilities by means of physical culture and sports. Materials and Methods. The authors employed the system-activity and existential-humanistic approach embodied in ideas and schools of A. Maslow and C. Rogers. The main research method is theoretical analysis and synthesis of the basic difficulties in the formation and development of the students’ independence by means of physical culture and sports, content analysis of the survey conducted with thirty students with disabilities (twenty-two females and eight males aged from 18 to 22), university students from Surgut, Khanty-Mansiysk, Irkutsk and Kaluga. The novelty of the research is that it is an attempt of an integrative theoretical understanding of the problems of formation and development of students’ independence by means of physical culture and sports. Results and Discussion. The main difficulties of the formation and development of the independence of students by means of physical culture and sports are specified and explained. The difficulties, external and internal with regard to the students and the educational situation, are connected with the students’ readiness and ability for free, responsible, proactive mastering new and existing competencies. The paper describes the levels of independence of students with disabilities in the field of physical culture and health-saving activity in general. Conclusions. System-based understanding of difficulties and resources of (trans)formation and development of personal, educational professional independence of students with disabilities by means of physical culture and sports suggests that a holistic, large-scale process of transformation and enrichment of ideas, experiences and relations of the community, its individual groups and individuals with regard to body/physical culture and independence of educational and other activities is carried out. The purpose of such a transformation is to increase the number of independent people, groups, organizations acting as subjects of culture, capable and striving for an autonomous, responsible, active, creative (co)existence.