Esports as an innovative factor for correcting the self-assessment of physical fitness and developing motor skills in university students

Abstract

Objective. The aim of the study was to experimentally test the effectiveness of an innovative program integrating esports as a factor for correcting the self-assessment of physical fitness (SAF) and developing motor qualities in university students. The research is aimed at bridging the gap between objective physical indicators and subjective perception through the synergistic influence of traditional physical activity and the motivational potential of esports. Methods. The pedagogical experiment involved 159 students (110 males and 49 females) aged 18-21. A complex of methods was used: theoretical (analysis of scientific literature), pedagogical (pedagogical experiment, testing), psychodiagnostic (an adapted version of the “Physical Self-Description Questionnaire”), and methods of mathematical statistics (Shapiro-Wilk W-test, Wilcoxon signed-rank test, Spearman's rank correlation coefficient). Results. The effectiveness of the author's program, which uses esports as a factor for correcting the self-assessment of physical fitness (SAF), was experimentally verified. The program was found to have a differentiated impact on students depending on gender. In males, statistically significant (p < 0.05) positive changes were recorded in the perception of health, body slenderness, coordination, and global physical self-concept. In females, a statistically significant (p < 0.05) decrease in the self-assessment of movement coordination was identified, which also indicates the formation of a more adequate assessment of their own abilities under the program's influence. It was determined that positive qualitative shifts were recorded in the distribution of students by levels of self-perception. Specifically, a reduction in the number of cases with very high (from 5 to 3) and underestimated (from 5 to 3) self-assessment was observed in males, indicating stabilization and more realistic self-perception. In turn, females showed an increase in the number of cases with an average level of self-assessment (from 23 to 26). Conclusions. The integration of esports into the physical education process can serve as an effective tool for correcting the self-assessment of physical fitness, which helps to increase the motivation for sports activities among students of professional pre-higher education.