How to help foster teens form a positive self-concept in sports and exercise activities

Abstract

Purpose of the study: The purpose of the study is to develop and experimentally verify the psychological and pedagogical conditions for the formation of a positive self-concept for adolescents from a foster family as the foundation for their effective social adaptation and harmonious personal development. Methodology: Pedagogical experiment (stating, forming and control stages of the experiment) was chosen as the leading method of the study. It allowed to implement a set of developed psychological and pedagogical measures. The study featured 26 adolescents and 18 parents. Results: As part of the efforts invested, there was experimentally verified the effectiveness of the developed psychological and pedagogical conditions for the formation of a positive self-concept of adolescents from a foster family. There were also defined statistically significant positive changes in the indicators of self-concept components (cognitive, emotional-evaluative, and behavioural). Teenagers began to set more realistic goals, to adequately relate to their personal qualities, to their status among peers and in the family. There has been a positive tendency to accepting oneself as a holistic and consistent self-image, aligned with the ideal-self modality. Applications of this study: The results of the study can become an additional source for specifying modern theories of the formation of a positive self-concept, the developed programs can be used in the practice of social educators, educators-psychologists working with foster children. Novelty/Originality of this study: The development of a methodological basis and effective psychological and pedagogical measures to form a positive self-concept for adolescents brought up in foster families is the scientific novelty of the study.