Making sense of student data in teacher professional development

Abstract

In recent years, the use of student data has become increasingly concerned with management of teacher performance. However, when teachers become aware of specific student data directly related to their approach of teaching, it could inform them about possible strengths, weaknesses or challenges. Unfortunately, teachers generally have little time and encounter significant problems in the interpretation and use of data for change. In this article, we put forward that such problems can be avoided by offering teachers practical frames that are aimed at the interpretation and productive use of student data. We report on an extensive study that was done in the setting of reform implementation where teachers were asked to change their teaching practices. Participating teachers performed multiple PDCA(Plan-Do-Check-Act) cycles in which they designed and taught lessons where student data were collected. To interpret and make use of such student data for change, we provided participants with practical frames. We examined to what extent and in what way participants used these frames and how this influenced professional development. Results showed that participants used frames to both interpret student data and make changes to their teaching practices towards that required by the reform in a stepwise, rather independent way.