Influence of swimming classes on attention indicators of higher education students

Abstract

Purpose. The purpose of the article was to determine the effectiveness of the author's swimming program in the development of attention properties of higher education students. Methods. The study applied a complex of general scientific and special research methods, including analysis and systematization of scientific and methodological literature, psychodiagnostic research methods, pedagogical experiment, and methods of mathematical statistics. The assessment of attention properties was carried out using Landolt rings testing. Statistical processing of the obtained results was performed using the STATISTICA 8.0 software package. Results. During the pedagogical experiment, a positive influence of the author's swimming program on the indicators of students' attention properties was established. Statistically significant changes were identified in all studied indicators among students of the experimental group. In particular, attention productivity increased from 0.86±0.03 to 0.94±0.02 conventional units (p<0.05), attention stability – from 0.80±0.02 to 0.95±0.02 conventional units (p<0.05), attention span – from 71.8±1.40 to 85.4±2.60 characters/min (p<0.001), attention concentration – from 86.3±0.60% to 92.6±0.82% (p<0.001), and attention switching – from 7.6±0.25% to 8.9±0.25% (p<0.05). It was found that the use of exercises with variable changes in tempo, swimming style, responses to sound and visual signals, as well as coordination-complicated motor tasks contributed to improving students' ability to maintain prolonged concentration, quickly switch between activities, and effectively process information. The most pronounced positive changes were observed in the indicators of attention span, concentration, and productivity. No statistically significant changes were found in the control group. Conclusions. It was established that the author's swimming program is an effective means of developing attention properties in higher education students. The positive impact of exercises in the aquatic environment on improving attention productivity, stability, concentration, span, and switching was proven. The obtained results confirm the expediency of using specially organized swimming classes in the system of physical education of student youth to increase the effectiveness of cognitive activity and psychophysiological stability.