A BRITISH EXPERT IN THE CONSTRUCTION OF MODERN PHYSICAL EDUCATION IN TURKEY: JOHN DUNCAN MCINTYRE

Abstract

This research examines the role of British physical education expert John Duncan McIntyre in establishing a modern understanding of physical education in Turkey after the proclamation of the Republic. The study evaluates the innovations implemented in the field of physical education and sports in line with the modernization movements carried out in the early years of the Republic, and reveals that foreign experts were utilized, particularly to meet the need for trained physical education teachers. The research was prepared using the historical case study model, a qualitative research method; data obtained from the Presidential State Archives, periodicals, and various libraries were evaluated using content analysis. According to the research findings, physical education activities in the period from the Ottoman Empire to the Republic were mostly centered on gymnastics, but could not develop sufficiently due to a lack of teachers, facilities, and materials. In the Republican era, however, physical education became an important part of modern education policies, and foreign experts were invited to Turkey accordingly. Within this context, John Duncan McIntyre was appointed as a teacher in the Physical Education Department of Gazi Education Institute, under the influence of the British Council. It has been determined that McIntyre not only worked as a teacher but also contributed to the Turkish physical education system through his scientific studies. His works, particularly those on play education and team sports, have been translated into Turkish and used as teaching materials in institutions training physical education teachers. In conclusion, the research reveals that John Duncan McIntyre made significant contributions to the establishment of a modern understanding of physical education in Turkey and was one of the influential foreign experts in the early physical education policies of the Republic.