INTEGRATED TEACHING OF INITIAL MILITARY AND TECHNOLOGICAL TRAINING AND PHYSICAL EDUCATION

Abstract

This article examines the pedagogical potential of integrated teaching of the subjects ‘Basic Military and Technical Training’ (BMTT) and ‘Physical Education’ (PE) in preparing year 10 pupils at general secondary schools for service in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The aim of the study is to identify the pedagogical potential of integrated teaching of these subjects as a means of improving the level of military physical training among upper-secondary school pupils. The study employed a mixed-methods approach: a systematic comparative analysis of curricula was carried out, and a survey of 102 teachers from general education schools in Kazakhstan (64 teachers from general education schools and 38 teachers from secondary schools) was conducted using the Google Forms platform (response rate: 69.4%). The internal reliability of the questionnaire was assessed using Cronbach’s alpha (α = 0,71). Quantitative data were analysed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0, whilst thematic content analysis was carried out on the basis of open-ended responses. A comparative analysis of the curricula has shown that there are thematic similarities across all four semesters of the BMTT and PE modules, and that there are common didactic objectives which form the basis for their integrated teaching. According to the survey results, 80.4% of teachers fully or to some extent support inclusive education. However, the proportion of those who use it systematically stood at just 28.4 per cent, indicating a significant gap between teachers’ positive attitudes towards inclusive education and the extent to which it is actually put into practice. The main obstacles to the implementation of integration were identified as the limited time allocated to studying the subject of BMTT (1 hour per week), insufficient material and technical resources, and a lack of regulatory and methodological support. The results of the study showed that there is a curricular framework for teaching BMTT and PE subjects in an integrated format, and that this approach is supported by teachers. Furthermore, in order to ensure the widespread implementation of integrated learning in educational practice, it is necessary to improve regulatory, methodological and organisational support.