An Analysis of Inquiry Trends in Elementary School Physical Education Textbooks According to the 2022 Revised Physical Education Curriculum

Purpose: The purpose was to quantitatively analyze the inquiry trends in the 'Sports' section of ten elementary school Physical Education textbooks based on the 2022 revised Physical Education curriculum, and to discuss what the inquiry tendencies of elementary school Physical Education textbooks are and how inquiry skills should be fostered through these textbooks. Methods: A total of 10 elementary school Physical Education textbooks for 4th grade were selected as research subjects, and the inquiry tendencies of elementary school Physical Education textbooks were analyzed using Romey's techniques: content evaluation index, illustration and diagram evaluation index, learning activity evaluation index, and evaluation question index. Results: The average index value of the main text was 0.35, and among the 10 Physical Education textbooks, 4 were found to have an inquiry tendency. The average index value of figures and charts was 2.08. The 10 Physical Education textbooks all showed an inquiry-oriented tendency, with a range of 0.47 to 3.95 in their index values. The average index value of learning activities was 1.07. All 10 Physical Education textbooks exhibited an inquiry-oriented tendency, with index values ranging from 0.83 to 1.66. The average index value of evaluation questions was 3.27. The 10 Physical Education textbooks all showed an inquiry-oriented tendency, with a range of 1.90 to 5.50. Conclusion: The reason the texts of 10 types of Physical Education textbooks tend to be relatively non-inquiry-oriented can be seen as stemming from a comprehensive understanding and reflective approach to the curriculum, as well as the formation of coherence in Physical Education classes. Additionally, the reason they show inquiry-oriented tendencies in illustrations, charts, learning activities, and evaluation question indices can be inferred to be due to the unique characteristics of Physical Education courses.