Problem solving, well-being, and digital solutions in sports
Table of Contents
- The role of transferable knowledge in higher education and the labour market
- Teaching problem solving
- Can someone be diagnosed if they engage in severe self-injury?
- Conceptual and applied changes in the approach to well-being at school
- Digital technology as assistant coach
- Physical fitness and mental well-being in older adults
The role of transferable knowledge in higher education and the labour market
In our rapidly changing world, the quality of knowledge is becoming at least as important as the quantity of knowledge. The aim of this paper is to present interpretative approaches and alternative teaching methods with regard to transferable knowledge in higher education, as well as to provide an overview of empirical research on the topic. There is no universally accepted definition of transferable knowledge, but within competences, it is essentially the generic competences that can be considered as transferable knowledge. Moreover, transferable knowledge is also closely linked to employability. The connection between the worlds of higher education and work is strengthened through work-integrated learning, which offers a range of educational methods to develop transferable knowledge. Empirical research suggests that employers are most satisfied with the graduates’ communication, collaboration, presentation and digital skills, while the skills that are usually complained about are problem-solving, self-management, and reflective thinking.
Teaching problem solving
The aim of this study is to identify the key elements of problem solving to facilitate its teaching and to lay the foundations for future research. Although problem solving is a fundamental skill, little systematic research has been conducted on how teachers plan to teach it. By synthesising theoretical models and previous research, this paper outlines three main areas: teachers’ conceptions of problems, the problem-solving process, and the role of teachers in facilitating learning. The study provides a starting point for researchers and teachers who want to better understand the multiple approaches toward teaching problem-solving in different educational contexts.
Can someone be diagnosed if they engage in severe self-injury?
Intentional but not suicidal self-injury – for example, when someone deliberately hits, bites, scratches or cuts themselves – is not only present among psychiatric patients, but they present a significant group when it comes to self-harm. This form of self-injury is associated with significant health and psychological consequences, which is why it is important to be aware of it. The authors of this study investigated an extreme form of this phenomenon, a category that is still under scientific investigation and has not yet been finalised as a distinct disorder, which is referred to as non-suicidal self-injury disorder in psychiatry. The presence of this potential diagnostic category, which is still being researched, has been confirmed in Hungarian psychiatric inpatients. Importantly, nearly 70% of the patients had engaged in some self-harming behaviour in their lifetime, but far fewer – 20% of the sample – had reached the level of non-suicidal self-injury disorder. Those psychiatric patients who exhibited diagnostic levels of self-injury were characterised by more frequent and more pronounced psychiatric symptoms, as well as higher feelings of hopelessness and risk of suicide. The researchers also introduced a questionnaire into the national test pool that can be used to assess non-suicidal self-injury disorder as a symptom cluster, regardless of psychiatric pathology.
Conceptual and applied changes in the approach to well-being at school
The aim of the study is to review the concept of well-being in academic and professional texts and to explore the common ground between the different approaches. As the term is used, albeit often with different interpretations, in a number of disciplines – psychology, education, sociology, philosophy, and economics – the authors have sought to develop a more comprehensive and coherent point of view. The authors have found that the discipline of positive psychology is the most nuanced and precise in its understanding of the complex components of subjective well-being, as related to education. This synthesising work is also timely because OECD’s Learning Compass, which sets out educational goals to be achieved by 2030, places the concept of well-being at the heart of the project. The authors aim to demonstrate that the concept of subjective well-being as conceived within the framework of positive psychology is the one that is most applicable at school (in terms of comprehending quality learning processes and the subjective well-being of teachers and students, for instance), and is the one most consistent with the aims of the Learning Compass.
Digital technology as assistant coach
The development of digital technology in recent decades has profoundly transformed many areas of society, including sport. The digitalisation of competitive sport has had a significant impact on training planning, performance measurement, and objective decision making. Gymnastics in particular, with its complex movement material and rules system, stands to benefit greatly from the application of digital solutions. In the elite sport of the 21st century, data-driven analytics and digital tools are increasingly used to support coaching decisions. This study examines the effectiveness of the Gymtrack World application, jointly developed by Budapest Honvéd, the Hungarian University of Sports Science, and Sport Track Ltd. The aim of the application is to support coaches in objective training planning, monitoring the success rate of performed exercises, and decision making. The results showed that digital performance measurement helps coaches to plan the training more accurately and to develop a competitive strategy. The statistics recorded during training sessions allow for the continuous monitoring of athletes’ progress and the evaluation of the success rate of exercises. Objective, data-driven decision making and the use of digital tools may contribute to improving the efficiency of coaching, optimising athletes’ performance, and the overall development of gymnastics.
Tamás-Szora, L., & Béki, P. (2024). A digitális technológia, mint segédedző. MAGYAR EDZŐ: MÓDSZERTANI ÉS TOVÁBBKÉPZŐ FOLYÓIRAT, 26(4), 46–48.
Physical fitness and mental well-being in older adults
Physical fitness and functional abilities are associated with better mental health in older adults. However, it is not clear which components of fitness (body composition, strength, flexibility, coordination, and endurance) are most closely related to psychological well-being. This research investigated how body mass index (BMI) and six functional fitness indicators (lower and upper body strength, lower and upper body flexibility, coordination, and aerobic endurance) are related to five psychological measures that may reflect psychological well-being (resilience, mental well-being, optimism, life satisfaction, and happiness). The researchers tested thirty-nine older adults (60-94 years; two-thirds female) with the Fullerton Functional Fitness Test (FFFT) after they had completed the five psychometric questionnaires. The results showed that endurance, complex movement coordination and lower body flexibility were the most important predictors of psychological well-being. Lower body strength showed a moderate correlation with all well-being indicators, while upper body flexibility was associated with resilience, mental well-being and happiness. The results may provide guidance for intervention programmes aimed at improving physical fitness to support both mental and physical health in older age.