Relaxation techniques interventions during physical exercise classes and coping with stress

Abstract

Purpose: The fundamental purpose of the study was to answer the questions if and to what degree the application of relaxation techniques during physical education (PE) classes influenced the capacity to cope with stress in comparison with traditional PE classes in a group of senior high school female students. Methods: A pedagogical experiment was carried out by the technique of parallel groups in real-life environment. It involved 182 female students from a senior high school in Wroclaw, Poland, aged 16-18 years. The students were divided into 2 groups: the study group (122 students) and the control group (60 students). A standardized research tool - the Personal Competence Scale (KompOs) was used in pre-tests and post-tests to evaluate the capacity to cope with stress. Results: The PE classes including relaxation techniques in comparison with traditional PE classes had a positive impact on coping with stress in the group of female students of senior high school age. During the period between the tests, an increase of the sense of power and perseverance factors was observed. The difference between the average values of the general sense of self-efficacy was not statistically significant when comparing the study group and the control group (at the beginning and at the end of the study). Conclusions: In Polish schools, it is necessary to continue the research in the field of implementing various strategies and innovations in teaching PE classes with a focus on coping with stress.