The influence of independent work on

the functional development of students

in gymnasium

Summary: The following work presents the influence that the practice of the
physical exercise has on the functional development of students in gymnasium and
how it can be improved by practicing it in an independent way in the form of
homework.
Key words : students in gymnasium, physical education, independent work,
functional preparation, quality in movements, homework.

Many authors believe that the forming and the maintenance of the interest in
physical education depend on the teacher, because nature made sure to transmit to
the students the necessity in practicing the movement activities. If the teacher will
prove to have universal and thorough training, general and professional culture, as
well as intelligence and managerial capacity, the success in physical education and
training is guaranteed. The stimulation and the directing of the process of forming of
the interests of students in gymnasium towards independent practice of physical
exercise still represents one of the major objectives of the instructive-educational
school process.
The object of research consists in the instructive-educational process of the
physical scholastic education concerning the independent practice of physical
exercise and its influence upon the functional development for this age category.
For this we have established as a hypothesis of research the fact that the
organization and application of the physical exercise independent activity through
activities in the form of homework will contribute in the increase if the efficiency of
the students’ activity along the lesson and the improvement of the values of
functional training.
From this point of functional view it is known the fact that in this period the
organism witnesses the most important transformation from his evolutionary point of
view. In consequence we have analyzed what is the influence that the practicing of
the physical exercise bears upon some functional values. Chart number 1 presents
the centralized evolution that the studied values registered in the groups that made
the object of research as well as the statistic calculus of the meaning of the
ascertained evolution on the base of the pedagogic experiment.
 Chart number 4.2
The evolution of the functional development values

Indici ai dezvoltarii functionale = the values of the functional development

Grupa martor = witness group
Grupa experiment = experiment group
Frecventa cardiaca(bat\min) = Cardiac frequency (beats per minute)
Frecventa respiratorie = Respiratory frequency (number of repetitions per
minute)
Capacitate vitala = Vital capacity (cubic cm)

The analysis of the data presented above offers the image of the fact that the
students involved in the practice of the physical exercise have registered significant
increases of the evolution of the functional values. These increases are situated in the
normal parameters, specific to this period. However it may be possible to observe
that the evolution of the functional values have a higher degree of significance in the
case of those who have practiced the physical exercise in the form of home work in
comparison with those who performed the same thing only during school hours.
In the girls groups as well as in the boys groups the measurement of the cardiac
frequency emphasized close values during initial testing. During final testing the
witness groups obtained medium values of the cardiac frequency which have been
situated under the level of the experimental groups whose values show a better
adjustment of the circulatory system during effort.
Initial measurements made for the establishment of the respiratory frequency in
the witness groups have had close values as those of the experimental group. At the
final measurements the witness groups obtained smaller values than the
experimental groups which shows that the adaptation of the respiratory act was
better in the case of the last mentioned.
The same thing can be observed from chart 1 and on the other tasks that made
the object of research, the Ruffier test and its vital capacity. The initial values are
near, showing a balanced level from a functional development point of view at the
beginning of the research. Through the independent practice of the physical exercise
it may be possible to observe that the functional adaptation of these indicators is
better in the final testing for the experimental groups both for boys and girls as
against the witness groups.
Drawing the conclusion, we can say that the regular practice of the physical
exercise in the form of independent work, as a additional activity unfolded by the
experimental groups both in the case of girls and boys lead to a improvement of the
measured functional values which makes us believe that this practice must be
recommended to all students in gymnasium.