Transforming Practices in Swimming Education – A Proposal for a Didactic Framework to Guide Educators

For severaldecades, experts in swimming education have agreed that aquatic readiness (the development of foundational skills, attitudes, and knowledgenecessary for learning advanced swimming techniques and water safety;Langendorfer & Bruya, 1995) is a crucial aspect of learning to swim. However,despite this consensus, educators still tend to set an early focus on traditionalstroke techniques. The reason for this approach may be a lack of practicalalternatives. Therefore, we believe there is a need for a didactic frameworkthat provides educators with guidance and enables them to justify an approach thatdeviates from the traditional one toparents and other non-specialists.

In our paper,we propose such an approach. Our didactic framework redefines traditionalswimming education by emphasizing the development of basic aquatic skills (i.e.,breathing, submerging, floating) to reach aquatic readiness through astructured, phased approach. The framework is built around three key phasesassociated with consecutive milestones. These phases guide the process frominitial water familiarization to achieving comprehensive swimming skills, resultingin the ability for learners to navigate the water with sound competence. Aftermastering these three phases, learners enter an infinite blue stage, whichfocuses on continuously refining swimming skills and stroke techniques anddeveloping a deep awareness of water safety.

Theframework is firmly rooted in an ecological perspective, incorporating theconcept of affordances, meaning opportunities for action provided by theenvironment and perceived by learners based on their capabilities. This student-centeredapproach empowers educators to create dynamic, adaptable learning environmentscatering to their students' diverse needs. By aligning the ecologicalconstraints of water with carefully designed tasks, educators can promoteself-directed exploration and emergent behaviors, facilitating a deeperunderstanding of aquatic movement.

While the framework is theoretically robust,its true potential can only be realized through empirical validation inreal-world educational settings. Testing its application could reveal itseffectiveness, particularly in supporting less experienced educators and thosetraining them. Our framework's potential lies in enhancing the motoricfoundation of aquatic literacy among children and raising the professionalstandards of swimming educators. By providing a structured, holistic approachto aquatic education, the framework aims to nurture confident, competentswimmers and contribute to the ongoing evolution of best practices in thefield. Ultimately, it encourages educators to critically evaluate and innovatetheir teaching methods, ensuring continuous improvement in swimming education.

For several decades, experts in swimming education have agreed that aquatic readiness (the development of foundational skills, attitudes, and knowledge necessary for learning advanced swimming techniques and water safety; Langendorfer & Bruya, 1995) is a crucial aspect of learning to swim. However, despite this consensus, educators still tend to set an early focus on traditional stroke techniques. The reason for this approach may be a lack of practical alternatives. Therefore, we believe there is a need for a didactic framework that provides educators with guidance and enables them to justify an approach that deviates from the traditional one to parents and other non-specialists.

In our paper, we propose such an approach. Our didactic framework redefines traditional swimming education by emphasizing the development of basic aquatic skills (i.e., breathing, submerging, floating) to reach aquatic readiness through a structured, phased approach. The framework is built around three key phases associated with consecutive milestones. These phases guide the process from initial water familiarization to achieving comprehensive swimming skills, resulting in the ability for learners to navigate the water with sound competence. After mastering these three phases, learners enter an infinite blue stage, which focuses on continuously refining swimming skills and stroke techniques and developing a deep awareness of water safety.

The framework is firmly rooted in an ecological perspective, incorporating the concept of affordances, meaning opportunities for action provided by the environment and perceived by learners based on their capabilities. This student-centered approach empowers educators to create dynamic, adaptable learning environments catering to their students' diverse needs. By aligning the ecological constraints of water with carefully designed tasks, educators can promote self-directed exploration and emergent behaviors, facilitating a deeper understanding of aquatic movement.

While the framework is theoretically robust, its true potential can only be realized through empirical validation in real-world educational settings. Testing its application could reveal its effectiveness, particularly in supporting less experienced educators and those training them. Our framework's potential lies in enhancing the motoric foundation of aquatic literacy among children and raising the professional standards of swimming educators. By providing a structured, holistic approach to aquatic education, the framework aims to nurture confident, competent swimmers and contribute to the ongoing evolution of best practices in the field. Ultimately, it encourages educators to critically evaluate and innovate their teaching methods, ensuring continuous improvement in swimming education.

References

Langendorfer, S. J., & Bruya, L. D. (1995). Aquatic Readiness - Developing Water Competence in Young Children. Human Kinetics.

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