Abstract
The relevance of the issue is determined by the need to improve the training of physical education teachers and the mastery of water sports methods by future teachers. The purpose of the article is to develop and test ways to improve the professional competencies of physical education teachers in water sports, namely, the introduction of the elective course “Working with students in water sports” into the educational process and determining the effectiveness. During the study, student competence in water sports and their teaching readiness was assessed using a three-component model: motivational, content, and procedural. Evaluating factors like interest, skills, lesson management, and outcome regulation helped determine their professional competence level.The experiment was conducted at Sh. Ualikhanov Kokshetau University and Abay Myrzakhmetov Kokshetau University, involving 120 students from the Department of Creativity and Sports, who are prospective teachers and coaches. The preliminary experiment highlighted the necessity to enhance the preparation of future teachers for water sports coaching. The results from both the experimental and control groups were nearly identical, underscoring the credibility of the study. The significance of the research paper in the theoretical aspect lies in considering and discussing the need to introduce ways to improve the professional competence of physical education teachers in water sports, determining the criteria for assessing the level of professional competence of teachers of the above-mentioned specialty. Key words: Skill assessment, Pedagogical preparedness, Aquatic training techniques, Curriculum enhancement, Coaching methods, Athletic development, Teaching strategies.