The Use of Bubble Float and Kick Board in Reducing Anxiety of
Water to Improve Students’ Freestyle Stroke Technique
Badruzaman Badruzaman
Faculty of Sport and Health Education, Universitas Pendidikan Indonesia, Jln. Dr. Setiabudhi No. 229, Bandung, Indonesia
Keywords: Helping Tool, Bubble Float, Kickboard, Anxiety, Swimming Skill.
Abstract: The purpose of the research was to study learning model for swimming skills by using bubble float and
kickboard as tools to cope with water anxiety in improving students’ freestyle stroke technique. This
descriptive research used causal comparative method through observation and test. The results of this study
showed that there was significant influence of using buoy towards student’ learning outcomes (Fo = 3.50 >
Ft = 3.17 at α = 0.05). The anxiety of water significantly influenced on students’ swimming learning outcomes
(Fo = 21 > Ft = 4.02 at α =0.05). There was interaction between buoy as helping tool and anxiety with the
value of Fo = 3.50 > Ft = 3.17 at α = 0.05. Based on the result of post-hoc test on interaction, the significant
interaction only occurred in high anxiety with buoy tool (Fo = 77.12 > Ft = 5.01 at α = 0.01).
1 INTRODUCTION
Swimming sports belong to skills that are quite
difficult to master, especially for people who have
water anxiety. Before the swimming learning began,
majority of the students (80%) admitted that they
could not swim and the other students (20%) had high
water anxiety. Fear of water is the major cause of
someone’s difficulty in mastering swimming skills.
The people who had fear of water will find difficulties
in getting their whole body into the water especially
the head. Their muscles will become tense, making
more difficult to perform swimming techniques.
Thus, during the learning process they have difficulty
in following the teaching tasks given. Regarding with
anxiety, it is described as the athlete feeling about
something undesirable is about to happen. This
condition gives unfortunate effect for the athletes,
especially if they have no enough confidence
(Satiadarma, 2000). Murphy (2005) defines anxiety
as an anticipatory emotion, a future-oriented response
to a perceived but vague threat that makes us feel
powerless because we cannot protect ourselves from
an uncertain and unpredictable event. The action
tendencies of anxiety are escape and avoidance.
Therefore, the people who have water anxiety
tend to avoid swimming and they will find difficulties
in performing swimming movement. They seem not
to do what they are told to, tend to be stiff, become
confused, and move with poor control. Pate et al.
(1993) explains that anxiety tend to make the athletes
unable to fully follow the instructions given.
Weinberg and Gould (1995) state that increased
arousal and state anxiety cause increase muscle
tension and can interfere coordination. The problem
of anxiety has affected the performance at sports as
explained in many previous studies, for example, Cox
(1990) states that sport psychologists actually know
very little about the effect of positive stress (eustress)
on athletic performance. It would appear that the
relationship between state anxiety and athletic
performance takes the form of the Inverted-U.
However, in recent years, several studies have
reported a negative linear relationship between
athletic performance and anxiety in the case of
swimming (Cox, 1993; Muhamad, 2013). Students
who showed a higher anxiety level, especially during
the first swimming classes, achieved lower results in
swimming skill test. Avramidou (2007) and
Muhamad (2013) have found a negative linear trend
between anxiety and swimming performance as well
as a positive linear trend between self-confidence and
performance. Avramidou (2007) found that lifesavers
had generally lower levels of anxiety than the
swimmers could be related to their respective trait-
anxiety levels. For both groups higher levels of worry
(trait) were associated with higher levels of state
cognitive anxiety during training. For the swimmers,
however, worry and somatic trait-anxiety were also
Badruzaman, B.
The Use of Bubble Float and Kick Board in Reducing Anxiety of Water to Improve Students’ Freestyle Stroke Technique.
In Proceedings of the 2nd International Conference on Sports Science, Health and Physical Education (ICSSHPE 2017) - Volume 2, pages 303-307
ISBN: 978-989-758-317-9
Copyright © 2018 by SCITEPRESS – Science and Technology Publications, Lda. All rights reserved
303

associated with higher levels of somatic anxiety and
lower levels of self-confidence during training. Cox
(2002) also indicated that swimming performance
had improved after intervention for all experimental
participants. Burton (1988) have indicated that the
relationship between performance and anxiety would
depend on the level of anxiety. Burton (1988) and
Cox (1990) observed that the relationship between
performance in swimming and state anxiety was
linear and inversely related when the cognitive or
worry subscale was used and quadratically related
(inverted U) when the somatic subscale was being
used.
The teachers are responsible for anticipating the
students’ water anxiety problem and for ensuring the
safety protection for the students. Safe learning
environments can almost always be prepared for
ahead of time. Experienced teachers should learn to
anticipate safety problems and to arrange equipment,
space, and people so that the environment both is safe
and facilitates learning. Therefore, the use of buoy
tools in the swimming learning process is a very
necessary for students who have fear of water. This is
an effort to prevent the accident from drowning, and
also to help ease students’ anxiety. The result of
previous study found that the floating group gave a
statistically significant greater interest in using
floating toys during free play (p=0.03). Although the
instructors had removed the toys, the children
requested to use them again. They felt more
comfortable having a floating aid which could be
used during play and instructions. Their aquatic
confidence especially in performing floating skills
was less than the control group children (Kjendlie and
Mendritzki, 2012). One of the solutions to anticipate
the water anxiety in learning swimming practice is
through aid tools to reduce water anxiety and to
increase the buoyancy. These tools make the learning
process more active and efficient. Therefore, the
students can both follow the instruction given during
learning process and study independently. Pate et al.
(1995) states that the athletes with low anxiety level
will easily follow the relevant guidelines. Bubble
float tool that is tied at the waist seems simpler, does
not interfere with the arm movement, and has fairly
balanced buoyancy because it is placed in middle of
the body – behind the back. Besides, it is also safer
because it uses a rope tied with a buckle which is
strong enough to lock. Therefore, the students will
feel secure despite swimming in the deep pools
because this tool allows them to more easily float and
constantly help the body position in a horizontal
position during the swimming exercise when learning
legs and arms movement, and coordination.
2 METHODS
2.1 Participant
Participants of this research were the second semester
students of sport science study program for class of
2015 who were taking swimming practice. Male
subjects (N = 60) were in the average age of 19 years
old. The subjects were divided into two groups based
on the results of anxiety tests that indicated anxiety
level characteristics. 30 people belonged to the high
anxiety group (anxiety score = 21-30 points / 70-
100%) and the other 30 students were included to
moderate anxiety (anxiety score = 11-20 points / 36-
69%). Samples were randomly assigned (Creswell,
2013). Both groups were put into three cells, each of
ten students were given different methods which were
randomly determined.
2.2 Instrument
There are two instruments used. First, observation
guidelines adopted from Haris (1984) in (Cox, 1990)
were intended to measure water anxiety behaviour.
Second, swimming skill test with the determined
distance was used to measure the effects of helping
tools towards the results of swimming ability.
2.3 Data Analysis
Inferential statistics; two-way ANOVA formula
followed by Scheffe post-hoc test were used to
analyze the effects of anxiety and aids to the learning
result of swimming skill.
2.4 Research Procedures
This research was conducted during swimming
practice lecture for one semester (5 months), which
was only done once a week on Monday. Each meeting
was 90 minutes. Prior to the research investigation,
the pre-test was carried out to see the students’ basic
swimming skill. The students were required to swim
at the distance of 25 metres especially performing
freestyle stroke. The measurements were only based
on how far they could swim. After the results of pre-
test were obtained, the researcher prepared to conduct
research with the design that had been determined.
After the lecture ended, a post-test was conducted
with the same distance (25 m) as in pre-test.
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3 RESULTS
The result of ANOVA test showed significant
differences among the use of tools with the value of
Fo = 73, larger than Ft = 3.17 at α = 0.05. Similarly,
the influence of high and moderate anxiety levels
indicated significant differences with the value Fo =
21 > Ft = 4.02 at α = 0.05.
Based on the results of post hock test, the mean
difference on sub variable; the use of bubble float and
kickboard, was 3.3 which was equal to the critical
value, 3.3 at α = 0.01. It signs that these two
swimming tools have significant differences in
affecting learning results of students’ freestyle stroke.
The mean difference for the use of bubble float
aids compared with the method without using tools
was 10.3 which had greater value than the critical
value of 3.3 at α = 0.01. In the other hand, the mean
difference between the students who used kickboard
and those who did not was 7 with critical value of 3.3
at α = 0.01. This indicates that the use of kickboard
tool has better effect on the learning outcomes of
freestyle stroke skill than not using any aids.
Based on the result of the post-test hock
interaction, the observed F value was very significant
on the interaction between high anxiety with the use
of the helping tools (Fo = 77.12> Ft = 5.01 at α =
0.01). This means that high anxiety has greater
dependence on the use of buoys rather than other
interactions.
Figure1: Differences in Swimming Learning Outcomes
Based on the Use of Tools.
As can be seen on figure 1, it shows the different
mean for the two swimming tools compared with not
using any tools. The averages of swimming distance
are 24 meters for bubble float, 20.9 meters for
kickboard, and 13.5 meters for the method of not
using any tools.
Figure 2: Differences in Swimming Learning Outcomes
Based on Anxiety Level.
The figure 2 shows the students with high anxiety
level could swim at the distance of 17.7 in average
and those with the moderate anxiety level could swim
further at the distance of 21.6 m.
Figure 3: Differences in Swimming Ability Effects of
Anxiety Level and Tools.
As shown in Figure 3, the students who used
bubble float tool and were in high anxiety level could
swim at distance average of 22.8 m. For other
students with moderate anxiety level, the average
distance of swimming was 24.8 m. In A2, the students
who used kickboard and had anxiety were able to
swim in the average of 19.9 m, and those with
moderate anxiety were 21.9 m. In (A3), students who
did not use tools and had high anxiety could swim in
the average of 10.5 m, while the moderate anxiety
was able to swim in the average distance of 16.5 m.
The Use of Bubble Float and Kick Board in Reducing Anxiety of Water to Improve Students’ Freestyle Stroke Technique
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Figure 4: Interactions of Anxiety and Tools.
The figure 4 showed the interactions between
anxiety and tools. This concludes that the students
with high anxiety level are greatly dependent on buoy
tools, particularly Bubble float.
4 DISCUSSION
The results of the research showed that there were
significant differences of influence between students
who had high and moderate anxiety in the
achievement of freestyle swimming skills ability.
This can be understood because during the
learning process, students with high anxiety tended to
be more silent and to do swimming movements that
were often uncompleted or stopped. Consequently,
there was much time wasted during the learning
process because they often hesitated to swim and
looked anxious so that their movements were
completely rigid. As stated by Pate et al. (1995),
anxiety is most often considered as a personality
variable that has a profound influence in learning and
performing sports skills. Based on the results of
observation on swimming learning skill, the students
who had high anxiety were very cautious when
putting their heads in the water. When learning to
glide in the water, many of the students had not been
able to do this technique due to they could not float
properly and they were only able to dive in a very
short time. They should be able to calmly dive for
long time so that they could glide in the water. In fact,
they still felt not calm when getting in the water
because they were full of doubts and anxiety to do
gliding technique. Similarly, they found difficulties
when performing gliding technique with leg
movement. As they were not calm in gliding into the
water, their body would not be balanced because of
their tense muscles. As a result, they made feet
movements under the water while they submerged.
When they were given additional task to move their
arms, most of them were not able to do it. Some of
them tried to do it but their movement patterns were
not correctly performed. They moved their arms
without a series of movement phases or even
harmonious feet coordination. It is indeed very
difficult if their bodies were below the water surface
while they lost awareness of control movements.
In the learning of coordination process and taking
breath technique, all of the students who had high
anxiety level could not do at all. Taking breath in
freestyle swimming is more difficult than other styles.
Freestyle stroke requires the students to turn the
head for taking breath. This would be even more
difficult if their neck muscles were in tense condition,
the body position was deeper than the water surface,
and the arm movements were not correct.
Accordingly, they took breath in improper way such
as raising their chin upward. This kind of breathing
technique would cause the feet go down under the
water. Hence, the body would be in diagonal position
which would make the body sink and slow down the
students’ swimming because of greater resistance.
The use of swim bubble float had significantly
contributed to reduce the anxiety that the students felt
in the water. Also, there were some progresses in
terms of students’ activities when the learning process
took place. Their bodies rose above the surface of the
water and they felt calm accordingly. Calm body
position is the first important thing in order to set and
to control the correct movement techniques. Sharron
(1992) states that swimming aid helping you to float
and stay horizontal in the water, while some can help
the learning process along. Thomas (1989) also
asserts that whereas about buoyancies belt or bubble
float for those few adult’s males who have neutral or
negative buoyancy: it is suggested that you ask your
teacher to fit you with a solid foam buoyancy belt that
gives you enough positive buoyancy to float at eye
level in this exercise”.
Supported by the result of interview, it was found
that bubble float which was tied at the waist had more
improved the students’ confidence that kickboard
because it could ensure their safety better and make
them easier to swim. Hence, their arm movements
were not interrupted by using this tool. On the
contrary, the use of kickboard required the students to
hold it in front, made them fear of getting it out of
hands, and only served to support the upper part of
the body. Nevertheless, Hagerman (1987) have strong
opinion that it is imperative to have a kickboard in
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order to concentrate on kicking motions without
worrying about keeping the upper body afloat.
5 CONCLUSIONS
The use of swimming buoy tools among bubble float,
kickboard, and without any tool used and the
differences of water anxiety level between the high
and moderate one had given significant and different
effects of the students’ freestyle stroke learning
outcomes. There were significant interactions
between anxiety and the use of buoy tools during the
learning process of swimming. The interaction
between high anxiety level and bubble float as swim
buoy tool were stronger than kickboard and method
of not using tool meaning that the students were
greatly dependent on bubble float tool in the learning
process of swimming. The use of bubble float was
more effective because it made the students more
confident, more afloat, and more secured of not
getting drown. Therefore, they felt calm when
performing motion technique practices.
Based on the learning results, it was found that
bubble float had greatly improved students’
swimming ability compared with the use of kickboard
and method of not using tool. The students who used
bubble float could swim further than those using
kickboard.
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