Cross-cycle variation in science teachers’ instructional engagement profiles in South Korea: Evidence from TIMSS 2011–2023

Abstract

This study examines cross-cycle variation in South Korean science teachers’ instructional practices across four cycles of the Trends in International Mathematics and Science Study (TIMSS, 2011, 2015, 2019, and 2023). Using science teacher questionnaire data linked to a nationally representative sample of eighth-grade students, this study applied latent profile analysis (LPA) to identify instructional activity profiles and examine descriptive differences in profile distribution across cycles. Results revealed two to three profiles across the four cycles, primarily reflecting varying levels of instructional engagement intensity. Profile distributions differed substantially across cycles, while the profiles differed more in overall instructional intensity than in contrasting pedagogical approaches. Although the data are not longitudinal at the individual level, these findings provide descriptive evidence of cross-cycle variation in instructional practice patterns in the Korean context. This study also explored demographic correlates of profile membership, although most associations were modest in magnitude. By adopting a person-centered approach to large-scale assessment data, this study contributes to a more comprehensive understanding of instructional heterogeneity beyond mean-level analyses. These findings may inform context-sensitive professional development and instructional support by highlighting variation in teachers’ levels of instructional engagement across cycles.