Kształtowanie koncentracji, empatii, odwagi i odpowiedzialności przez zajęcia plenerowe z czasowym wyłączaniem percepcji wzrokowej

The ability to focus, empathy, courage and responsibility are important determinants affecting the development of pro-social behavior. In the modern education system, they are rarely appreciated. They are being pushed away, often far from pragmatism and academic knowledge. In the same time the modern world needs a person able to see deeper and more thorough, that is able to discover what seems to be hidden from the sight of others. The aim of this study was to verify the usefulness of field activities in the development of selected social attitudes. The participants moved around with their eyes closed assisted by their colleagues. The study was conducted during the obligatory winter camps of the Faculty of Tourism and Recreation in the Academy of Physical Education in Warsaw in 2014–2016. 86 students were tested, amongst them there were 37 women and 49 men. The experimental group consisted of people carrying out their snowboard training and experiencing temporary shutdown of visual perception during the activity. The results were compared with tests carried out on the third and fourth stage of education. The basic research method was a pedagogical experiment, that involved participant observation tool. To collect more detailed data a diagnostic survey was also used. The study used collecting material techniques – a survey, a complementary interview and a video recording the behavior of respondents during the activities. People with experience in practicing snowboarding with eyes closed (experimental group) did much better in difficult terrain showing lower level of feelings of anxiety and greater courage, composure and accuracy in performing given tasks. Respondents playing the guide role presented rarely seen in everyday situations empathetic attitude in response to their colleagues stress reactions. The results allow to draw conclusion that the use of similar activities at different levels of education can be an effective tool in building positives interpersonal relationships in educational institutions and beyond. Studies show that getting such effects as increased levels of concentration, accuracy in action, coping with stress – which connects to more effectively undertaken in difficult conditions – can be possible only through systematic training using a temporary shutdown of visual perception.