ERIC Number: EJ1299590
Record Type: Journal
Publication Date: 2021-May
Pages: 28
Abstractor: As Provided
ISBN: N/A
ISSN: ISSN-1874-8597
EISSN: N/A
Elementary Teachers' Perceptions of Data-Driven Decision-Making
Schelling, Natalie; Rubenstein, Lisa DaVia
Educational Assessment, Evaluation and Accountability, v33 n2 p317-344 May 2021
Data-driven decision-making (DDDM) refers to the process of using data to inform educational decisions. Due to DDDM's positive effects on student achievement and the pressure for educational accountability, DDDM has become a recent focus of numerous educational policies. However, few teachers fully utilize DDDM. While, broadly, DDDM may use various types of data to make different types of decisions, the current study focuses on the use of formative assessment data to guide instructional adaptations. This study serves as an elicitation study to explore teachers' perceptions of DDDM, illuminating both facilitating and inhibitory factors affecting assessment practices. The Theory of Planned Behavior was applied as a theoretical framework, which suggests that individuals' behaviors can be explained by their attitudes, perceptions of social norms, and perceived behavioral control. Nine elementary teachers from Indiana (the USA) participated in focus groups. The findings indicated teachers (a) had positive thoughts (e.g., helpful) but negative feelings (e.g., stressful) about DDDM, (b) were highly impacted by their schools' culture of assessment, and (c) had mixed perceptions about their capacity and autonomy in conducting DDDM. These findings will be used to develop a quantitative instrument for future research. Furthermore, these findings can be used to support educational leaders' efforts to provide better professional development and to facilitate more supportive school environments to ensure teachers can successfully implement DDDM practices.
Descriptors: Elementary School Teachers, Teacher Attitudes, Data Use, Decision Making, Formative Evaluation, Self Efficacy, Professional Autonomy, School Culture
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Publication Type: Journal Articles; Reports - Research; Tests/Questionnaires
Education Level: Elementary Education
Audience: N/A
Language: English
Sponsor: N/A
Authoring Institution: N/A
Identifiers - Location: Indiana
Grant or Contract Numbers: N/A