Anti-drowning skills of Vietnamese second graders at Vietnam Australia international school

Drowning accidents involving children and students have become a pressing issue in Vietnam, directly affecting many families and raising widespread concern across society. This study aims to identify the key criteria for assessing water safety and anti-drowning skills among second graders at Vietnam Australia International School in Vietnam. To address the research objectives, the study employed a combination of methods, including literature review and analysis, surveys, pedagogical observation, and statistical analysis. The study's participants included 75 second graders from Vietnam Australia International School and 30 professionals, including experts, teachers, and swimming coaches. The research identified a set of criteria to evaluate students’ water safety skills: reading numbers underwater, prone floating and transitioning to a standing position, back floating and transitioning to a standing position, frog kick (with or without breathing), and two performance tests-breaststroke distance (meters) and treading water duration (seconds). Following a period of skill-based water training, students achieved a Fair level of proficiency in performing water safety movements. On the Fair, boys swam 14.81 meters using the breaststroke, while girls swam 13.46 meters. Regarding treading water, boys sustained the skill for a time of 17.09 seconds, while girls of 15.91 seconds.