Individual Determinants as the Causes of Failure in Learning to Swim with the Example of 10-Year-Old Children

Andrzej Ostrowski, Arkadiusz Stanula, Andrzej Swinarew, Alexander Skaliy, Dariusz Skalski, Wojciech Wiesner, Dorota Ambroży, Krzysztof Kaganek, Łukasz Rydzik and Tadeusz Ambroży
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Andrzej Ostrowski: Department of Water Sports, Academy of Physical Education, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Arkadiusz Stanula: Institute of Sport Sciences, Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikołowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Andrzej Swinarew: Institute of Sport Sciences, Jerzy Kukuczka Academy of Physical Education, Mikołowska 72a, 40-065 Katowice, Poland
Alexander Skaliy: Institute of Sport and Physical Culture, University of Economy, 03057 Kyiv, Ukraine
Dariusz Skalski: Department of Swimming and Water Rescue, Lviv State University of Physical Culture, 79000 Lviv, Ukraine
Wojciech Wiesner: Faculty of Recreation, Academy of Physical Education in Wrocław, 51-612 Wroclaw, Poland
Dorota Ambroży: Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Krzysztof Kaganek: Department of Coaching and Innovation, Faculty of Tourism and Recreation, Institute of Entrepreneurship and Management, University of Physical Education in Cracow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Łukasz Rydzik: Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland
Tadeusz Ambroży: Institute of Sport Sciences, University of Physical Education in Krakow, 31-571 Krakow, Poland

IJERPH, 2022, vol. 19, issue 9, 1-14

Abstract: Background: The purpose of the present study was to identify which, and to what extent, selected individual determinants of 10-year-old children may limit the final achievement in learning to swim. In view of the above, the research hypothesis was formulated that some children, despite regular attendance at swimming classes, do not achieve the learning outcomes set in the curriculum. The reason for this may be unfavorable (compared to their peers) morphological and functional characteristics, coordination motor abilities, and problems with fear of water. Methods: The study was conducted on a group of 271 students from the third grade of elementary schools who could not swim when they entered the physical education classes at the swimming pool and then participated in at least 25 swimming lessons during the school year. After these classes, the students performed swimming tests, and their somatic and functional characteristics and coordination motor abilities were measured. Results: In 46.1% of the participants, the final achievement level was lower than assumed in the school curriculum. The biggest problem for teachers and students in the initial teaching and learning to swim was the high fear of water, especially among girls. Furthermore, children characterized by lower body height and body weight, a lower sum of three skinfolds, and lower BMI had problems with progress in swimming. Despite the differences, these values did not correlate significantly with the final achievement level in swimming, except for body height in boys. Slower progress in swimming was also associated with lower vital capacity, whereas no relationship was found between final achievement level in swimming and trunk flexibility or foot mobility. However, significant correlations occurred for coordination motor abilities, as in almost all tests the participants characterized by the achievement level below the objectives set out in the curriculum performed significantly worse than children in the group with the achievement level meeting the objectives. Conclusions: In many cases, children who begin learning to swim from scratch make significant progress, but for many of them, the achievement levels are lower than the requirements set out in the school curriculum. The biggest problem for teachers and students in the initial teaching and learning to swim was the high fear of water, especially among girls.

Keywords: swimming; teaching; fear of water; morphological characteristics; functional characteristics; coordination motor abilities (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2022
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