We had two primary objectives: 1. Develop a comprehensive Teachers as Designers mindsets framework, co-designed with designers and educators from Denmark, Spain, and Finland, to clarify the role of teachers as designers within the VET sector. 2. Utilize design thinking and co-creation methodologies to design educational interventions aimed at cultivating the mindsets identified in the Teachers as Designers framework.
The rapid pace of change in the economy, society, and technology has placed increasing demands on educators to navigate complex challenges in their daily practice. As a result, there is a growing recognition of the need for teachers to acquire new sets of skills and ways of thinking to effectively address these evolving educational needs. One promising approach to meet these challenges is the integration of design discipline into the field of education. This involves conceptualizing teaching practice as a design profession and viewing teachers as designers. While methodologies and tools exist to support educators in applying design thinking to their practice, there remains a gap in defining the specific design mindsets that teachers should cultivate to fully leverage the benefits of design integration. Our motivation for applying to this project stemmed from the desire to co-create and identify the essential Mindsets for Teachers as Designers, as well as to develop practical tools and resources to nurture these mindsets. By participating in this project, we aimed to contribute to the advancement of teacher professional development by creating actionable guidelines to support teachers to develop design mindsets.