Teachers’ Views on the Türkiye Century Education Model Physical Education and Sports Curriculum

The renewed secondary school physical education and sports curriculum of the Türkiye Century Education Model (TCEM) entered into force with Grade 9 in the 2025–2026 academic year and will gradually be extended to other grades. This study aimed to examine the views and experiences of physical education teachers who had completed the in-service teacher (trainer) education program for this curriculum and were both its trainers and among its first implementers in Grade 9. To the authors’ knowledge, it is the first study of teachers’ views on this curriculum. In this basic qualitative study, 17 volunteer teachers were selected through purposive maximum variation sampling. Data were collected between February and April 2026 through a demographic questionnaire and semi-structured interviews and analyzed using content analysis. Four themes emerged: “Evaluation of the Curriculum,” “The Curriculum’s Contribution to Students’ Physical, Social, and Emotional Development,” “Requirements for the Effective Implementation of the Curriculum,” and “Barriers and Challenges in Implementing the Curriculum.” Overall, the teachers appraised the curriculum favorably, expecting its learner-centered design and social-emotional focus to support students’ holistic development. However, they considered the current in-service training insufficient on its own and called for expanding its theoretical and applied components. Inadequate facilities and equipment shortages, which create unequal conditions across schools, and uncertainty about the new assessment approach emerged as the key implementation bottlenecks. Accordingly, the study recommends meeting schools’ facility and equipment needs, providing regular practice-oriented in-service training, and revising the curriculum based on teacher feedback.