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ORIGINAL RESEARCH article

Front. Educ.
Sec. Higher Education
Volume 9 - 2024 | doi: 10.3389/feduc.2024.1475100

Exploring Teaching Approaches in Higher Education: Cluster Analysis of Faculty Profiles in a Latin American University

Provisionally accepted
Jack F. Bravo-Torres Jack F. Bravo-Torres 1*Sonia M. Santoveña-Casal Sonia M. Santoveña-Casal 2María D. Fernández-Pérez María D. Fernández-Pérez 2Cinthya M. Cevallos-Ludeña Cinthya M. Cevallos-Ludeña 3
  • 1 Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Cuenca, Ecuador
  • 2 Facultad de Educación, Universidad Nacional de Educación a Distancia, Madrid, Asturias, Spain
  • 3 University of Cuenca, Cuenca, Azuay, Ecuador

The final, formatted version of the article will be published soon.

    This study investigates the influence of multidimensional characteristics on university faculty's teaching approaches, exploring cluster patterns and their relation to pedagogical strategies.By employing cluster analysis, we identify three distinct faculty profiles at a Latin American university, differentiated by demographic, pedagogical, and contextual variables such as age, gender, educational training, and knowledge area. The analysis highlights significant variations in teaching approaches, revealing a complex interplay of factors that shape educational practices.The research extends existing knowledge by integrating a broader range of influencing factors and focusing on a previously underexplored geographical context. Findings emphasize the necessity for adaptable pedagogical strategies that address diverse faculty needs and contribute to the development of effective educational policies, particularly in Latin American settings. This contributes to the body of literature on higher education by offering a nuanced understanding of how various factors collectively influence teaching approaches, which is crucial for fostering pedagogical excellence in a global and digital educational environment.

    Keywords: faculty development, Faculty profiles, higher education, pedagogical profiles, Teaching approach

    Received: 02 Aug 2024; Accepted: 10 Oct 2024.

    Copyright: © 2024 Bravo-Torres, Santoveña-Casal, Fernández-Pérez and Cevallos-Ludeña. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (CC BY). The use, distribution or reproduction in other forums is permitted, provided the original author(s) or licensor are credited and that the original publication in this journal is cited, in accordance with accepted academic practice. No use, distribution or reproduction is permitted which does not comply with these terms.

    * Correspondence: Jack F. Bravo-Torres, Universidad Politécnica Salesiana, Cuenca, Ecuador

    Disclaimer: All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.