Abstract

Currently, floatation materials are often used in swimming classes to teach aquatic skills. The objective of this study is to determine the influence of the use or not of materials in physical education classes for students in secondary school. To accomplish this, data were gathered measuring variables related to technical efficiency in swimming, time(s), number of arm strokes, cycle frequency (CF), cycle length (CL), speed (m/s) and rating of perceived exertion (RPE) in the application of a 2 × 25 meter test after engaging in an 8-session program (2 per week). The sample selected is 16 students divided into 2 groups: the first one without floatation materials (n = 8) and the second one with floatation materials (n = 8). All the swimmers improved during the program. However, after applying an ANOVA, significant improvements were found in the group that did not use floatation materials compared to the group that did use them (p = 0.02). Significant differences were also found on the RPE scale (p = 0.01). Therefore, these results suggest a combination of working with and without floatation materials in swimming classes.