The difficulties perceived by students from the specialization of physical education and sports in the online educational process

Abstract

Background. The academic educational process has undergone a series of procedural and didactic adjustments as a result of the current pandemic conditions, perceived especially in the vocational specializations. The current context requires a decrease in the active, effective practice of students from the physical education and sports program to the practical discipline and an adaptation for the online teaching system which has led to a series of difficulties in corroborating and translating theoretical knowledge into effective practice. Aims. The present study aimed to investigate the level of practicing physical activities (PA) and the difficulties perceived in the online educational system by third year students in the specialization of physical education and sports (EFS). Methods. The study included 43 undergraduate students from the “G.E. Palade” UMFST Physical Education and Sports undergraduate program to which two questionnaires were applied: the first aiming at the index of practicing physical activities (IAF) and the opinion questionnaire regarding the identification of perceived difficulties in teaching online courses and practical work. Results. The results of the first questionnaire indicated an acceptable level of PA practice with a mean value of ± 54.61, characterized as reasonable. The perceived difficulties of online education were varied and inhomogeneous, and for these reasons we grouped them into three components: didactic, mental and social. In the questionnaire, the study subjects identified the following aspects that require optimization: technical aspects, lack of interactions, inefficient feedback, extensive explanations sometimes not accompanied by practical demonstrations, etc. In the practical area, the most relevant difficulties were: passive participation instead of active, lack of practical demonstrations that should accompany the theoretical explanations, inefficiency of feedback, lack of space and working materials, lack of individual corrections, lack of work in the team, the weakness in the ability to represent the movements presented theoretically or by video, the weak influence of the development of imagination and creativity, lack of empathy, etc. Conclusions. The online educational process at university level regarding the specialization of physical education and sports limits the active participation and reduces the level of the practical competences of future specialists in the field.