Press releases of Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF)
How Adept Are Children in the Water?
Being water-safe involves more than just proper swimming technique. In the international research project “Aquatic Literacy For All Children,” researchers at the Institute of Physical Education at Europa-Universität Flensburg (EUF), the German Sport University Cologne, and the University of Kassel tested a range of swimming-related skills in children aged 6 to 12. “Aquatic literacy” refers to the knowledge and skills children need to move safely and confidently in the water and to correctly assess risks. The study reveals how effective different approaches to swim education across Europe really are. These approaches help instructors to design more targeted swimming courses in order to increase water safety for young people in, on, and around water. Initial results have already been evaluated.
Germany Performs Well in European Comparison
“Germany performs well in the European comparison, both in terms of basic swimming skills and in more complex aquatic competencies,” says Dr. Nele Schlapkohl, who is leading the project at EUF. Children, regardless of their swim experience, demonstrated their basic skills in activities like floating, jumping, diving, and breathing. Those who obtained a certain score on these basic tasks then completed a special obstacle course while wearing clothing, testing their ability to handle more complex challenges. The study also examined how well they could assess specific dangerous situations.
Key Insights to Make Swim Education Even Better
The swimming skills of 6- to 12-year-old children were assessed across Europe. In Flensburg, 164 pupils from eight schools participated. The international results indicate noticeable gaps in diving skills. When entering and exiting the water, children often chose safer, less demanding methods and were generally hesitant to jump straight into the water. “These findings are really significant for improving swim education,” explains Dr. Schlapkohl. “With this study, we now have a solid scientific basis on which to push for meaningful changes in how swimming is taught in schools and sports clubs.” She envisions a future where school-based swim instruction focuses not only on technique, but also, importantly, on water safety.
Bringing Research Directly into Practice
At Europa-Universität Flensburg, where future physical education teachers are trained for schools in Schleswig-Holstein, the study’s findings can be put directly into practice. In the long term, researchers hope that improving child-oriented swim education will help strengthen children's swimming skills overall. “In a state that is situated between two seas, it’s vital that children can move confidently in, on, and around water,” says Sarah Schmidt, a research assistant at the Institute of Physical Education. “It’s about preventing drowning-related deaths, but also about fostering a sense of self-efficacy and enabling children to fully participate in everyday activities—whether that’s a trip to the pool or trying out water sports.”
Dr.Nele Schlapkohl
- Phone
- +49 461 805 2709
- schlapkohl-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de
- Building
- Gebäude Amsterdam
- Room
- AMS 005
- Street
- Campusallee 2
- Post code / City
- 24943 Flensburg
Juliane Groß
- Phone
- +49 461 805 2771
- juliane.gross-PleaseRemoveIncludingDashes-@uni-flensburg.de
- Building
- Gebäude Dublin
- Room
- DUB 220
- Street
- Campusallee 3
- Post code / City
- 24943 Flensburg