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Swimming competence in children: Europe-wide study starts in Cologne!
On June 24, 2025, the ALFAC project in Cologne will present the first results on the swimming skills of European children.
Swimming competence in children: Europe-wide study starts in Cologne!
On June 24, 2025, the first report of the “Aquatic Literacy for all Children (ALFAC)” study will be published in an online presentation. This research aims to analyze the swimming competence of children aged 6 to 12 years in seven European countries, including Germany, Belgium, France, Lithuania, Norway, Poland and Portugal. Attention is paid to basic and complex swimming skills that are taught in different social contexts.
The data was collected in Germany in the cities of Cologne, Kassel and Flensburg. The project was led by Dr. Ilka Staub and Prof. Dr. Tobias Vogt from the German Sports University Cologne, supported by Dr. Nele Schlapkohl, Sarah Schmidt from the European University of Flensburg as well as Dr. Sebastian Fischer from the University of Kassel. The researchers not only examine the technical execution of swimming, but also psychological aspects such as motivation and self-confidence as well as risk assessments in the water.
Focus of the study
The ALFAC project captures Aquatic Literacy, a concept based on the foundations of Water Competencies by Stallman et al. (2017) and the physical literacy of Whitehead (2001). Aquatic literacy is defined as a dynamic state that includes safe movement in, on and under water. The aim is to identify the strengths and weaknesses of swimming training in the participating countries in order to promote children's sovereignty in the water space in the long term.
An important goal of the study is decision-making in swimming training. Dr. Ilka Staub emphasizes that social factors have a significant influence on learning to swim. The results are intended to help participating countries identify good practices and integrate them into their training structures.
Swimming check 2024
In Flensburg, 13 school classes have already taken part in the 2024 swimming check. This is another part of the ALFAC project, which also serves to analyze children's swimming ability. The children completed various tasks such as jumping, floating, diving and breathing as well as a special course in clothing. Sociodemographic data is also collected in order to better understand the children's environment.
Carrying out the swimming check ensures that the different approaches to swimming training in Europe are illuminated. For example, while in Portugal swimming lessons are organized through popular sports, in Germany this is primarily done in schools. This comparability should help to identify successful models and transfer them to other countries.
Overall, the project aims to make swimming education more sustainable and child-friendly in order to reduce the drowning rate and promote children's active participation in water sports and school trips to the swimming pool. The results will be presented at a final presentation in Brussels in autumn 2025.