Analysis of Didactic Approaches to Teaching Young Children to Swim
Published in 2014, this study examined approaches used to teach swimming to children aged four to eleven. The research involved swimming instructors, teachers and coaches from different swimming schools in Slovenia.Data were collected from 90 providers of swimming courses and analysed with descriptive statistics, Pearson's χ² test and the Mann-Whitney test. The study focused on didactic movement games, commonly used swimming aids and differences associated with gender and professional title.
What the study did and found
The study analysed how swimming was taught to children aged four to eleven in Slovenia. Its participants were swimming instructors, teachers and coaches working in different swimming schools, and data were obtained for 90 providers of swimming courses. The researchers used descriptive statistical methods and tested hypotheses with Pearson's χ² test and the Mann-Whitney test. Statistical significance was established at a 5% risk level.
The authors found that differences in the frequency of using didactic movement games in some parts of the exercise unit were related to gender and acquired professional title. Kickboards, floating noodles and pool dive toys were the didactic tools used most frequently during swimming classes. The paper concluded that children become more enthusiastic about learning to swim when information communication technology and didactic devices are used, and that these tools can make it easier to motivate children and attract their attention.
Why it is cited
The paper is cited as a study of the practical didactic choices made by professionals teaching young children to swim. It connects lesson organization with the use of movement games and physical teaching aids rather than treating swimming instruction only as technical skill training.
Its value also lies in the professional sample. The survey included instructors, teachers and coaches from different swimming schools in Slovenia, allowing the researchers to test whether some reported teaching practices differed according to gender or professional title.
The study additionally documents which teaching devices were most commonly used. Kickboards, floating noodles and pool dive toys were identified as the leading aids, giving the paper a concrete descriptive contribution to swimming pedagogy.
The study provides a descriptive picture of swimming instruction for children aged four to eleven in Slovenia. It included 90 swimming-course providers and examined the use of didactic movement games, teaching aids and instructional practices, together with differences associated with gender and professional title. Associations were reported between the use of didactic movement games in some parts of the exercise unit and both gender and professional title. Detailed frequencies, effect sizes and test statistics for these relationships were not reported, limiting more precise interpretation of the observed differences. The authors also associated instructional technology and didactic devices with greater enthusiasm, motivation and attention among children. However, the study did not experimentally compare children’s learning outcomes under different teaching approaches. Its findings therefore describe instructional practices and reported associations rather than demonstrating that a particular aid or technology improves swimming performance. |
The topic today
Research on early swimming instruction continues to examine how games, teaching aids and instructional strategies can support children’s learning in aquatic environments. These elements remain relevant to the organization of swimming lessons and the development of age-appropriate teaching practices.
The research examined 90 Slovenian swimming-course providers and documented associations between teaching practices and professional characteristics. It also identified the didactic aids commonly used during swimming lessons for young children.
The study focused on reported teaching practices rather than direct comparisons of swimming-skill outcomes. It did not measure the effects of individual teaching methods or digital tools on children’s learning, and the research was conducted within the Slovenian swimming-education setting. As a result, the findings primarily describe the instructional practices observed within the population examined in the study.