Interview with
Nilüfer Çağın
Professional Learning Center Coordinator, Hisar School
Learning Habitat: A school whose true size is measured by the impact of its lifelong learners.
NC: Hisar School approaches learning as a living culture, designing the school as a "Learning Habitat" where all stakeholders thrive. We know that the true size of a school is measured by the depth of the curiosity within.
Hisar School maintains a perspective that empowers learners to take action, which significantly impacts learner agency. The internalization of knowledge and its transition into transferable practices is invaluable. Learning by living, experimenting, and trial and error are essential components of deep and lasting learning. When classrooms evolve beyond spaces of passive consumption into vibrant project laboratories where ideas turn into prototypes, the very nature of education changes. At Hisar School, some learning environments have been designed to support this vision, building a permanent culture of creating.
NC: Making is critical in learning. Fablab with its digital fabrication technologies and rapid prototyping infrastructure, provides a setting where students transform ideas into tangible outcomes. Here, designs are developed; prototypes are produced, tested, and refined. The process follows a cycle of thinking, making, and feedback. The space includes 3D printers, laser cutting systems, CNC machines, and electronics production stations. This infrastructure enables projects from different disciplines to be developed under one roof. Prototyping is the central working method of this environment. Ideas move through stages of production, evaluation, and revision. FabLab is a learning environment where the application, development, and production phases of disciplines are integrated.
“Making is critical in learning.”
NC: Human beings learn best through active experience. Hisar Engineering Society functions as a multi-disciplinary hub where students transform theoretical knowledge into tangible prototypes. What began as a simple classroom split has evolved into a multi-branched ecosystem where students take full leadership, defining their own goals and distributing responsibilities across engineering and innovation. Currently, Hisar Engineering Society operates through specialized branches such as VEX Robotics Team, Racing Team, Energy Team and Business Team.
In an era where the role of the teacher and the classroom is being redefined, the Hisar Engineering Society serves as a model for the future of education. We aim to cultivate lifelong learners who do not just consume information but actively create meaning through research, design, and production. Ultimately, the Hisar Engineering Society functions as a living character, a dynamic and ever-changing space that mirrors the multi-dimensional nature of the students who bring it to life. This synergy drives a culture of continuous transformation, allowing Hisar Engineering Society to evolve and adapt to global shifts like AI and digital transformation.
“We aim to cultivate lifelong learners who do not just consume information but actively create meaning through research, design, and production.”
NC: By integrating professional learning and research, we have created the Professional Learning Center which contributes to a sustainable and evidence-based learning ecosystem. The center has achieved global validation through its accreditation by NEASC as an Educational Service Organization. Research proves that continuous and targeted professional learning has a direct and significant impact on student success. The school has a dedicated center aligned with this mission.
Professional Learning Center is a vital stakeholder in the school’s lifelong learning culture by designing inclusive programs through multidisciplinary collaborations. We organize "Learning Meetings" that facilitate peer-to-peer learning within the school, covering teaching and learning strategies, lesson plans, and academic insights. Furthermore, for the past five years, Hisar School teachers have been conducting the "Learning Together" series across Türkiye, spanning various levels and subjects. In addition to these, we actively share opportunities for the school staff to present at national and international conferences, encouraging their participation and thereby contributing to broader professional learning communities.
Driven by curiosity as a catalyst for transformation, teachers evolve from passive observers into active 'practitioner-researchers' who refine their methods through collective, classroom-based inquiry. The school has established a system dedicated to supporting research initiatives through its center.
As the true architects of change in education, teachers hold the power to expand the horizons of their students. Keeping the mind "under construction" is the key to this growth. Embracing the phrase "I do not know, but I will learn" transforms a learner’s openness into their greatest strength, unlocking the door to a lifelong journey of transformation.
“Embracing the phrase "I do not know, but I will learn" transforms a learner’s openness into their greatest strength, unlocking the door to a lifelong journey of transformation.”
Nilüfer Çağın is an educational leader and mathematics educator with over 30 years of professional experience. She currently serves as the Coordinator of the Professional Learning Center at Hisar School, where she leads research-informed professional learning initiatives and contributes to whole-school improvement efforts. Her areas of expertise include curriculum design, program development, instructional leadership, accreditation processes, and the design of sustainable systems that effectively connect classroom practice with institutional development. Throughout her career, Cagin has held a range of leadership and instructional roles, including program developer, mathematics teacher, and high school vice principal. In addition, she taught part-time at Boğaziçi University. She holds bachelor’s and master’s degrees in Mathematics Education from Boğaziçi University, a Certificate in Designing Curriculum Using Instructional Technology from Seneca College (Toronto), and an Instructional Leadership Certificate from the Harvard Graduate School of Education (HGSE).