Trying to understand the implications of our survey data across many different issues and many different types of teachers is a complex endeavor. Cluster analysis was used to better identify how various teacher practices around games and formative assessment are related. The clusters were built based on teachers’ reported game use practices and their perceived effectiveness. We were able to identify four distinct “teacher profiles” from this data. These four types of teachers differ in terms of how often they use digital games for different purposes, and how effective they believe games are for different purposes.
There were no significant differences in cluster membership by classroom type, subject area, gender, years of teaching experience, age, or grade band.
Teacher #1: The Enthusiastic Game-Using Teacher
Game-Use Frequency and PurposeTeachers in this cluster use games more often than teachers in other clusters for understanding student learning and making instructional decisions, and use games more frequently than the average teacher in our study for all of the purposes identified in our survey. Perception of GamesThese teachers are the most likely to believe games are effective for a variety of purposes. Formative Assessment PracticesThese teachers are the most likely to use formative assessment before a lesson on a regular basis, and also the most likely (together with teachers in cluster 2) to check for motivation and engagement during formative assessment. Teachers in this cluster are almost twice as likely as teachers in cluster 4 to say they do not face any barriers to formative assessment. |
Teacher #2: The Frequent (But Not for Core Content) Game-Using Teacher
Game-Use Frequency and PurposeTeachers in this cluster use games more frequently than teachers in other clusters for supplemental content and gauging student engagement. They are less likely to use games for assessment or to cover mandatory content than the average teacher in our study. Perception of GamesThese teachers believe games are effective for a variety of purposes, but slightly less so than teachers in cluster 1. Formative Assessment PracticesThese teachers are most likely to check for motivation and engagement during formative assessment and most likely to use information from formative assessment to give students feedback on a daily basis. |
Teacher #3: The Frequent, But Not So Enthusiastic Game User
Game-Use Frequency and PurposeTeachers in this cluster use games more frequently than teachers in other clusters to cover mandatory content. However, they use games less often than the average teacher in our study for assessing students and for supplemental content. Perception of GamesThese teachers do think that games are more effective than the average teacher in our study, but not to the extent of teachers in clusters 1 or 2. Formative Assessment PracticesTeachers in this cluster are less likely to check for motivation and engagement during formative assessment and less likely to report that they do not face any barriers to formative assessment than teachers in clusters 1 and 2. |
Teacher #4: The Not-So-Into Games Teacher
Game-Use Frequency and PurposeTeachers in this cluster use games less often, on average, than teachers in the other three clusters, for any of the purposes we asked about. They are less than half as likely to use digital games on a weekly basis than teachers in other groups, and at least three times less likely to be very comfortable using digital games than teachers in other groups. Perception of GamesThese teachers are least likely to think games are effective for any purpose, especially for teaching new content to students or providing useful information about student learning. Formative Assessment PracticesThese teachers are less likely than teachers in any of the other clusters to check for motivation and engagement during formative assessment, or to use information from formative assessment to give feedback to students on a daily basis. They are also least likely to report that they do not face any barriers to formative assessment. |
