Teachers using data to inform practice. Where to next?

"Data by itself is useless, it is only useful if you apply it", but we also know that "you don't know what you don't know".

At this time of the school year, teachers are (or should be) in the process of really getting to know the students they have in their classes and in that process amongst other things, they are gauging student readiness, student levels and so on. There may be some form of diagnostic testing happening in specific subjects to assist in this process (e.g. PAT testing, etc). So, teachers are being asked to use various forms of data to inform their practice, but in some cases (often more than we think), there is a lack of understanding as to what these data actually mean, and then of course, what to do with that data moving forward. There are so many components to this and for me, it continues to be an area of interest, concern and ongoing monitoring.

As such, I completed my Masters Dissertation research investigating "Teacher attitudes, perceived competence and use of data to inform classroom practice" in 2019 when I was an Assistant Principal in an Independent College, and completed the writing of it mid 2020. The research was structured around four key research questions:

1. How do teachers report their use of data to inform their classroom practices?
2. How do teachers perceive their competence to use data sources to inform classroom practices for improved student learning?
3. How do teachers report their actual use of data to inform their classroom practice?
4. What do teachers perceive are the facilitators or barriers to their use of data as they consider their classroom practices??

There were many significant findings, both relative and counter to the broader research and I would be more than happy to share my dissertation with anyone who might be interested in reading it (Feel free to contact me directly). However, I wanted to share some of the key findings I outlined in the concluding statements that can provoke further thinking, because we want teachers to use data is to inform practice, but unfortunately, that next step is often the missing element.

"The study found that whilst there was a sense of positivity for using data to inform practice at the case study secondary college, many teachers lacked the confidence and skills to access, analyse and utilise the data effectively to support their classroom practices. Teachers cited a lack of time, capacity and lack of professional learning as barriers to their use of data, which supports?much of the current literature. However, contrary to some of the existing research, teachers had a strong view that the use of external assessment data like NAPLAN and PAT were of low value for instructional purposes and the findings revealed that these standardised tests were rarely utilised by teachers to inform their practices. A further important finding was that collaboration around data was lacking, although this was an area that many teachers expressed a strong view and interest in strengthening" (Evans 2020, p. 70). These findings really highlighted the range of skillsets required by teachers: the ability to understand and analyse the data, what these data actually mean, and then the process of using the data to make decisions about classroom practice.

Furthermore, out of this research fell a number of key recommendations, not only within that specific college context, but can be used (and I have) in other school contexts too. They were:

"...for example, the establishment and focus on processes for data teams, more targeted collaborative opportunities and professional learning related to technological platforms that assist with access, analysis and use of data are some key recommendations. The limitations of this case study are outlined, but reinforce the need for further research within this local context and beyond. Teachers’ use of data to inform practices is expected and as such, if the aim is to improve student learning, then future research should focus on data use in the classroom with targeted observations to ascertain teachers use of data, with ongoing support for middle leaders and teachers to become more confident and competent in using data for instructional purposes" (Evans 2020, p. 71).?

With respect to further research, I considered and suggested that there was more to be done. We ask teachers to use data to inform practice, and that is the key starting point - "Know your learners" this is critical, but then how does the analysis of these data actually translate into classroom practice? Firstly, does it automatically lead to teachers' understanding of what to do with that data (one skill set), and secondly, does it change the pedagogy being used (another skillset), and lead to deeper understanding of the learners and what best meets their needs. When investigating how teachers actually used data, some of the survey questions related to the impact any use of data had on their specific teaching practices, and for me, that is the kicker! There were very mixed responses around specific practices, and if I'd stayed longer in that college, I would have gone further with this aspect of the research. I list the recommendations that could be considered moving forward:

"Firstly, more structured observations could occur when teachers are meeting and conversing in data teams, and during workshop interventions as are proposed by Dunn et al., (2013). These observations would enable a more detailed understanding of the types of data being utilised and provide a clearer view of how they are being used to inform practice and enhance student learning.

Secondly, ongoing opportunities for greater collaboration in department teams, middle leader teams and data specific teams, aligned with more structured professional learning and explicit interventions using the data tools, as is suggested by Jimerson and McGhee (2013), should be implemented and monitored to gauge teacher growth and development of data use. This could provide deeper understanding of teachers’ competence and capability in using data to inform practice, the connotations they place on data and data use, and help to identify the actions that teachers are performing using data in terms of resources to highlight any limitations and hinderances.

Thirdly, with the aim of improving student learning, the next phase of research at the case study secondary college could be structured around classroom observations of teachers to ascertain if and how data use leads to modification of programs and lessons to impact student learning.

Finally, in conjunction with the implementation of professional learning opportunities, the introduction of a longitudinal aspect of research to follow-up after a year with future surveys and interviews would allow greater discernment of the impact of any interventions, and changes in data use practices" (Evans 2020, p 71).?

So, using these recommendations as a basis for my continued work, my next thinking is around 'said' classroom practice. This year, I am an independent consultant (Debra Evans Education Consultants) and some of my work to date has been working with leadership and their teachers around collaborative structures and approaches to planning for learning and teaching. Pedagogy, classroom practice and strategies being the key focus. Supporting teachers to collaborate and to consider their learners in the first instance as cohorts of learners (research and data), and then to consider them as individuals (specific data) and to tailor and change pedagogical approaches to engage and motivate. This provides teachers opportunity to really reflect upon the practices they have used in the past and to consider (using that various data and research) how they might do it more effectively. What could they change and why?

Whilst I am not undertaking any specific research at the moment, I am very interested in, what appears to be a missing piece in the research, gauging how specific data is used by teachers to [actually] change or inform practice and then what the impact of those learning and teaching strategies might be on motivation, engagement and ultimately, down the track, the impact it may have on student success and learning. All of this of course takes time, support and effort. Some things can happen quickly, but in most instances, there will need to be well considered processes in place, so that teachers are able to collaborate and plan, reflect upon the classroom practices they have implemented, obtain feedback from their partners/colleagues, and gather feedback from their students, then make adjustments where needed and begin again. It needs to be a cyclical process.

So, moving forward, the questions posed for my initial research continue to be very pertinent and are still a starting point in any school context. Are we there yet with respect to teacher confidence and competence in using data to inform practice? Then, if teachers do report they are confident and competent, have used various data to inform their planning, and are embedding more targeted classroom strategies and practices to meet the needs of their students, some questions for consideration might be:

1. How do teachers report the effectiveness of collaborative planning and their consideration of a variety of pedagogies?
2. How do teachers report their use of a variety of classroom strategies to meet the needs of the students [in front of them]?
3. How do teachers perceive their competence to implement these classroom practices to improve student motivation and engagement in their learning? (This is tricky one though - it is difficult to measure engagement - and so, could be a whole other area of research? What does engagement look like, etc?)
4. What are the actual pedagogies/strategies have teachers incorporated into their classroom practice that they report as successful? (This one is different to the first, because something can be discussed and planned, but does it actually happen in the classroom?)
5. What do teachers perceive are the facilitators or barriers for the continuation of collaborative planning practices and embedding appropriate classroom strategies/pedagogies into that planning?

This may be a starting point for some more targeted research in this area, and these questions do need some further refining, but for now, these questions may provide a loose guide for considering how teachers are using research and data (evidence) to modify and inform their classroom practices to more effectively, meet the needs of their learners.