This study aimed to review the significance of the theory of physical education learning, its trends in research, and recent practice efforts in the schools, and to examine future problems in the theory of physical education research, by referring to the limited books, theses and discourses, and practice reports available.
Research on the theory of physical education attracted attention after it was introduced as a part of physical education classes in 1947, and the results of certain research and practices were announced. It was established to guarantee the opportunities to acquire knowledge about human development through physical education activities and sports and to understand the purpose and history of physical education in physical education classes. Thereafter, the view regarding the physical education class concerning practical skill centrism became dominant, necessitated by the content that was useful for practical skills. Therefore, the theory of physical education stagnated. In 2008, the importance of the theory of physical education, resulting from sports sciences studies, was explained in the curriculum guideline to guarantee the sustainable challenge of lifelong sports education, and it was made compulsory at that time. However, the theory of physical education research, including practice reports in the school field, has not advanced much since then, and this stagnation is likely to continue. Nevertheless, research was gradually accumulating for the next revised year （2018）.
Future issues include the initiative proposals to qualitatively enhance teacher training courses, such as the introduction of subjects on lesson making of theory of physical education in teacher training courses in health and physical education departments, further development of practical research in school settings and the repository of examples, and the need for discussion and examination regarding curriculum research in physical education learning. Furthermore, researchers and teachers need to ask and answer what should be taught under the subject of physical education?

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This study aimed to examine the seasonal changes in body composition and physical fitness in male soccer players. The height, body weight, body fat mass, fat-free body mass, explosiveness, quickness, and intermittent endurance of 10 college male soccer players （age 20.5 ± 0.7 years） were measured at the end of the off-season period and the middle of the in-season period for 2 years. Physical fitness that indicated explosiveness, quickness, and intermittent endurance was assessed through standing long jump, stepping, and Yo-Yo Intermittent Recovery Test-Level 2 （YYIR2）. No significant seasonal difference in height and weight was found （p = 0.43 to 1.00, η² = 0.00 to 0.10）．However, body fat mass was significantly increased, whereas fat-free body mass was significantly decreased from in-season to off-season in both the first and second year （all p < 0.05, η² = 0.66 to 0.81）. Standing long jump, stepping, and the distance covered during the YYIR2 were significantly increased from off-season to in-season in both the first and second year （all p < 0.05, η² = 0.66 to 0.81）. Changes in body fat mass were greater than changes in fat-free body mass. Changes in intermittent endurance were greater than changes in explosiveness and quickness. These results suggest that the physique does not change between the off-season and the in-season, but the body composition changes due to increases and decreases in body fat mass and fat-free body mass in college male soccer players. In addition, explosiveness, quickness and intermittent endurance change greatly depending on the season, and the change in intermittent endurance are particularly significant.

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In the kick-start, swimmers put their right or left foot on the front edge of the starting block and the other foot on the back plate. This study investigated the effect of the position of the leg with greater power on the kick-start performance of competitive swimmers. The participants were eight male collegiate swimmers who preferred foot combinations with the leg with greater power in front. All participants practiced kick starts with non-preferred foot combinations in the front and rear foot positions for 10 days （10 min/day） and swam a 15-m front crawl with maximum effort kick-starts using both the preferred and non-preferred foot combinations in the front and rear foot positions. A high-speed camera （100 fps） was used to analyze the reaction time from the start signal to take-off from the starting block, and to calculate the kinematic variables at take-off; a second camera （60 fps） was used to analyze the elapsed time from the start signal to 15 m. Single leg jumps were used to determine which leg had greater power. The start parameters （reaction time, 15 m time, take-off velocity and take-off angle） were analyzed. The resultant and horizontal take-off velocities did not differ significantly between the foot combinations, while the take-off angle was significantly larger, and 15 m time significantly faster, with the leg with greater power on the front edge. Therefore, although there were no differences in the resultant and horizontal take-off velocities, regardless of foot combination, putting the leg with greater power in front improved kick-start performance.

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