A Cluster Analysis for Teachers’ Designer Role: Three Profiles with Differing Focuses on Design

  • Selcuk Dogan Georgia Southern University
  • İsmail Çelik
  • Nihal Yurtseven
Keywords: Designer Teachers, Professional Development, Teacher Profile, Curriculum Development, Cluster Analysis

Abstract

Teachers have a vital role in students’ learning. This role is multifaceted in terms of their design skills and must be unpacked to clearly understand how teachers’ daily routines differ with respect to instructional perspectives. This study introduces a comprehensive professional development (PD) program for teachers to build capacity in designing instruction and other design-related skill sets. Employing a person-centered methodology, the study aimed to identify different profiles of teachers in terms of their skills in designing instruction, implementing lessons, updating professional knowledge, digital learning systems, and facilitation/leadership. Through the application of cluster analysis on a cohort of 130 educators, three distinct designer teacher profiles emerged: high-designers (n = 29), mid-designers (n = 64), and low-designers (n = 37). These profiles delineate both shared attributes and discrepancies. In addition, the study delved into the variances within these profiles concerning teachers’ grasp of curriculum development and self-reported utilization of innovative pedagogical methods. Means analysis further shows that as the profile gets higher, the curriculum development knowledge and the use of teaching and learning techniques increase. These findings hold significant implications, urging a departure from exclusively emphasizing technical design work when assigning roles to teachers, thereby recognizing the multifaceted dimensions of their contributions.

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How to Cite
Dogan, S., Çelik, İsmail, & Yurtseven, N. (2023). A Cluster Analysis for Teachers’ Designer Role: Three Profiles with Differing Focuses on Design. International Journal of Curriculum and Instructional Studies (IJOCIS), 13(2), 357-378. https://doi.org/https://doi.org/10.31704/ijocis.2023.015