The Attitude of Lithuanian students towards the values of Olympism

LTReikšminiai žodžiai: Olimpinis švietimas; Olimpizmas; Olimpizmas, olimpinis švietimas, studentai, vertybės; Studentai; Vertybės; Olympic education; Olympism; Olympism, Olympic education, students, values; Students; Values.

ENWe think that universities are the main medium where Olympic program should be implemented primarily as, if students are more concerned with the Olympic Movement or are aware of it, they pass on their knowledge and ideas to children. First of all, we examined the literature sources. Scientific literature analysis let us easier to understand the importance of moral values, Olympism and Olympic education as well as to reveal the peculiarities of moral values and absorb, how sport activity influence moral attitudes and culture. The aim of the study was to investigate Olympic education in Lithuanian universities and in neighbour countries and to identify Lithuanian students’ attitude towards Olympic values. We have interviewed 218 students from 16 higher education schools of Lithuania. 51% of the interviewed were female (111) and 49% - male (107). The research group was chosen randomly as the questionnaire was distributed in Vilnius, Kaunas, Klaipeda and Siauliai higher education schools. The main part is devoted to investigate students’ attitudes towards Olympism values. The examination of attitudes towards Olympic values consisted of three blocks of claims, which formed a common list of 52 values. For the statistical procedures, there was SPSS 15 for Windows via the setting used. For the analysis of quantitative research data, various statistical analysis methods were used as well. Inside compatibility questionnaire scales were determined by counting the Cronbach’s Alpha coefficient. Students’ attitude towards the values of Olympic structure was estimated using the essential components of extraction and Varimax factor rotation method. Differences were considered statistically reliable at a maximum of 5% of error (p<0,05). The link is considered to be statistically significant at a wider than 5% of error (p<0,05). It was found that Lithuanian students tend to assign those values to Olympism that are connected with human values and social virtues.The least important values are connected with personal development. So firstly, students associate Olympism mostly with honesty, then they relate it as a way of respect, cultural awareness, optimism, strength of the will, generosity, tolerance towards other nations, etc. Such results are determined by opinion about the Olympic Games itself. When analysing research results, it has emerged that social values, bonded with Olympism, are important for the students. They find it very important: the sense of community, heartiness, goodness, better world, gentlemanly behaviour, body and mind harmony, etc. As the least connected thing with the Olympic Games was named personal development, artifullness, career, collaboration, etc. It was found that the students, who have had Olympism classes at university, better understood the Olympic values and regulations. Olympism programs are held for schoolchildren but not for students in Lithuania. There is no system that would involve the Olympic Movement. The students shall experience Olympism through learning, Olympic education, sport competitions and also through the sense of the beauty of sport, alternation, depth of emotions and feelings, bless and underlying of strength of values. Students, as young people, are full of enthusiasm, energy, drive for improvement and learning. They admire the Olympians and Olympic heroes and their deeds. Thus, this shall be used to open the system of the Olympism values. [From the publication]

• Olimpinių vertybių ugdymo, kaip švietimo įvairovės skatinimo ikimokykliniame amžiuje, programos sklaida / Justyna Rožanovska, Vilija Gerasimovičienė. Sporto mokslas 2023, Nr. 2 (104), p. 82-91.
• Sportuojančių ir nesportuojančių mokinių požiūris į olimpines vertybes / Asta Budreikaitė, Vytė Kontautienė, Evaldas Kržanavičius. Sporto mokslas 2022, Nr. 2 (102), p. 77-83.