Investigation of the effect of water safety education on the knowledge level of children aged 10-11

This research was conducted to examine whether providing water safety education on land to children against the risk of drowning creates a significant increase in children's knowledge of water safety. A total of 100 students in the 10-11 age group, consisting of the control and test groups, who were educated in Ankara Province Yenimahalle District Yenimahalle Municipality Karşıyaka Secondary School Support Education Center in the 2021-2022 academic year, were included. The knowledge level scale adapted in Turkish by Turgut (2014) based on the Longfellow's Whale Tale training package was used to determine the knowledge level of students about the dangers of drowning. A questionnaire form containing only visual tests was applied to the students to measure their water safety knowledge based on marking as "True -False", "Safe - Dangerous" or "Matching". Before the research, the water safety knowledge of the students was measured with pre-tests. The researcher provided the students with a four-week training on water safety under seven headings. After the training given, the students were made to repeat the preliminary tests on water safety. It was observed that the demographic variables of the students in the control and test groups participating in the study were not different (p>0.05). As a result of the analysis, statistically significant differences were found in favor of the post-tests in all theoretical subjects in the test group trained (p<0.05). At the end of the application, the increase levels of the participants' knowledge levels compared to before were calculated. Test group participants showed an average improvement of 13.92±0.92 points. As a result, a statistically significant increase was achieved in children's water safety knowledge with the water safety training package prepared for the research and applied on land. In line with the study, water safety education courses should be given to school-age children in order to increase their knowledge of water safety. These trainings should be carried out by taking general risk management measures that have been tested in terms of safety and are in accordance with the education curriculum.