Children’s Experiences of Stress, Coping, and Learning During Outdoor Swimming and Water Safety Lessons

Background: Outdoor swimming and water safety (SWS) lessons are beneficial in preventing children from drowning and are taught in Norwegian primary schools. Through outdoor SWS lessons, children can learn how to deal with stress, overcome challenges, and navigate cold water situations. However, there have been few studies on how children experience such lessons. Aim: This study investigates Norwegian primary school children's subjective experiences of stress, coping, and learning during outdoor SWS lessons. Method: The study involved video observations of 33 children and five focus groups using photo-elicitation interviews over 4 days. Guided by the cognitive activation theory of stress, template analysis was used to analyze the data. Findings/conclusion: Three key findings emerged: (1) children identified uncomfortable, cold, unsteady water, unpleasant marine plants and animals, and peer disruptions as stressors; (2) coping, defined as positive response outcome expectancy, was encouraged by teachers and peers; and (3) continually reviewing experiences improved the quality of reflection with “CoSafe” learning emerging as a term. Implication: Findings suggest that “CoSafe” learning strengthens children's ability to cope with stress and reflect on their learning and is not only relevant to physical education and SWS lessons but also to daily life.