THEORETICAL FOUNDATIONS OF A PHYSICAL CULTURE AND HEALTH-PROMOTING ENVIRONMENT IN GENERAL SECONDARY EDUCATION

Abstract

The article provides a theoretical analysis of the problem of creating a physical culture and health-promoting environment in general secondary education institutions as an important factor in preserving and strengthening students’ health. The relevance of the study is determined by current trends toward decreased physical activity among schoolchildren, deterioration of their physical condition, and increased psycho-emotional stress, which necessitate the modernization of educational approaches based on health-preserving principles. The essence of the key research definitions is revealed, and the concept of a «physical culture and health-promoting environment» is clarified as an integrative pedagogical system that combines organizational, methodological, social, and material-technical conditions aimed at ensuring optimal motor activity, developing physical qualities, and fostering a value-based attitude toward personal health. The study substantiates the expediency of applying systemic, competency-based, personality-oriented, and environmental approaches, which ensure the integrity of educational influences and enhance the effectiveness of physical education. The structural components of the physical culture and health-promoting environment are identified, including spatial-subject, organizational-methodological, socio-communicative, and motivational-value components. The pedagogical conditions for its effective functioning are characterized, with particular emphasis placed on the implementation of health-preserving technologies, individualization of physical loads, and the formation of positive motivation for physical activity. It is proven that physical education lessons serve as a key mechanism for developing students’ health-preserving competence and responsible attitudes toward their own health. A comprehensively organized physical culture and health-promoting environment contributes to the harmonious development of the student’s personality, improves physical and mental health indicators, and promotes the formation of a healthy lifestyle culture. Prospects for further research are associated with the development of structural and functional models of such an environment and the experimental verification of their effectiveness in educational practice