Cross-cultural perspectives on aquatic competence in school-based swimming education

Background: Swimming has traditionally been framed as a technical component of physical education, yet emerging scholarship positions aquatic competence as a culturally embedded practice shaped by identity, community narratives, and historical relationships with water. Objective: This systematic review adopts a Cultural Studies lens to examine how sociocultural determinants, such as water identity, gendered aquatic norms, culturally transmitted fear of water, and colonial water histories, shape school-based swimming education across divergent cultural contexts. Methods: Following PRISMA guidelines, 47 studies published between 2000 and 2024 were synthesized. Cultural context was coded along a three‑point continuum from water‑rich (Cx1) to water‑distanced (Cx3) cultures. Results: Four cross-cutting themes emerged: (1) water culture as a driver of aquatic competence; (2) cultural barriers limiting participation; (3) community cultural structures as key enablers; and (4) curriculum-culture mismatches that undermine program effectiveness. Conclusions: Aquatic competence is a culturally situated capability rather than purely physical skill. Findings highlight the need for culturally responsive curricula, community-based cultural intermediaries, and policy frameworks that address sociocultural inequities in aquatic safety and participation.