The purpose of this study is to discuss on the current significance of Dewey’s philosophical idea of “learning” connecting with the theory of physical education, especially focused on the concepts of “inquiry”. The significance of using Dewey's philosophy may reflect current tendency of re-evaluating pragmatism so as to consider on the issue of “learning”. According to Dewey, the concept of inquiry means to live, to grow and to constantly renewal ourselves through environmental encouragement. The concept of inquiry also implies the process of human life accompanied by thinking, in which it is expressed as “the humanistic study”. In Dewey’s theory of inquiry, his unique idea of humanism has been constantly seen as a basic stance. In considering the theory connecting into physical education, this study discusses on the following viewpoints: 1) moment of inquiry, 2) process of inquiry, 3) interpretation of warranted assertion by means of inquiry, which is each originated in the physical movement. The focus of discussion is on the issue of inquiry as man’s intellectual activity through the thoughtful physical movement, that is to say a process of human life or growth. Dewey’s theory of education connecting into physical education tells us that the inquiry as learning is man’s intellectual activity through physical movement as an origin and is also a process of forming bodily arts. In other words, it is the process of searching for “the art of living” as a way of life. It is also exactly the process of acquiring such an art of human activities. An attempt to connect Dewey's theory of education into physical education would be an opportunity to re-evaluate the idea of human growth in physical movement as learning.
