Professor, Dr.Hab. Y.M. Nikolaev
Lesgaft National State University of Physical Education, Sport and Health, St. Petersburg

Keywords: evolution of theoretical basics of physical education, modern theory of physical education, general education and culture.

Background. Educational and sport communities of the Russian Federation have marked the 90^th year anniversary of the leading national theoretical and research edition “Teoriya i Praktika Fizicheskoy Kultury" Journal. For these years, the Journal has made an indispensable contribution to the national physical culture and sports popularization initiatives as summarized by the relevant analytical reports. Particularly productive was the period since the 1960-70ies when a growing priority has been given to the initiatives to develop theoretical grounds for the national physical culture (A.M. Maklin, V.A. Podol’skiy, 1980; B.F. Kevbrin, 1997, et al). The leading researches for this time made progress from physical education being ranked as a social phenomenon to developing necessary prerequisites for transition from the physical education theory (PET) to physical culture theory (PCT) with the attempts to lay a foundation for the PCT by the initiatives to: integrate the relevant knowledge base; identify and develop the links of the national physical culture with the general culture; consider and state objects and subjects for the PCT related research; and put together the modern conceptual and practical framework for the PCT being developed with new approaches to its categorical and notional toolkits and key content. These accomplishments have given the means to realize that the national physical culture and sports sector and physical education system in our country – that are generally designed to improve the spiritual, moral and physical health of the nation (as stated by V.U. Ageevets, 2015) – have come to the point where cardinal reforms of the sector and new views and approaches are critical.

These ideas go in line with the new humanistic trends in the national educational system development process that is now dominated rather by the efforts to provide the future-creating means to the sector enthusiasts that only inherit and translate positive experience of the past generations to the present ones. This mission implies, among other things, a new human personality being formed (with an emphasis of the spiritual and physical excellence processes being duly harmonized and good creativity encouraged) and, hence, new content of the knowledge being offered for the personality progress (of a student, master, postgraduate etc.) by the national education system, with the system reforms being centred on the culturing, humanistic and practical aspects of the educational process being fully employed (I.A. Kolesnikova, 1993; A.S. Zapesotskiy, 2002, et al). This holds true for the general education system on the whole and the national physical education system in particular.

For the last 50-60 years the national physical culture and sports sector has accumulated large theoretical, practical, methodological and factual data and knowledge. It should be noted that some of the knowledge modules were subject to serious generalizing studies, albeit generally the knowledge base is still dominated by the studies based on the specific-to-the-general cognition methodologies traditional for the mid-XX century rather than on the general-to-the specific approaches that have been increasingly applied since the late XX and early XXI century. It has complicated the process of the physical culture nature focused research considering it as a part of the general human/ social culture with the relevant systemic and integrated vision of its theoretical and educational environment formation potential. Unless such vision is formed and generally accepted, the fundamental world-outlook idea and the sector development policy cannot be effective enough. And it is the analysis of the theoretical and practical basics of the modern physical culture that is to play a leading role in the process.

It is unlikely accidental that the Research Speciality Passport code 13.00.04 (“Theory and practice of physical education, competitive training, adaptive and health improvement physical education”) that gives a definition of the speciality mentions that it is designed to “identify the key areas of the theoretical, fundamental and applied research to obtain research substantiations for the practical approaches etc.” It is also important that mentioned first among the seven research fields are the “Fundamental problems of the general theory of physical culture”, and section 1.1 of the latter called “General regularities of the physical culture system development, operation and improvement system” that gives a top priority to the following issues:

 – “Physical culture as an integral part of general national culture”;

– “Historical-logic-centred and theoretical research of the physical cultue knowledge evolution process”;

– “Physical culture system development forecasts in the national and international contexts”; and

– “Didactical problems of the physical culture sector”.

The above list of the theoretical and practical top-priority issues underlines the fact that these issues are still in need of comprehensive studies for the benefit of the national physical culture sector (as verified by the topics of the PhD and doctoral theses that have been defended for the last few years) and at the same time critical for the physical culture theory and practice development and rethinking prospects. As things now stand in the XXI century, a growing priority is given to proactive approaches, modern methods and technologies that need to be advanced in the national physical education sector with the traditional methods being seriously revised and updated. Unless these efforts are designed with due consideration for the quite long and uneasy evolution of the theoretical basics of the national physical culture since 1960ies till now, they may not be effective enough.

Therefore, it is a right time when we may and must speak about the past, present and future development paths of the closely interconnected theoretical basics of the national physical culture. The past experience being duly analyzed is pivotal for the present progress (as it grows from the past accomplishments), and they both (with the leading role of the present initiatives) give the means to forecast the future (according to D.S. Likhachev). A top priority in the process is to be given to practical methodologies viewed as a primary source for a theory. And, knowing that it is a whole-hearted human being – in its somatic, mental, social and cultural integrity – that the genuine culture and its theory are to be focused on, there are good grounds to state that the past, present and future of the theoretical basics of the national physical culture viewed as an integral part of the general culture have always been dependent on the analysis of how well they are focused in one or another period on formation for the human being of that kind.

Conclusion. Our analysis of the theoretical basics of the past, present and future physical culture shows that the urgent system reforms will be spearheaded (better done than said) by the culture-building methodology that will make it possible to design a new educational policy in the professional physical culture education. A key role in the process is to be played by the modern theory of physical culture. As soon as it is developed and implemented, it will radically change the theoretical and practical thinking of the future researchers and educators active in the national physical culture sector; reform and bring new quality to the system; and sort out the content of its theoretical and educational domains. The reforms are highly critical today due to many physical culture establishments being restructured to universities that should, as implied by their status, evolve to regional hubs of science and culture in their areas.

References

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7. Nikolaev Y.M. Istoriya i metodologiya nauki o fizicheskoy kul'ture (History and methodology of physical education science): teaching aid / Y.M. Nikolaev. – St. Petersburg: Olimp-SPb, 2010. – 200 p.
8. Nikolaev Y.M. Teoriya fizicheskoy kul'tury: sovremennye podkhody (Theory of Physical Education: modern approaches) / Y.M. Nikolaev. – St. Petersburg: Olimp-SPb, 2010. – 120 p.
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11. Pasport nauchnoy spetsial'nosti 13.00.04 – «Teoriya i metodika fizicheskogo vospitaniya, sportivnoy trenirovki, ozdorovitel'noy i adaptivnoy fizicheskoy kul'tury» (Passport of speciality 13.00.04 - "Theory and methods of physical education, sport training, health improving and adaptive physical education) // http://vak.ed.gov.ru/316

Corresponding author: k_tfk@lesgaft.spb.ru

Abstract

The article considers different issues with concern to the evolution of the theoretical basics for physical culture in our country from 1960ies till now. The study shows that the past, present and future closely interrelated development trends may be identified in the overall progress at this juncture. The key classification criterion is focused on how the theoretical basics of physical culture in the professional physical culture education in one or another period have facilitated the whole-hearted personality formation process – in the somatic, mental, social and cultural aspects.

Our analysis of the theoretical basics of the past, present and future physical culture shows that the urgent system reforms will be spearheaded (better done than said) by the culture-building methodology that will make it possible to design a new educational policy in the professional physical cultural education. A key role in the process will be played by the modern theory of physical culture. As soon as it is developed and implemented, it will radically change the theoretical and practical thinking of the future researchers and educators active in the national physical culture sector; reform and bring new quality to the system; and sort out the content of its theoretical and educational domains. The reforms are highly critical today due to many physical culture establishments being restructured to universities that should, as implied by their status, evolve to regional hubs of science and culture in their areas.