Dynamics of change of academics’ teaching approaches: A latent profile transition analysis

Abstract

Current studies highlighted a positive relationship between academics' learning-focused approaches to teaching and students' active and deep learning. Thus, scholars have an ongoing debate about the dynamics of change from academics’ content-focused to learning-focused approaches to teaching. Previous studies investigating this subject used variable-centered analyses (on cross-sectional or pre-post data) or person-centered analyses only on cross-sectional data. Such research approaches presented limited information about the dynamics of change in teaching approaches of naturally occurring subgroups of academics with multiple teaching approach characteristics. This study analyzed the issue using longitudinal data collected on three moments (N = 111 Romanian academics) and a person-centered approach (i.e., latent profile transition analysis). We identified three dissonant approaches to teaching and one learning-focused. Our results suggested that the process of change in approaches to teaching seems to be slow and, sometimes, discontinuous. The transition from the most dissonant approach to the learning-focused approach could occur directly or by intermediary steps described as less dissonant. These dynamics of change are similar across various subsamples defined by the academics’ teaching context, specialization, gender, teaching experience, and pedagogical training programs followed. We advanced several implications for designing pedagogical programs for academics and future research.