Introduction: Novice swim instructors in Flanders guide beginners in their learning process to become good and safe swimmers. In this regard, it is an aspiration to optimize swim instructor programs and reach as many future swim instructors as possible. At a rapid pace, opportunities for technology-mediated education emerge which facilitates the design of a blended learning (BL) program consisting of both face-to-face and distance (online) learning methods. Such program may allow more flexibility for students and teachers which may in turn increase accessibility. Although BL is addressed in sport educational literature, own systematic literature research suggests a gap of studies on BL within sport -and especially swim- instructor education. Objective: This study aims to explore possibilities of BL within the Flemish swim instructor programs and wants to propose a framework with recommendations for the design of such blended course. Methods: Based on opinions and experiences of relevant experts, facilitators and barriers for effectivity and efficiency of BL in this context were explored. Qualified teachers for swim instructors were interviewed until data saturation whereafter focus groups, with both BL experts and swim/sport instructors with BL learning experience, were organized. Data of interviews and focus groups were assessed using the data processing program NVivo. Results: The participants of this study were enthusiastic and saw opportunities to pursue good BL experiences for future swim instructors in terms of learning climate, flexibility, interaction and learning process. Conclusion: Results in this study support the idea of creating efficient and effective swim instructor education using a blended format, leading to recommendations for the educational practice and further research.
Becoming a swim instructor through blended learning: A qualitative study on the Flemish educational context.
Bardyn, B. ((PhD) Student), De Martelaer, K. (Promotor), Cools, W. (Promotor). 2021
Student thesis: Master's Thesis