Transformation of Methods in Physical Education Classes
Chapter from the book:
Sağın,
A.
E.
&
Uğraş,
S.
(eds.)
2025.
The Pedagogical Transformation of Physical Education and Sports: From the Historical Process to the Turkey Century Education Model.
Synopsis
This section examines the historical and pedagogical transformation of teaching methods used in physical education classes from the late Ottoman period to the present day. It first addresses the transition from a military discipline and gymnastics-based approach to physical education, influenced by figures such as Amoros and Jahn, to the health-based Swedish gymnastics model adopted in the early Republican period. With this change, physical education ceased to be a tool for military preparation and became a course that improved public health, supported the nation-building process, and was seen as a component of modernization. Subsequently, the impact of Mosston and Ashworth's Teaching Styles System on the diversity of physical education methods is discussed. This system offers a conceptual transition framework from teacher-centered and reproduction-based styles (command, drill, etc.) to productive styles that emphasize student-centered, decision-making, and discovery. Synthesizing the findings of national and international research, it is shown that although teaching programs emphasize a student-centered approach, teacher-centered methods are still dominant in practice. The latter part of the chapter discusses contemporary student-centered approaches such as gamification, problem solving, peer learning, and collaborative learning, as well as model-based teaching frameworks such as the Sports Education Model, Teaching Through Play (TGfU), blended models, and health-based physical education. Furthermore, the contribution of digital technologies, mobile applications, and online learning environments to the current transformation in physical education pedagogy is evaluated. In conclusion, the chapter reveals that physical education in Turkey has evolved from an authoritarian, performance- and discipline-oriented structure to a multidimensional learning field that supports students' physical, cognitive, social, and emotional development and focuses on lifelong physical activity and values education.
